Zion United Methodist Church

Zion United Methodist Church. . This congregation was formally established in 1818 when a group of local Methodists obtained land on which to construct a house of worship from Aletta Clark. Known as Zion Methodist Episcopal Church, the small frame structure was located a short distance east of this location on the opposite side of the road. By 1873 the condition of the original church had deteriorated and additional space was needed for the growing congregation. Property at this location was secured, a new building was erected, and a graveyard was established. The church was dedicated on January 25, 1874. Following many years of service, it was destroyed by fire in 1943. After an intensive campaign to raise funds, the present brick church was completed and opened on October 7, 1945. The remains of several persons were reinterred here after the cemetery was established. Notable among these are Helmanius Wiltbank, a prominent early settler of this area, and Captain Cord Hazzard, a distinguished officer in the American Revolution.