First United Methodist Church - Park City, MT - Methodist Churches on Waymarking.com

The sandstone north of Columbus is known particularly for its high quality as a building material, and there were local quarries north of Park City as well. Builders throughout Central Montana employed these superior resources throughout the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Columbus sandstone was used in the construction of the Montana State Capitol. Typical of an early rural church building of Montana, it is simple in stature and design, yet it references formal ecclesiastic design to the extent achievable with limited resources and a small congregation. Incorporating pragmatic architectural elements such as Gothic windows, an arched doorway, a tower and rough cut sandstone, the building is a significant example of ecclesiastic design on a rural scale. In addition, as a fine example of rough cut sandstone construction, the church illustrates patterns of local building and the popularity of stone masonry during the late 1890s in Montana.
From the NRHP Registration Form

Settlers from Ripon, Wisconsin, established Park City in 1882, arriving just ahead of the railroad. The pious community organized a Christian club and Sabbath School within its first year. Originally, traveling ministers served Park City. Among those preaching here was Methodist circuit rider “Brother Van” William Wesley Van Orsdel. Reputedly, Brother Van delivered his first sermon in the saloon. To prepare, the bartender covered the bar and liquor display with a large canvas and built pews by placing planks across beer kegs. The Dunn & Babcock store and the school also served as venues for religious services. In 1897, residents organized a building committee to raise money for a permanent house of worship. Mrs. F. W. Lee and Miss Etha Peck took to the valley soliciting subscriptions; the Church Extension Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church also donated funds. Although the congregation initially envisioned a log church, local stonemason Manley Downs convinced the trustees that he could provide local stone as cheaply as they could cut logs. Masons pieced the irregularly shaped sandstone with the help of a gentle draft horse, who powered the hoist used to put each stone in place. The vernacular building’s stylistic elements (the tall, narrow, pointed-arched windows, arched doorway, stone construction, and hipped-roof bell tower) reference the ecclesiastical architecture of larger communities. Dedicated in June 1898, the simple yet stately sandstone church continues to serve the Park City community.
From the plaque at the building