First United Methodist Church (Rockville, Parke County, Ind.) records

Reverend William Cravens is said to have been the first Methodist minister in 1822 in Rockville. At that time Rockville Methodists were a part of the Illinois District Missouri Conference. Meetings were held in homes or in the open air. The first building occupied by the Methodist Society was the log courthouse. It was used until a brick schoolhouse was built in 1826. The schoolhouse was used by the Methodists, Presbyterians and Baptists until 1832. A new brick courthouse was built and the three societies used this building until 1837. In 1837 the first Methodist church, a frame structure, was erected on W. Ohio Street. This was used until 1865 when it was abandoned and the society returned to the courthouse for another year. In 1868 a lot was purchased at the corner of Market and York Streets and the foundation of the present brick church building was laid. It has been remodeled and updated many times since that date.