Pleasant Hill Free Methodist Church - near Portland, MO - Methodist Churches on Waymarking.com

County of church: Callaway County
Location of church: N. side CR-468, about 1 mile W. of CR-469, 3 miles N. of Portland
Year Built: 1880
Pastor: Dan Slater
Phone: 573-636-7684

Sign Text:

"This church may have originally been constructed for the Pleasant Hill Baptist congregation, “located in the southeastern portion of the county.” This description fits the location of this building better than the present location of the Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in the far north central portion of the county. Pleasant Hill Baptist was organized in 1882 with the assistance of Rev. Edward Silver. Though the congregation was small in 1884, they had a “comfortable house paid for,” possibly this building. According to the sign on the church, the Pleasant Hill Free Methodist Congregation organized in October of 1942.

"This church and associated cemetery are located on a flat open lot in a rural area of the county. Surrounding acreage is wooded or in agricultural pasturage. In addition to the church, the lot contains two small, shed roof, frame privies. The privies have wood siding.
The cemetery is located to the west of the church. Grave markers face east and run in long north-south rows.

"Due to new roofing and siding materials, it is difficult to date this building, though it could have been constructed in c. 1882 for the Pleasant Hill Baptist congregation. At some point, likely in the mid-20th Century, a large foyer was added to the front of the church. It is shorter than the original building, but the gable roof is roughly the same pitch as the main building. The only fenestration on the façade is a single entrance door topped by a signboard. The entrance is accessed by a concrete stoop with three steps. The east and west elevation of the foyer contains single 1/1 windows. The east and west elevations of the main block of the building contains three evenly spaced 3/2 wood sash windows. The building has been clad in vinyl siding. As noted above there are two, frame, shed roof privies to the east of the building and a cemetery located on the west. " ~ Missouri Department of Natural Resources Rural Churches of Callaway County, PDF page 79

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