By Velma M. Rose Smith

The Church in Whitneyville was at first called the East Charleston Methodist Episcopal Church. It was an outgrowth of the Catlin Hollow Methodist Episcopal Church, which had been organized in 1854.

A group of people in East Charleston (Whitneyville), met in 1855, at the school house, to discuss the possibility of having their own Church. For a time they held service at the school house and in private homes. Records show that new members were received that year. In 1856, the articles of approbation was filed in the Tioga County Court, with the following Trustees named: Chauncey Dartt, Joseph Wilcox, Marcus Benedict, Harvey Adams and Alonzo Whitney. In 1861, a Minister, by the name of R.L. Stiliwell, was appointed to this charge.

An indenture made the 9th day of July, 1861, shows that Nelson and Susan Whitney, sold the Trustees a plot of ground, for the sum of $50.00, upon which the congregation could build a Church. In 1866 the men in the community started to build the church. There is a receipt on file where the above mentioned Trustees, sold a pew, Number 30, for $65.00 to Stephen Thomas, on November 1, 1866. During these years, the East Charleston Church, co-operated with the Cherry Flatts, Catlin Hollow and Niles Valley Methodist Episcopal Churches.

Very few changes took place during the years following, until after 1900. In 1901, the building was rearranged, and a wood and coal furnace was installed. In 1906, an extension was added, and new pews were purchased.

The first parsonage was where Richard and Doris Boyce live now, until the Church purchased the house where Elizabeth Gile lives. Later the church purchased the big house of Charles Jennings, (now Gallagers) which was the parsonage until the present one was built, in 1972.

In 1933, Rev. Clifton Swearengen was the Minister, the Charge included Catlin Hollow, Round Top, and Coolidge Hollow Churches. Rev. Swearengen organized an active Men’s Brotherhood. At this time there were three divisions of the Ladies Aid. They met at homes for a noon meal, attended by men and women. Sometimes they met together in the 3 room school house which they had purchased. A Sunday School class, called the Victory Class, bought the beautiful window, back of the pulpit, in 1934. At this time an Annual three-day Homecoming was held in June.

Plans for making extra rooms for the Sunday School was discussed, but nothing was accomplished at this time. At this time there were six classes, with an average attendance of 45. In 1945, during Rev. Paul Miller’s pastorate, several plans were discussed, one using the unused space built for a balcony, one of building an addition and the third, being that of removing the dirt from underneath the church, creating a basement. It was found that the Church needed a new foundation. In early Spring of 1945, the men began to remove the dirt, and in 1947 they poured the concrete floor and by fall had a fuel oil furnace installed. The basement was dedicated on October 30, 1949. Rev. Marion Finch was Pastor at the time.

The Whitneyville Methodist Church, became part of a Parish, with 5 other Churches in 1952. They were the Round Top, Catlin Hollow, Coolidge Hollow, Stony Fork and Welsh Settlement. District Superintendent, Kenmore Haight, named it the Whitneyville Larger Parish. An Assistant Minister was hired.

In 1954 our Church purchased our first electric organ. Funds were raised by selling “keys”. A poster showing the keyboard was posted in the back of the church and if you bought a key your name was placed on a key on the poster.

In 1955 the Whitneyville Church celebrated it’s centennial year, with several events. On October 9, we had a Sunday Service with our Minister, Rev. Marion Finch in the Pulpit, our Organist Eloise Benedict at the organ. Guests were Bishop W. Earl Ledden and Mrs. Ledden, Ivan Warren, our District Lay Leader. Celebrations started on Saturday, with games, a parade and lots of food. The year 1955 ended with the beginning of the Outdoor Christmas Pageant. The Pageant was a dream of Rev. Finch. With his guidance, The Senior Youth Group, with Bernadene Smith as President, and the Junior Youth as Shepherds, performed the Pageant on the Benedict farm. It was one of the first Outdoor Christmas Pageants put on in the Eastern United States.

August 25, 1962, under the leadership of Rev. Harrison DeWalt, the Church celebrated the 10th year of the Whitneyville Larger Parish. There was a parade, flag raising ceremony, a local horse show and games on Saturday. The Service on Sunday included several former Pastors and Assistant Pastors.

This also was the year, that the balcony space was made into a classroom and nursery and two rest rooms. A well was drilled for Church use in 1962.

In 1968, the Evangelical United Brethren Churches and the Methodist Church were united and called the United Methodist Church.

In 1972, a new Parsonage was built on the lot, called the Pines, purchased from Fred and Nina Hemker. The pine trees were set out by a young man, Otis Rice, when the Church was built.

The entrance to the basement was rebuilt in 1975. In the past 10 years there have been several improvements to our church building, the insulated siding, the new doors, paneling, basement windows, folding doors, the paved parking lot and many more, too numerous to mention. Many of these have been Memorial Gifts, in memory of our faithful members. We are proud of our attractive Country Church.