Sharon Methodist Episcopal Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Sharon Methodist Episcopal Church
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Smithtown Church in 2014
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 Location in Iowa
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1223 125th St., north of Lost Nation, Iowa |
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| Built | 1874 |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| NRHP reference No. | 03000745 |
| Added to NRHP | August 14, 2003 |
The Sharon Methodist Episcopal Church is a historic building located in a countryside area of northwest Clinton County, Iowa, United States. This church is the only building left from a small community once called Burgess, which people often nicknamed Smithtown. Because of this, the church is usually known as the Smithtown Church. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003, recognizing its importance in history.
Contents
A Look Back: The Church's Story
The Sharon Methodist Church officially started in 1865. It was located in the small town of Burgess. This town was a stopping point along an old road that connected Camanche to Anamosa in northwest Clinton County.
A local landowner and church leader named George Reed generously gave land for both the church and a cemetery. People started burying loved ones in the cemetery soon after. However, the church building itself wasn't built until 1874. Money was hard to come by during the early 1870s.
In 1875, another church group, St. John's Congregation of the German Reformed Church, paid a part of the building cost. This allowed them to use the church for their services a quarter of the time. The Methodist church was part of a larger group called the Monmouth Circuit. Ministers from Monmouth, Iowa served their congregation.
The Reformed congregation was connected to St. Paul's Reformed Church in Wheatland. Their ministers came from that church. Both congregations shared the church building throughout their history, working together.
Changes in the Community
In 1871, a railroad company announced plans to build tracks through Sharon Township. However, the tracks would be two miles south of Burgess. A train station was built in Lost Nation. Many businesses from Burgess, including the general store, moved there to be closer to the railroad.
A group called the Good Templar Sharon Valley Lodge stayed active at Smithtown until 1900. This group was a helpful and charitable organization that supported the idea of temperance. Temperance meant encouraging people to avoid alcohol.
Both the Methodist and German congregations strongly believed in temperance. This shared belief might have helped the Methodists work well with the German group. The Smithtown Church stopped holding regular services in the late 1920s. After that, it was used only for special events like funerals and community meetings.
Caring for the Church and Cemetery
In 1929, the Smithtown Cemetery Association was formed. Their job was to take care of both the cemetery and the church building. In 1931, they bought the property from the Upper Iowa Conference.
On August 2, 1970, the cemetery association gave the property to the Clinton County Conservation Board. This made the church and cemetery a historical site for everyone to visit and learn from.
What Does the Church Look Like?
The Smithtown Church is made of wood and built in the Italianate style. This style was popular in the late 1800s.
The church has a tall bell tower right in the middle of its front side. This is where the main entrance to the church is located. The tower has a belfry at the top, which is where the bells are kept. Above the belfry is a short, pointed spire. The long sides of the church building have four rectangular windows. Each window has shutters on it.
