The Town Hall and Public Library in the Pocahontas County town of Plover dates to December 8, 1889, when the 26 x 40 feet building was dedicated as the first permanent home for the Plover Presbyterian Church. Constructed at a cost of $1,800, the church was active for 75 years before merging with the nearby Presbyterian Church in the county seat of Pocahontas. It shortly served as an Open Bible Church before being sold to the town in the early 1970s. After some remodeling, the building was repurposed for use as Plover’s town hall and library.
The first church of St. Patrick was built in the Adams County seat of Corning in 1871. A second church was constructed at the present site in 1883 and served the congregation for nearly 50 years — until the present brick building was dedicated on November 18, 1931. The sanctuary was remodeled in 1975 at a cost of $18,000; additional updates were made to the church and attached rectory in 2011. The interior benefited from new paint, carpet, kneelers, and refinishing of the quarter-oak pews. A few exterior updates are currently underway, including new landscaping and the addition of a handicap entrance.
The parish of approximately 100 families is currently led by Father Lazarus Kirigia, a Kenya native.
Catholic services were first held in 1875 in the Union County town of Afton, with the first church constructed four years later. Fire destroyed the building in 1921, and the present facility was completed in 1923. Another fire struck in 1951, though it was limited to the building’s interior, which was quickly repaired and redecorated. The church is served by the priest at Holy Spirit Parish in nearby Creston.
The United Methodist Church in the unincorporated Warren County town of Liberty Center was organized in 1856, with first meetings held in a log schoolhouse south of town. As membership grew, space was leased in a general store in 1860 before a permanent building was constructed in 1870 at the cost of $2,300. The dedication ceremony featured Dr. Alexander Burns, president of nearby Simpson College.
The church was enlarged in 1906 and again in 1968 when a basement was added. Additional improvements were made in 1962, including refinished floors, a new gas furnace, and new carpet, with a rededication ceremony held on March 9, 1969. The church shares a pastor with United Methodist Churches in the nearby communities of Milo and Green Plain.
The unincorporated town of Troy has the distinction of being the site of the first Methodist church in Davis County in southeast Iowa. It was organized in 1846, with the first building constructed in 1852. On September 8, 1923, the first load of sand was hauled to Troy for use in construction of a new church. An all-day farewell service was held and the first church building was torn down the following week. The $9,000 building was dedicated on June 15, 1924. The church shares a pastor with the Methodist church in the nearby town of Cantril.
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