Page 81 - History of UB Church in Hburg Region
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History of U.B. Churches in Harrisonburg-Staunton Region December 26, 2024
[http://www.sunsetdriveumc.com/437945] The 50th anniversary of the laying of the cornerstone on the
current church building was celebrated October 20, 2024
(http://sunsetdriveumc.com/50thAnniversaryOctober%2020th2013.pdf), where the “Son” still shines.
Detailed History.20 The origin of the Broadway U.B. and EUB Church can be traced to the year
1888, at which time the Rev. W. F. Gruver was pastor of the Singers Glen Circuit. The early records of
his pastorate, now in possession of the Singers Glen Charge, reveal that in 1888, thirty-seven (37)
members were received into the Broadway Class. Thirty of these members were received on Confession
of Faith and seven were received by letter of transfer.
The first meetings of the Broadway “Class” were held on the
first floor of Deering Hall (the second floor of the building was
occupied by the U.S. Forest Service) in Broadway. The building is
now owned by C. D. Lantz (and located on Main Street). From
information from some of the older residents of Broadway, the “Hall”
was used as a general meeting place for various community activities.
The Class Examination (held as a quarterly conference) minutes of
the meeting of February 11, 1890, states that the group met “in the
Hall in Broadway.”
Although the records reveal that thirty-seven (37) members were received into the
church in 1888, it was not until 1889 that the church was officially organized and added to
the Singers Glen Circuit at the Annual Conference held March 14-18th of that year. In
1890 a report of the Shenandoah District in the Minutes of the Virginia Conference a note
was made of a church “being in prospect” at Broadway. In 1891, the Rev. J. W. O. (John
Wesley Otterbein) Ewing was assigned to the Singers Glen Circuit. Working with the leaders of the
Broadway Class, he was instrumental in selecting the location for the present church building on Central
Street.
Property on Central Street, 1892. A deed recorded in the Rockingham County Clerk’s Office
states, Deed dated 14th day of May 1892 by and between J. D. Donovan of Staunton, Virginia, County of
Augusta, of the first part; George S. Aldhizer, C. D. Helbert, and Anthony Rhodes, Board of Trustees for
Broadway Church of the United Brethren in Christ, all of the State of Virginia, County of Rockingham,
parties of the second part; Witnesseth that for and in consideration of one-hundred dollars paid by the
said Board of Trustees—a certain lot situated and being in the Village of Broadway, Rockingham
County, Virginia; it being part of the Jerry C. Coldwell lot, sold in the town of Harrisonburg by
Commissioner E. A. Shands and purchased by Sally R. Shands and conveyed by her to J. D. Donovan by
deed bearing date October 11, 2024 and duly of record in the Clerk’s Office of Rockingham County,
20 Doris Emswiler (Mrs. M. Warren), “The History of Broadway Evangelical United Brethren Church,” 1965.
II.B.8 Broadway U.B. Church 67
[http://www.sunsetdriveumc.com/437945] The 50th anniversary of the laying of the cornerstone on the
current church building was celebrated October 20, 2024
(http://sunsetdriveumc.com/50thAnniversaryOctober%2020th2013.pdf), where the “Son” still shines.
Detailed History.20 The origin of the Broadway U.B. and EUB Church can be traced to the year
1888, at which time the Rev. W. F. Gruver was pastor of the Singers Glen Circuit. The early records of
his pastorate, now in possession of the Singers Glen Charge, reveal that in 1888, thirty-seven (37)
members were received into the Broadway Class. Thirty of these members were received on Confession
of Faith and seven were received by letter of transfer.
The first meetings of the Broadway “Class” were held on the
first floor of Deering Hall (the second floor of the building was
occupied by the U.S. Forest Service) in Broadway. The building is
now owned by C. D. Lantz (and located on Main Street). From
information from some of the older residents of Broadway, the “Hall”
was used as a general meeting place for various community activities.
The Class Examination (held as a quarterly conference) minutes of
the meeting of February 11, 1890, states that the group met “in the
Hall in Broadway.”
Although the records reveal that thirty-seven (37) members were received into the
church in 1888, it was not until 1889 that the church was officially organized and added to
the Singers Glen Circuit at the Annual Conference held March 14-18th of that year. In
1890 a report of the Shenandoah District in the Minutes of the Virginia Conference a note
was made of a church “being in prospect” at Broadway. In 1891, the Rev. J. W. O. (John
Wesley Otterbein) Ewing was assigned to the Singers Glen Circuit. Working with the leaders of the
Broadway Class, he was instrumental in selecting the location for the present church building on Central
Street.
Property on Central Street, 1892. A deed recorded in the Rockingham County Clerk’s Office
states, Deed dated 14th day of May 1892 by and between J. D. Donovan of Staunton, Virginia, County of
Augusta, of the first part; George S. Aldhizer, C. D. Helbert, and Anthony Rhodes, Board of Trustees for
Broadway Church of the United Brethren in Christ, all of the State of Virginia, County of Rockingham,
parties of the second part; Witnesseth that for and in consideration of one-hundred dollars paid by the
said Board of Trustees—a certain lot situated and being in the Village of Broadway, Rockingham
County, Virginia; it being part of the Jerry C. Coldwell lot, sold in the town of Harrisonburg by
Commissioner E. A. Shands and purchased by Sally R. Shands and conveyed by her to J. D. Donovan by
deed bearing date October 11, 2024 and duly of record in the Clerk’s Office of Rockingham County,
20 Doris Emswiler (Mrs. M. Warren), “The History of Broadway Evangelical United Brethren Church,” 1965.
II.B.8 Broadway U.B. Church 67
