When the cornerstone for this church was laid on December 28, 1908 it was named the Wilson Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church, after Mrs. G. R. Wilson, who donated $500 toward its construction. It Was "Two Dot" Wilson who had donated the land for the new townsite. Originally named "Big Elk", the community became "Two Dot" and later "Harlowton", after Richard Harlow, father of the Montana, or "Jawbone", Railroad.
The Harlowton News, September 16, 1910, Page 1
The first church in Harlowton was the "Wilson Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church". The cornerstone for the church was laid Dec. 28, 1908. Mrs. G. R. Wilson, (widow of Two Dot Wilson) gave $500, accounting for the name. This is the present Wesleyan Methodist Church.
From The Origin and History of Harlowton
Built of rough cut locally quarried sandstone, as were essentially all of the downtown commercial buildings of the era, the church is Gothic Revival in style, sporting a square steeple with a crenellated parapet on the belfry. The original nave was built in an "Ell" shape, with the steeple, one side of which serves as the main entrance, tucked in the inside corner of the Ell. The steeple is stone to the bottom of the belfry, the belfry being of wood frame construction with slatted, Gothic vent openings.
The major reason for the use of stone in downtown buildings was the fire of June 17, 1907, when Harlowton's first big fire occurred, destroying 24 buildings. A secondary reason was the availability of copious amounts of good quality sandstone, essentially at the builder's doorstep.
Today the church has been taken over by the Wesleyan Church as the Harlowton Wesleyan Church of the Northwest Wesleyan District. While the church is listed on the
Wesleyan Northwest District website, there is no signage present. At some time in the past a concrete block hall was added to the rear of the building.