History of Centenary United Methodist Church
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Paraphrased from 125th Anniversary 1867-1992 booklet
Written by a member of the church Pre-1852
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A New Church Was Built
Dates Unknown
Heating the church has always necessitated changes through the years. Originally, there must have been stoves on the upper floor, but to make it more comfortable, large burners were installed which burned wood and/or coal. Holes were cut in the ceilings and registers allowed the heat to rise to the upper room. This change in the structure caused many of the builders much distress--even to the extent that some felt the carpenters who worked on the original flooring "would be turning in their graves."
- Congregation members excavated down to solid rock for the foundation using their own wheelbarrows, picks and shovels.
- On July 4, 1867, the cornerstone was laid for the new (present) rock church.
- The Burbach Bros. of Dodgeville laid up the walls of the church.
- Local carpenters worked on the wooden interior.
- The cost of the church building was $12,000.
- The first musical instrument purchased was a four octave melodeon which cost $75.
- Sunday School children gave 25 cents each for the stained glass windows, which he or she had earned.
- The Epworth League, Ladies Aid, and the G.A.R. each paid for a window.
- Soon after the building was completed, the first lending library in Shullsburg was established.
- Shullsburg was described as the capital of Lafayette County and a place of rapid growth.
- The village contained a brick courthouse, four or five churches, 15 stores, five hotels, and five mineral warehouses.
- Other churches on the Shullsburg circuit were built in those days and classes were organized in White Oak Springs, Monticello, Kingsley, and Pleasant Valley.
- Cincinnati Steel Composition Bell was purchased for $182.70 (cost at the foundry was $149, freight $7.70, rope $1.00 and raising $25) and the bell was 40 inches in diameter and weighed 1,000 pounds.
- The rock wall in the south end of the sanctuary was opened for a doorway, and at least two members refused to use the new entrance and continued to use the winding stairs in the northwest and northeast corners. The new entry was created partly because of the difficulty of carrying a coffin up the stairs and also because the minister's wife at the time was an invalid and had to be carried up the steps.
- The pews were reversed and the pulpit and choir were moved from the south end to the north end of the sanctuary.
- The church was re-roofed, repaired, refurnished and redecorated.
- A $6,000 pipe organ was purchased and installed.
- When lightning struck the Community Building (formerly the Congregational Church), the Methodists gave $75 and the bell in exchange for the Congregational bell.
- The old bell, after being used as a fire bell for many years, was placed on a pedestal outside the fire station (where it still stands today).
- The old parsonage was replaced by a modern home.
- Storm windows were installed to protect the stained glass windows.
- Centenary Methodist Church celebrated the 100th Anniversary of the building of the church.
- Over $4,000 was spent to sand blast the rock walls and tuck point them.
- The belfry and steeple were painted and repaired.
- Two centennial services were held--one to commemorate the laying of the cornerstone and another for a homecoming and re-dedication service--where over 400 people attended, and a booklet was published with pictures of the members and much historical material.
- An addition to the building was added for an educational wing where many volunteers helped with the finishing work, spending hundreds of hours and saving thousands of dollars. Cost of addition was $100,000.
- Air conditioning of the entire church building was added.
- Pledges were made to buy one yard or more of the carpet which was finally laid only days before the dedication.
- On July 4th and 16th, services were held to dedicate the new wing.
- Double car garage was erected for the parsonage.
- Landscaping improved the grounds.
- Parsonage was sided.
- The new wing was re-insulated and redecorated.
- Trim and steeple were painted.
- Sanctuary and Fellowship Hall were repainted.
- The windows were removed, trucked to Oconomowoc and completely re-leaded and cleaned at the cost of over $30,000.
- Sanctuary was repainted.
- Exterior trim stripped and repainted to original color scheme.
Dates Unknown
Heating the church has always necessitated changes through the years. Originally, there must have been stoves on the upper floor, but to make it more comfortable, large burners were installed which burned wood and/or coal. Holes were cut in the ceilings and registers allowed the heat to rise to the upper room. This change in the structure caused many of the builders much distress--even to the extent that some felt the carpenters who worked on the original flooring "would be turning in their graves."