Central United Methodist Church (Richmond, Wayne County, Ind.) records

The first recorded Methodist meeting held in Richmond, Indiana was in 1819, held in a small log cabin on Front Street. It was not until 1823 that Russell Bigelow preached the first Methodist sermon and organized the first class. Until 1838, when they erected a small frame building, several locations served for meeting places. When membership outgrew this location, a commodious brick building was constructed on Pearl Street. The church grew until it had a membership of 300 people when dissension arose over seating women on one side and men on the other. In 1926 First Methodist Episcopal and Grace Methodist Episcopal united. In 1939, when changes were made in Methodism, the church became Central Methodist Church. A new sanctuary was consecrated in 1958.