First Methodist Church

First Methodist Church. . In 1871, six Methodist members met at the 1869 wooden Courthouse on Main Street to hold what is believed to be the first Protestant service in Pendleton. After meeting at various locations around town and in homes, the founding congregation built their original church in the 200 block of SE 3rd Street during a friendly race with the Episcopalians in 1875. They lost the race - and in some ways suffered for their hasty construction - for their next door neighbor was a brewery. The brewery operated seven days a week and the stiff smells of the beer making process was difficult to ignore during church services. In September of 1906, the corner stone was laid for their new church on 2nd street and the old church was sold to W.O. Roesch for $2,800 to use as a warehouse for the brewery. The new church cost $30,000 and was constructed of "tuff" stone from Peasant Valley outside of Baker City, Oregon. The architect was Morrison H. Vail, and John Horn was the general contractor. The stone cost $1500, and the brick from the Weston Brickyard Company cost $90. The church was occupied in 1907. An octagonal bell towner rises on the southwest corner of the building and has eight, covered, lancet openings in its belfry and is surmounted by an octagonal cone roof. Most of the window bays are Gothic Style. Major restoration and renovation recently occurred to preserve the stained glass windows. The building suffered two major fires - one in 1954 and one in 1977. In 2004, the stained glass windows were restored and preserved.