Greenville in Floyd County, Indiana — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Simpson Memorial Chapel
1899
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, June 16, 2024
1. Simpson Memorial Chapel Marker
Inscription.
Simpson Memorial Chapel. The Methodist Church in Greenville was organized about 1830 and met in a school. In 1838, this land was donated to build a church. In 1899 that church was torn down in order to build the current structure. The foundation stones from the original building were reused. The church was dedicated to the service of God October 22, 1899. The plans for the Victorian Gothic style church came from architect Benjamin Price of Pennsylvania. It was built by Capt. John Nafius of New Albany and paid for by Capt. John Ford, a former Greenville resident. The curved, oak pews were formed in Ohio and assembled on site. Capt. Ford suggested that the church be named not after him as the congregation had requested, but after Matthew Simpson, a Methodist Bishop, US Senator from Indiana, and a close friend of Abraham Lincoln. On March 26, 1908, the majority of Greenville burnt to the ground and this church was one of only a few buildings untouched by the fire. , Placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior Listed 29 September 2004
The Methodist Church in Greenville was organized about 1830 and met in a
school. In 1838, this land was donated to build a church. In 1899 that church
was torn down in order to build the current structure. The foundation stones
from the original building were reused. The church was dedicated to the service
of God October 22, 1899. The plans for the Victorian Gothic style church came
from architect Benjamin Price of Pennsylvania. It was built by Capt. John Nafius
of New Albany and paid for by Capt. John Ford, a former Greenville resident.
The curved, oak pews were formed in Ohio and assembled on site. Capt. Ford
suggested that the church be named not after him as the congregation had
requested, but after Matthew Simpson, a Methodist Bishop, US Senator from
Indiana, and a close friend of Abraham Lincoln. On March 26, 1908, the
majority of Greenville burnt to the ground and this church was one of only a few
buildings untouched by the fire.
Placed on the National Register of Historic Places
by the United States Department of the Interior
Listed 29 September 2004
Location. 38° 22.391′ N, 85° 59.483′ W. Marker is in Greenville, Indiana, in Floyd County. It is at the intersection of Harrison Street and Georgetown Greenville Road, on the right when traveling east on Harrison Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 9449 Harrison St, Greenville IN 47124, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Southern Indiana. It is also in the American Midwest, in the Ohio River Valley, and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: John B. Ford (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); Greenville (about 700
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, June 16, 2024
Also see . . . 1. Simpson Memorial United Methodist Church (PDF). National Register nomination for the church, which was listed in 2004. (Prepared by Brett A. Loyd and Paul C. Diebold; via National Archives) (Submitted on July 10, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
2. Greenville Methodist Church. By approximately 1830, the towns of Greenville and the neighboring town of Galena wanted Methodist churches that were located nearer to where the towns had developed, not on creek banks in the country as they were at the time. In Greenville, a church was organized and met in the schoolhouse until a building was eventually built in 1838. (Greenville Methodist Church) (Submitted on July 10, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
Credits. This page was last revised on July 10, 2024. It was originally submitted on July 9, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 256 times since then and 32 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on July 9, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
