Cornwall Church Timeline
1793 The first record of an established congregation in Cornwall
1828 Mrs. Thomas Burd Coleman organized the first Sunday School in the Old Mill House (later known as the Cornwall Store and now the Cornwall Inn).
1830 Mrs. Coleman died.
1834 Her husband gave 1 acre of ground to the Methodist Episcopal Church for the first permanent home for the congregation. The first church was a plain brick building, 35' by 40'.
1864 The Methodist Episcopal Church of Cornwall was incorporated.
1868 The brick church was renovated and enlarged to a 2 story building to accommodate the growing congregation.
1877 Heirs of Robert and William Coleman offered to build a bigger church if the people would contribute what they could. The congregation was already outgrowing the enlarged building. Land was cleared and the cornerstone was placed for the structure we have today. The building was planned by the same architect who designed Philadelphia's City Hall. Glass for the large Rose Window at the rear of the sanctuary was imported from Europe.
1878 The new church was completed and dedicated. The congregation applied for a resident pastor to take the place of itinerant preachers. A frame parsonage was built next to the current garage, and the small brick building in the cemetery was built to house the compressor for the gas machine which provided light for the church and the parsonage.
1879 The pipe organ was installed in the rear of the the sanctuary by Miss Anne and Robert Coleman.
1896 The entire church was frescoed and the pipe organ was moved to the front of the sanctuary.
1910 Edward Freeman erected a new parsonage in memory of his mother, Mrs. Margaret Freeman (daughter of Mrs. Thomas Burd Coleman)
1926 The bell was installed in the 84' high church tower. It was originally located in the Burd Coleman Furnace to call employees to work.
1937 - 1941 The chancel was renovated and the stained glass windows above the altar were installed.
1949 The church basement was remodeled and a kitchen was installed.
1998 A new addition was built adjacent to the existing structure to provide needed office and classroom space, as well as a new fellowship hall and kitchen. It also includes an elevator for access to the second floor sanctuary and the basement facilities.
2008 The mortgage for the 1998 addition was paid off in just ten years due to generous giving to our "Step Up To The Future" mortgage campaign. Held a mortgage burning ceremony 10/25/2008 following the Sunday services.
Interesting Historical Facts
Glass for the large Rose Window at the rear of the sanctuary was imported from Europe.
The stained glass window of a miner on the second level of the addition was done by local artist Frank Weidman.
The light fixture in the upstairs foyer (outside elevator) was originally hung on the first floor of the bell tower, outside the current Heritage Room.
Wall art in the kindergarten classroom and the Chapel on the first floor of the original building was done by local artist and late church member, Lorena McCleary.
The beautiful old stone home behind the church was built in 1910 to replace the previous wood frame parsonage. It served as home for our pastors for many years. In 2008 it was redecorated and currently houses one of our missionary families.
The original sign mounted next to front doors may have provided information about service times and pastor's name. Today, it displays the history of the church. It was removed from the outside wall and moved inside away from the elements. It was historically preserved before mounting inside.​
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The small brick building in the cemetery was built to house the compressor for the gas machine which provided light for the original church and the parsonage. The building was destroyed by a crash October 25th, 2015. When our current stone church was completed in 1878 at an approximate cost of $50,000, it was originally lighted by H.L. McAvoy’s patented Automatic Gas Machine. The small brick structure in the cemetery was built to house the compressor for the gas system. In 1917 electricity was installed, thus making the gas machine obsolete. For years the building was used for storage.
​
A memorial garden and gazebo were built in place of the small brick building and it was dedicated on April 29th, 2018. To download the full story of this Memorial Garden click here.
Interesting Historical Facts
Glass for the large Rose Window at the rear of the sanctuary was imported from Europe.
The stained glass window of a miner on the second level of the addition was done by local artist Frank Weidman.
The light fixture in the upstairs foyer (outside elevator) was originally hung on the first floor of the bell tower, outside the current Heritage Room.
Wall art in the kindergarten classroom and the Chapel on the first floor of the original building was done by local artist and late church member, Lorena McCleary.
The beautiful old stone home behind the church was built in 1910 to replace the previous wood frame parsonage. It served as home for our pastors for many years. In 2008 it was redecorated and currently houses one of our missionary families.
The original sign mounted next to front doors may have provided information about service times and pastor's name. Today, it displays the history of the church. It was removed from the outside wall and moved inside away from the elements. It was historically preserved before mounting inside.​
​
The small brick building in the cemetery was built to house the compressor for the gas machine which provided light for the original church and the parsonage. The building was destroyed by a crash October 25th, 2015. When our current stone church was completed in 1878 at an approximate cost of $50,000, it was originally lighted by H.L. McAvoy’s patented Automatic Gas Machine. The small brick structure in the cemetery was built to house the compressor for the gas system. In 1917 electricity was installed, thus making the gas machine obsolete. For years the building was used for storage.
​
A memorial garden and gazebo were built in place of the small brick building and it was dedicated on April 29th, 2018. To download the full story of this Memorial Garden click here.