Category Archives: Churches

Churches

Ashton Chapel (Near Mingo, Iowa)

In 1862, a young girl named Jane Ashton died of tuberculosis and was buried on her father’s homestead in rural Jasper County, just north of present-day Mingo. Others asked to bury their loved ones at the peaceful site, leading Jane’s father James to officially establish a public cemetery at the spot in 1871. Twenty-six years later, two of James’ grandsons circulated a petition to raise funds for construction of a church on the site. After collection pledges ranging from a quarter to a hundred dollars, a building committee was appointed and construction began on the $1,500 building the following year. A dedication service was held in April 1898 for the new Ashton Chapel.

The church is still active today with services at 10:00 a.m. on Sundays.

Churches

Baptist Church (Farson, Iowa)

On April 26, 1866, a meeting was held in the now non-existant Wapello County hamlet of Competine to establish a new Baptist Church. The meeting was initiated by twelve former members of Baptist churches in the nearby towns of Martinsburg and Fremont, and charter members totaled 27. After a few meetings in the local school house, a permanent church was constructed in June 1867. After burning to the ground in 1891, a committee was appointed to solicit funds for a new building. The new and larger church building was dedicated December 11, 1893.

By June 1908, church members determined the church would be better suited in the growing (but unincorporated) community of Farson, one mile to the west. full basement and foundation was put into place and in October 1908, the church was moved via horses and rollers to its new location. The first meeting in Farson was January 2, 1909, and the church was rededicated on January 24. The church has seen a few changes over the years, including the removal of the steeple and creation of a ground-level entryway. The original steeple bell is mounted on a brick foundation in front of the church.

Churches

Immaculate Conception Catholic Church (Haverhill, Iowa)

Immaculate Conception parish in the Marshall County town of Haverhill can trace its history to October 20, 1877, when a meeting was held among twelve German- and nine English-speaking families to establish a Catholic church. By 1879, a small frame church was completed a mile west of the present site at a cost of $1,285. As part of an extension of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul railroad, the town of Haverhill was officially platted in 1881, and the building was relocated to the present church site.

The parish grew to 73 families by 1900, and quickly the frame church was too small to accommodate the congregation; ground was broken for the present church the following year. Constructed in the Gothic design, the red brick and white stone building measured 48 x 118 feet with a 13-story tower. The new church was formally dedicated on October 22, 1902. As noted in the Haverhill, Iowa, centennial book, “the day was ideal… clear and bright after several days of rain.”

After 105 years of services, a final mass of closing was held at Immaculate Conception on Sunday, July 1, 2007. The church was designated an Oratory, allowing funerals and weddings of the certified membership only. Masses are held each May and December.

Churches

United Methodist Church (Mt. Auburn, Iowa)

The history of the United Methodist Church in the Benton County town of Mt. Auburn can be traced to 1863, when revival meetings were conducted by Rev. Faucet in the local schoolhouse. The school served as a meeting place for nearly a decade before articles of incorporation were formalized for the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Mt. Auburn in 1872 with the first church built the following year.

The first church was destroyed by tornado in 1888, so another church was constructed and dedicated in 1889. As the congregation grew, more space was required, so the second church was torn down to make way for a new building. The cornerstone was laid Sunday, October 12, 1913, with a dedication ceremony helped May 5, 1914. Constructed at a cost of $13,100, the church was built with donated labor and some materials from the prior church building. The brick building features impressive stained glass windows, given as gifts and memorials at the time of church construction.

The Mt. Auburn United Methodist Church has approximately 65 members with an average weekly attendance around 20. Services are held weekly at 10:00 a.m.

Churches

Congregational United Church of Christ (Danville, Iowa)

The Congregational Church was organized in the Des Moines County community of Danville on June 29, 1839. First services were held in homes, and then schools, before the first dedicated church structure was dedicated in 1847. A second church was constructed at a cost of $3,000 in 1868, while the present facility was constructed in 1920 at a cost of $35,000. Recent changes to the church building include the removal of the bell tower in 1999 and renovation of the sanctuary in 2000.