John Wesley Methodist Church - Lewisburg, West Virginia - This Old Church on Waymarking.com

The John Wesley Church was built in 1820 and is one of the oldest buildings in Lewisburg. John Weir who also constructed many of the early buildings in Lewisburg built the original church. The bricks used in the construction of the church were made on site under Mr. Weir’s direction. The original size of the church was 58’ X 47’, however the church was enlarged in 1835 under the direction of John W. Dunn.

Both the Methodist Episcopal Church and the Methodist Church South congregation used the church prior to the Civil War. Following the Civil War these two congregations united and moved to another location in Lewisburg, and they either sold or gave the building to freed Negro’s who had previously worshiped in the gallery. Members of the current congregation are the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of these former slaves.

In May 1862, during the Battle of Lewisburg, the Confederate lines were just to the east of town, while the Union lines were on the hill just west of town near the current location of the Confederate Cemetery. The John Wesley Church was directly in the line of fire and was struck by a cannonball fired from the Confederate artillery stations in the hills just east of town. The cannonball struck the outer wall of the church near the gallery stairs, which were used by the Negro worshipers. Following the battle the John Wesley Church, like several other churches in the area was used as a hospital, which treated wounded from both sides.

Today, the John Wesley Church is recognized as one of the most historic building in Lewisburg and is still used as a house of worship.
Source/Credit: West Virginia Department of Historic Resources

Date the Church was built, dedicated or cornerstone laid: 01/01/1820 Age of Church building determined by?: Historical Society If denomination of Church is not part of the name, please provide it here: Methodist If Church holds a weekly worship service and "all are welcome", please give the day of the week: Sunday Indicate the time that the primary worship service is held. List only one: 11:00 AM Street address of Church: 203 Foster Street Lewisburg, WV United States 24901 Primary website for Church or Historic Church Building: [Web Link] Secondary Website for Church or Historic Church Building: [Web Link] If Church is open to the public, please indicate hours: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
1) A photo of the church is required for visits to a waymark.

2) Please share some comments about your visit.

3) Additional photos are encouraged. If you can have information in addition to that already provided about this church, please share it with us.

Recent Visits/Logs:

There are no logs for this waymark yet.