A Short History of First United Methodist Church
Burlington, Iowa
The history of the First United Methodist Church and that of the city of Burlington are closely intertwined. In August of 1833, a man named Dr. William Ross crossed the Mississippi river and arrived in the small settlement of Flint Hills bringing with him a valuable stock of goods and a deep spiritual conviction. At that time, the settlement consisted of only a few log cabins clustered close to the river. Dr. Ross soon erected a cabin on land where River Park Place now stands. He opened a store to sell his goods and, in addition to being one of the first store keepers, he was the first postmaster, doctor, druggist, county clerk and surveyor of the original plat of Burlington. The original boundaries of Burlington were from the river west to Boundary Street (now known as Central Avenue) and from North Street to South Street. Dr. Ross was so important in our city's early history that he has been called the “Father of Burlington.”
During the winter of 1833-34, Dr. Ross corresponded with Peter Cartwright, a presiding elder of the Methodist Conference in Illinois, about the need for a church in the new settlement. Peter Cartwright sent his young cousin, Barton Cartwright, to the little settlement. He arrived in late March of 1834. On April 27, 1834, Barton organized a class of six members in Dr. Ross’ cabin and thus our church was born. We have been told that often there were too many people to fit into the little cabin and the people met in the “grove” ( a timber around the cabin where North Hill Park is now located). Our history tells us that there were often many Indians worshiping along with the Methodists.
Old Zion - As the number of worshipers grew, Dr. Ross felt that the need for church building, so he purchased land on North Third Street between Washington and Columbia and gave it to the new congregation. It is said he also bought bricks, sand and gravel to get it started. The new church was enclosed and partly completed by 1838. It was a plain two-story brick building. The sanctuary was reached by steps leading up to an open platform that ran along the front of the building.
It should be remembered that at this time Iowa was not yet a state - that didn’t happen until 1846. It was part of the Iowa Territory and the legislature of the territory needed a place to meet and the only place large enough was the new church building. President Martin Van Buren gave permission for the territorial government to meet in Burlington. Three sessions of the legislature of the territory of Iowa met in Old Zion from 1838 to 1841. Our historic records also showed that the church was rented to the Supreme Court of Iowa and the District Court of Des Moines County. With money gained from rental to the legislature and a festival fund raiser, the church’s backless seats were replaced with pews, the front platform was replaced by a dignified two-story vestibule and a belfry was added. A handbill prepared by S. J. McKinney for the Burlington Daily Telegraph in 1851 advertising the fund raiser stated that “Old Zion needs a new roof” and thus gave the church its name. The Annual Conference recognized the name at its meeting in 1854. From that time on, the church was known as Old Zion. During the early years of the Old Zion church it was also used as a school house and a court house. There was even a time when Iowa troops were stationed in the basement during an Iowa/Missouri border dispute! A bell weighing 1,400 pounds with its yoke and frame was purchased for $267 for the new belfry. It was used not only to call people to worship but as the town’s fire bell. There were several times when no one was available to open the building and the doors of Old Zion were chopped open to get into the building so the “fire” bell could be rung.
In 1881, it was decided that Old Zion was too small for the growing congregation. It was sold and torn down to make way for an opera house. Today there is a large stone with a plaque on top that tells about Old Zion. It is located across the street from the Burlington Police Station on North Third Street.
Ebenezer - At certain times of the year and after heavy rains, Hawkeye Creek (which now runs through a large storm sewer under the tracks of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad) flooded, making it impossible for people living on the south side of town to attend worship on the north. Consequently another congregation was established for the convenience of those living on the south. It was called the South Burlington Mission until the Ebenezer Methodist Church was built and dedicated on September 23, 1855. It stood on the northwest corner of Fifth and Division where Tom’s Market is now located. With the sale of Old Zion, the congregations combined until a new church could be built and the name was changed to the Division Street Church. In 1881 the Iowa Annual Conference changed the name of the combined congregations to First Methodist Episcopal. By 1885 the congregation had outgrown Ebenezer and new church was desperately needed.
First Church - It took many years and much deliberation to decide where to build the new church. Several sites were considered including Fifth & Division, 7th and Washington, Boundary Street between College (now University) and Market (that one was considered too far away) and the southeast corner of Fifth and Washington. Dr. Charles Stocking, whose specialty was new churches, was assigned as the pastor. The southeast corner of Fifth and Washington Streets was selected and G. W. Kramer, from Akron, Ohio, was hired as the architect. He drew up plans for a handsome building in what was known as the Akron style. The stone selected was jasper or red granite from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. It was shipped down the Missouri River and up the Mississippi River to reach Burlington. In 1888 Ebenezer was sold to Bethany Lutheran church for $6,000 (though the congregation kept meeting there until the new church was completed) and construction on the new church began. The church was dedicated on August 4, 1889, three weeks earlier than expected! The organ was moved from the Ebenezer church, as well as bell which had originally come from Old Zion. The land for the church cost $12,000 and the church building cost $43,200 for a total cost of $55,200. In 1968 the Methodist churches joined with the Evangelical United Brethren to become the United Methodist Church. The name of our church our was then changed to the First United Methodist Church - the name it has today.