Old Auxvasse Presbyterian Church - near Kingdom City, MO - Country Churches on Waymarking.com

County of church: Callaway County
Location of church: CR-156 & St. Charles Rd, 7½ miles SW of Auxvasse; 8 miles east of Kingdom City
Built: 1817
Architect: Unknown

This is a new sign the old sign just says: Old Auxvasse Presbyterian Church. This adds to the confusion because the one in Williamsburg is called Old Auxvasse Nine Mile Presbyterian Church.

Sign Text:

Missouri House Resolution No. 4853 on the Old Auxvasse Presbyterian Church of Kingdom City and the merge with the Old Auxvasse Nine-Mile Presbyterian Church, the offspring Nine-Mile Church founded in 1901, celebrate the 75 Anniversary with Westminister University

"The Old Auxvasse Presbyterian Church is the oldest Presbyterian congregation in the county and was the parent church to several other congregations in the county. The church organized in June 1828. The church took its name from a nearby stream. The first church building was a log building constructed in 1826, measuring 20 X 26 feet. From this building, the congregation grew and hosted several protracted camp meetings, which in turned swelled their membership. In 1840 a “neat brick building” replaced the original log building. The current building was constructed in 1870. There have been some modifications to the church since the publication of the Missouri Historic Sites Catalogue in 1963. The church originally had two entrances on its primary (east) elevation. More recently, a covered entrance was constructed on the building’s long north elevation and one of the original front doors was enclosed. Some of the changes may have occurred during a 1960s renovation in which the interior was changed, lowering the ceiling, dividing the second floor into a classroom, and dividing the sanctuary to allow room for a kitchen. More recently, the building has been clad in vinyl siding.

"The church is located immediately adjacent to CR 156, though the road wraps the rear of the building. The church faces east onto a circular drive that allows room for parking and access to the cemetery (north of the church). The area around the church is a mix of wood and agricultural land, and the church property itself has slightly rolling topography. The adjacent cemetery is wrapped by a historic metal fence. The grave markers face east and run in long north-south rows. Markers are a mix of stone types and sizes, though there are several of monumental size with classical columns and other architectural details.

"Though in many respects a typical gable-end church, this may be the only two-story example of the type in rural Callaway County. The primary elevation faces east. Originally, the first floor was three bays with entrances flanking a centered paired window. On the second floor, 1/1 wood sash windows were located directly over the entrances. One of the original entrance doors was closed in and the façade has been clad in vinyl siding. In the gable end is a round, trefoil window. The church building has some Greek Revival details including cornice returns and slightly pediment window and door surrounds. The long north and south elevations were originally four bays deep with very tall 4/4 double hung wood windows in each bay. On the south elevation, one of these bays has been changed to an entrance door, sheltered beneath a gable roof porch addition. The porch roof is topped by a small steeple and is supported by tall, squared columns." ~ Missouri Department of Natural Resources (link below)

Since the DNR survey in June of 2010, this church has changed it's name, added a building behind the church and added on the east side a roof over a new entrance to drop off members under bad weather conditions