History of Huntsville Churches

Huntsville Christian Church - Oldest Church Building in Town

Religion has almost always played a major role in the civic life of Huntsville with the town at times having had upwards of eight congregations each with good attendance. The first organized church in Randolph County was Silver Creek Primitive Baptist Church half a mile or so west of what is now Mount Airy off of Route U. It was founded in August of 1819 a full eleven years before the county would even be organized. Silver Creek Baptist Church was first called Happy Zion and sometimes called Goose Pond. Some of its first pastors were: Thomas Henson, Charles Berryman, Thomas Fristoe, William Sears, and James Ratliff.

The first church close to the Huntsville corporate limits was Little Union Primitive Baptist Church It sat on a hill overlooking the East Fork river bottoms off of what is now Route C a couple of miles from the original town site. It was built in 1828, and members included Nancy Wright, Dr. William Fort , Mr. Lafon , Martha Fort, Abraham Riley , Rachel Riley, James Riley, Nancy Goggin, John Smoot , Susan Smoot, Martin Fletcher , Charles Hatfield , Benjamin Skinner , Paulina Skinner, Thomas Hardister , Isaac Harris , and Blanderman Smith. This church is largely lost to history. Why it did not continue to hold services is not known.

The first church in the city limits of Huntsville was the Huntsville Methodist Episcopal Church which was organized in 1835. Its first board of trustees consisted of G.B. Dameron Sr. G.B. Dameron Jr., B. Hill, I. Skinner, J.H. Penney, H.A. Lassitor, and J.P. Horner. One of its first pastors was the Reverend William Goff Caples. For ten years it met in the county courthouse, school buildings, and homes until the first building was built behind where the present building sets. This building was used until 1872 when a building was built on the site of the present church. The tower of the “new” building was struck by lightning twice and condemned so the current structure was built in 1897. The 1845 building stood for many years, and was used as a private home and a shop into the Twentieth Century.

The next church to be organized in Huntsville was Huntsville First Baptist Church. Its first meeting was August 27, 1837 in the home of Zephaniah Walden. In October of that year it became a part of the Mount Pleasant Baptist Association. The church met in the homes of members for the first few years. The first pastor was Reverend William Duncan. The first church building was erected in 1840 across the street from where the Christian Church now stands on East Elm Street. This gave the Huntsville First Baptist Church the distinction of having the first church building in Huntsville proper. The Baptists used this building until Mount Pleasant College was built at which time they began using the college building on campus. When the college burned in 1882 they built a church building at the corner of Library Street and what is now Dreyer Drive, very close to the old college. In 1902 this building was sold, and the present building at the corner of West Elm Street and South Main Street erected. It was completed in 1905, and dedicated in 1909.

The Huntsville Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) was organized in 1842 by Elder Allen Wright. Charter members were Mr. and Mrs. Henry Austin, Mr. and Mrs. W.T. Rutherford, Mr. and Mrs. Haden Rutherford, Mr. and Mrs. David Turner, among others. The first building was behind the old courthouse on East Depot Street. It was built in 1860 using brick from the first county courthouse which had been torn down in 1858. The church outgrew this structure by 1877 when the present building on East Elm Street was built. It is the oldest church building in Huntsville still standing.

Second Baptist Church can trace its history back to 1865 when it was organized by the Reverend W.P. Brooks with a membership of 116, Its early history has been largely lost, although it appears on maps throughout the period, but picks up again in 1902 when the Reverend J.C. Chinn became the pastor. At that time a new church building was built on the present church site at the corner of Oak Street and East Depot. The deacons at that time were Alex Viley, Harvey Hicks, Lafe Rucker, Jake Griffin, Andrew Johnson, and Bud Mansfield. The current building was built in 1968. Recently, it celebrated its centennial with a dinner and a special service.

Lovell Chapel A.M.E was organized in 1912 by Bishop A.D. Lovell. Its first building was condemned in 1929 when the roof fell in, but another was built on Randolph Street, and saw many improvements over the years. For many years Lovell Chapel was known for its choir, most notably in the 1970s when pastor Paul Robinson lead it. The church sponsored meetings on race relations, did missionary work, as well as hosted public picnics during its history.

Timmons Temple Church of God in Christ was founded by the Reverend Carter Timmons in 1920 who also helped found the Church of God in Christ in Moberly and other churches in the local area as well as a Timmons Temple Church in Springfield, Missouri. The church building was built in 1929 on Howard Street, and later enlarged by Otis Robinson. Timmons Temple Church of God in Christ may have the record for the fewest pastors of any Huntsville Church during its history, Two pastors served the church for nearly 80 years combined. Reverend Carter Timmons served the church for 58 years while his successor, Reverend S.H. Haley served for 18 years. Mable Robinson was the first Church Mother.

A congregation which no longer exists in Huntsville is the Huntsville Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Information on this church is scarce. Individuals of the Hammett, Lowry, and Haines families appear to have been members. Its last building stood about half a block east of the present Christian Church building on Elm Street. In 1907, the Woman's Presbytorial Society of McGee Presbytery met at the church. No mention of the Huntsville church is made in the newspapers after 1907, and the church building disappeared from the Sanborn Insurance maps of Huntsville between 1910 and 1916.with an empty lot in its place. Another church for which there is little information is a congregation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Its building once stood on East Elm Street not far from its intersection with Clay Street. No doubt there may have been other congregations in Huntsville, Missouri that have come and gone largely unnoticed by history.

Perhaps the first big revival in the county was held in the first county courthouse in 1838. Churches from all over the county gathered together for the services, some congregations not yet having buildings of their own. The next year what was considered the greatest revival in the county by the authors of the 1884 “History of Randolph County” was held in the courthouse with A.P Williams as the speaker. Many other revivals have taken place in Huntsville over the years with at least one a year. In 1848, a revival at the First Baptist Church following the ordination of John Oliver saw the baptism of 25 people.

Some revivals have involved some of the Huntsville churches meeting together. These were usually called union services. Such was the case in 1954 when a week long revival took place at Easter time. Special holiday services were sometimes held by the churches together. For several years an annual Union Thanksgiving Service was sponsored by the Methodist, Christian, and First Baptist churches, and many years Easter sunrise services have been held together. Finally, when one of the churches was between buildings it was not uncommon for one of the other churches to offer the use of their buildings. Such was the case when the First Baptist Church built their latest building and were offered the use of the Methodist Church building.

There have been times the church buildings would play roles other than worship. In 1954 for example, the Old Settlers dinner was held in the Methodist, Christian, and First Baptist church buildings as there were no other places large enough at the time to accommodate everyone. For a few years now the Old Settlers Reunion dinner has been held in Trask Hall of the Huntsville First Baptist Church. Graduation dinners have also been held at the church buildings as well as such mundane activities as rummage sales. For many years buildings owned by the churches in Huntsville have served as polling places for state and national elections.

Religious life in Huntsville has played a role in the history of Huntsville for its entire existence. Even today the churches continue to do things as they have done in the past with regular services, carry in dinners, revivals, youth meetings, and other activities. Several of the buildings have stood for over a century, and form a part of the landscape of Huntsville. Without a doubt, the churches in Huntsville form a link to the past of the town, as well as its future.