In 1811, "circuit rider" Elijah Metcalf rode into town on horseback and met with three couples. This is how we started. This group met in homes and continued to reach more people. The first meeting house was built in 1822 near the present Saint Joseph's Church on Main Street. As the congregation continued to flourish, a more imposing structure was built at the corner of Center and Barker Streets i
n 1839. This was torn down in the 1940's. We have an interesting display of artifacts located in the present office area of our church. Membership continued to increase and a more desirable location was sought. During 1868-1869, the present property at 25 Church Street was purchased and a red brick church was erected by our 140 members for a cost of $30,000. On December 21, 1922, the church was destroyed by fire and work began the following Spring to construct the current English Neo-Gothic-style edifice for $121,000 (its value today is over two million dollars). In 1956, a campaign was held to raise $165,000 and resulted in our building a modern education wing. The mortgage-burning and dedication of this addition took place during our sesquicentennial celebration in 1961. A major renovation of the sanctuary, office, heating system, and kitchen occurred and was topped off by the dedication of our new Schlicker pipe organ in 1970-1971. More recently, in 2006, we enjoyed an ecumenical worship service as we joined with our Baptist neighbors next door as we replaced the the sanctuary roof. Work continued in 2008 with the completion of the new windows for the education building and the start of the refurbishment of the stained glass windows. This is a four year project. Today, we are a church with an emphasis on being connected to our community. Numerous groups call our building home. Our mission team sends groups as far as Biloxi, Mississippi, but also works on homes in the Fredonia and Dunkirk area, and has put in well over a thousand person-hours in Silver Creek and Gowanda, NY, and the surrounding communities following the 2009 flooding. Our blended style worship has a little something for everyone, with the lively sound of our Praise Team, the soaring sounds of our Chancel Choir, and the majestic Schilcker organ. Worship incorporates sight and sound, and aids the visually and hearing impaired, through the use of multimedia.
