1846 - Wheelock Church - Millerton, OK - Dated Buildings and Cornerstones on Waymarking.com

Presbyterian missionary, Rev. Alfred Wright arrived in the Millerton area in 1832 and began a small mission to the Choctaw who had been relocated in the Trail of Tears. The mission evolved into the Wheelock Academy, a boarding school for young Choctaw children and teens.

In 1846, after conducting worship services in the outdoors and in an earlier log cabin, this 40 x 50 ft. native stone church building was erected. It stands about 200 yards from the school buildings. The walls of the church are 20 inches thick; the roof is steeply gabled and currently covered with metal siding. The wood steeple rises 35 feet high. The windows are covered with wood shutters. High on the east wall is a stone tablet which reads: "Jehovah Jireh - A.D. 1846". This was Rev. Wright's motto, "The Lord Will Provide."

The church has survived 170+ years of weather and use, and a ravaging fire in 1861 which just about destroyed the nearby school, and severely damaged the church building. The church stood roofless from 1861 to 1884 when it was renovated and services continued again until 1900. From 1900 to 1946, the building was primarily used for weddings and funerals. Then, in 1946, it again held church services until 1993.

The original hand-carved pulpit and wood pews still exist and the church stands ready to hold services again. Today, the church is under the care of the Wheelock Cemetery Association who have renovated it inside and out. The church was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.

Year of construction: 1846 Full inscription: JEHOVAH JIREH A.D. 1846 Cross-listed waymark: Not listed

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