Standing behind its cemetery, this once little, now much larger, church is essentially the entire community of Cedonia, save for a couple of nearby farmsteads. At most, the community was once comprised of a store and post office, a school (a half mile east) and a couple of houses. The school closed in the 1950s and the post office and store followed in 1974. Cedonia Community Church was built in 1897, opening for services in the summer of that year, completely free of debt. Labor and materials, as well as many small gifts of cash, were donated, as was the land for the church and the original cemetery. The church was built as, and remains to this day, a "Union" church, open to all denominations.
Originally known as the "Half Church" due to the profile presented by its offset steeple/bell tower, the church still has a somewhat unusual profile, with the steeple to one side, sloping roofs on either end meeting the perpendicular gable roof, much like a hipped roof, and a further sloped roof which covers the chancel emanating from the front elevation. The square tower is clad in horizontal shiplap siding, as is the older part of the church. Beneath the belfry the tower steps in via a truncated hipped roof section with curving flared eaves. That ends at the bottom of the open belfry and is replicated in the belfry's roof, which is topped by a long wooden belfry with a metal ball atop. This spire is actually a
National Geodetic Survey Benchmark. The open belfry contains a single large bell, donated by a merchant from Hunters. The bottom third of the belfry is enclosed with a railing supported by multiple small staves.
The present Pastor, Ed Dashiell, is very friendly and very accommodating, reprinting some historical material for us, relating an oral history of the church and community, even ringing the bell for us (without our even requesting that he do so).
The following are excerpts from the book, Steeples and People, by A.J. Kjack, a historical review of the Community of Cedonia, kindly reprinted for the writer by the current Pastor, Ed Dashiell.
Cedonia Community Church
The church was built from donations among the Cedonia, Harvey Creek community on land donated by an Engelhardt family member in 1897 with the proviso that the church would always be a "union church" where all could worship. The donation was enough land for the church and the original cemetery.
In order to build the church a subscription list was started and donations in cash ranging from $1 to $5 were contributed. All materials and 114 days of labor were donated to build the original building. When the first services were held in the summer of 1897, the building was debt free.
The original pews were planks placed on top of blocks of wood. These were replaced with actual wooden pews; but when the movie theater closed in a nearby town, the congregation grabbed the opportunity for more comfortable seating and purchased the theater seats. Children loved them because, when directed to stand by the preacher, the seat bottoms would automatically flip up. In 1910 a Hunters merchant donated a bell, which still rings between Sunday School and morning worship services. Also in 1910 the teen Sunday school class built the first addition by adding a classroom that doubled for a fellowship hall and eating place in bad weather.
Because the original structure was relatively small (20' x 40') the builders offset the tower to maximize the space. This allowed for a larger platform inside for the preacher as well as for church programs and local weddings. This offset resulted in an unusual look, especially when viewed from the nearby road and for years, people passing through referred to the Cedonia Church as the "half church." It became a much photographed landmark. Over the years, with various stages of church growth resulting in several additions, this unusual half-church look no longer existed.
During World War II, people from the community scoured the hills and canyons collecting bones from cattle, horses, deer, and other wild animals and sold them in Spokane to a fertilizer company. Proceeds from this "bone collection" resulted in another addition, which provided a new platform for the preacher. In 1977, indoor plumbing was installed, so the outhouse on the edge of the hill was no longer needed. A building program in the 1980s resulted in a new sanctuary and a basement with a large kitchen and dining area.
Additional land has been purchased and the cemetery now has a new addition.
From Steeples and People