A History and Pictures

The Montrose United Methodist Church is located at 19 Park Avenue. Just one block away from the center of downtown Montrose. The United Methodist Church remains the only church in the downtown area.

History of the Montrose United Methodist Church

In an effort to steer the newly created town of Montrose to a more refined future, three ladies started the Montrose United Methodist Church. One warm Saturday night in August in 1882, they cleaned a small carpenter shop that sat on the corner of Cascade and North First Streets. They swept the floor, set aside the tools, and arranged the nail kegs for seating for Reverend Lynderman Wright to preach a service the following morning after the Sunday School.

Without doubt, the irony of starting a church in a carpenter’s shop was not lost on the organizers. The accounts of the story are silent about what transpired after the service, but there is a good bet that they had a potluck dinner. Social gatherings were very common among all of the residents of Montrose in those early days, especially when there was a need to build a community from the ground up. It became evident that the congregation needed their own church, and a new building, with louvered shutters, and stained glass windows was finished in 1886.

As members of the church strengthened the small town, they also contributed to important community efforts including the development of the Gunnison Tunnel. New ministers including W. P. Rhodes, O. F. Merrill and E. N. Edgerton came, but after 20 years it became evident that a new structure would yet have to be built. The ground breaking for the new church was in June 1909 on Park Avenue at South First Street and through many dinners, ice cream socials and fundraisers, enough was raised to complete the new church 10 years later.

Now, over 80 years later, the building and congregation are still going strong. There have been many struggles for people in the community from the stresses of crop production to the Great Depression, from droughts to World War Two. In each of these and many other events the grace of God has been sufficient to see them through.

The church building is now on the National Register of Historic Places, which has added a new dimension to the commitment the congregation has for the community. Through it all, though, Methodists have joined with members of other denominations to celebrate and commemorate the events of Montrose and our country. Through food, fellowship and love, they embrace the future, knowing that God will be there as the anchor and guide.

History written by Paul Zaenger, Church Historian