|
 Methodist Episcopal Church - Three Forks, MT Posted by:  T0SHEA
N 45° 53.588 W 111° 32.976
12T E 457361 N 5082320
Now with a bell tower truncated by nature, the Three Forks Methodist Episcopal Church still stands tall in spite of its brush with death.
Waymark Code: WMWN8K
Location: Montana, United States
Date Posted: 09/20/2017
Views: 0
Near death for an early church is nearly always associated with fire, but in this case the culprit was an earthquake which destroyed the top of the steeple, some of the original windows and other, lesser items on and in the church. That same earthquake also managed to relieve Three Forks of a few of its older buildings.
Built in 1913-14, the lot on which the church rests was purchased in the original 1908 lot sale when the town was first platted. Of red brick, the church shows a small amount of stone trim in the form of stone buttress caps, window sills, small squared hoods over rectangular windows and Gothic Arched hoods over the Gothic windows, the larger ones of which have heavy tracery. The massive corner tower has an enclosed belfry with triple rectangular vents above the entrance doors which are surmounted by a Gothic arched glass filled transom. Inside, the 32 foot by 32 foot sanctuary boasts a 30 foot high pitched ceiling with large exposed wooden beams. The basement was renovated in 1993 to include two furnace rooms, the Pastor's study, a bathroom, library, and a large meeting room.
History of Three Forks
Located at the headwaters of the Missouri River, where the Gallatin, Jefferson, and Madison Rivers converge, the town of Three Forks was established in 1908 by J.Q. Adams of the Milwaukee Land Company. Formed in 1881, the Milwaukee Land Company was a wholly owned subsidiary of the Milwaukee Road. As general land agent for the Company, Adams had been in charge of acquiring right of way for the railroad from the Midwest to the West Coast. Upon completion of the right of way, he was permitted to choose a town site to develop. The Three Forks Herald in 1913 suggests John Quincy Adams independently controlled the development of Three Forks:
It is now evident and the fact generally recognized as well as appreciated, that Mr. Adams had sufficient inside knowledge [of the railroad route] to warrant himself him (sic) and company starting a new town and purchasing farm land in all surrounding region, employing in the neighborhood of a million dollars.
September 17, 1908, the Milwaukee Land Company held a successful lot sale in Three Forks, Montana. At the time of the sale, Three Forks had a graded Main Street and staked lots and blocks. Trainloads of prospective buyers came for the auction, a Milwaukee excursion train ran from Chicago to Three Forks, and Northern Pacific brought in a trainload of prospective buyers as well. An estimated 700 to 1000 people attended and more than 250 lots were sold the first day at prices ranging from $100 to $1000. Within a month of the sale, 125 carpenters and masons were employed for the construction projects. The first store in Three Forks was a tent store run by Orison Bryant and Mr. Menapace. Once construction begun, the tent store was forced to move to several different locations due the appearance of permanent buildings.
The Milwaukee Railway established an economic base for the new community by making Three Forks the division point for the Chicago, Milwaukee & Puget Sound, and the Northern Pacific rail lines. The town grew rapidly.
From the NRHP Registration Form
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH
AT THREE FORKS
The Milwaukee Land Company, a subsidiary of the Milwaukee Road, established the town of Three Forks in 1908. Company land agent John Q. Adams chose this townsite and held a lot sale in 1908. Buyers came by the trainload, purchasing 250 lots. District Superintendent Reverend George King with Reverends Charles Crouch and Charles Rhodes purchased two lots for the First Methodist Episcopal Church. In a mess tent by the roundhouse eleven days later, Reverends Crouch and Rhodes held the first religious services in the new town. The church was chartered in 1909 with thirteen members. Reverend Fleet initiated a building program in 1911 and it progressed under Reverend McClure. The cornerstone was laid with great fanfare in 1913. Presiding Elder Jacob Mills of Bozeman donated $2,500 to assure the church a secure financial foundation, and pastors from across Montana attended the first service on Easter Sunday, 1914. Methodist and Presbyterian congregations combined between 1920 and 1953 as the Federated Church. In 1968, the Methodists merged with the Evangelical United Brethren Church to become the present United Methodist Church. Despite heavy earthquake damage in 1925, this landmark church remains a classic example of the Gothic Revival style. Impressive features include graceful pointed arches with tracery windows, a Norman style crenellated bell tower with corner buttresses, and a steeply pitched cross-gabled roof. The interior, restored in 1993, includes a soaring 30-foot wood beamed ceiling, original oak pews arranged in three tiers, and stained glass windows.
From the plaque at the building
Describe the area and history:
See above
|
Visit Instructions:
Please describe your visit- The good, the bad & the ugly. :)
Recent Visits/Logs:
| There are no logs for this waymark yet. |
|
|
|
|