Page 65 - History of the United Methodist Church in Rockingham County
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History of Congregations of Winchester District June 12, 2024
B. HARRISONBURG CITY CHURCHES4
Methodist Churches in Harrisonburg were organized as early as 1788; the church lot of the first
church was donated by Robert and Reuben Harrison in 1789, and the first church house was finished in
1794. Freedmen’s Mission churches were established by the United Brethren as early as 1876. The
Methodist Mission at the north side of Harrisonburg was established in Apr. 1899.
Four Methodist-United Brethren Churches called Harrisonburg Church. Before 1970,
there were four churches named Harrisonburg—one Harrisonburg Church closed ca. 1900; another
Harrisonburg MEC, a member of the Central Jurisdiction, was renamed John Wesley Methodist Church
sometime before 1968 and became John Wesley UMC in 1968; Harrisonburg MECS was renamed
Asbury Methodist Church in 1952 and became Asbury UMC in 1968; and Harrisonburg EUB Church
was renamed Otterbein UMC in 1970 [Wrenn 2014].
In 1912 Wayland identified the following MECS circuits in Harrisonburg-Rockingham Co.:
Bridgewater Circuit comprised Bridgewater MECS (organized by 1866), Dayton MECS
(organized prior to the Civil War), Clover Hill MECS (dedicated Nov-1866), Spring Creek MECS
(dedicated 14-Jun-1885), and Rushville MECS (began prior to 1858).
Elkton Circuit comprised Elkton MECS (said to date back to 1821), Mt. Hermon MECS (1893),
and Mt. Pleasant MECS.
Mt. Crawford Circuit comprised Mt. Crawford MECS (a union church there is known in 1835)
and Fairview MECS (2 mi south of Mt. Crawford).
Port Republic Circuit comprised Port Republic MECS (a union church there is known as early as
1835), Grottoes MECS, and Timber Ridge MECS (3 mi northwest of Port Republic).
Rockingham Circuit comprised Keezletown MECS (1869), McGaheysville MEC-MECS
(possibly as early as 1835), Fellowship MECS (3 mi east of Linville), and Edom MECS.
Note that New Market Circuit of Shenandoah Co. included Broadway MECS (1881), Lacey
Springs MECS, and Glasses MECS; and that Furnace MECS was part of Shenandoah City Circuit of
Page Co.
In the Rockingham Register of Jan. 5, 1866, appeared the statement that Long’s School House,
which stood on land in the southern part of Rockingham belonging to the heirs of Ephraim Whitmer, and
which had been erected some 50 years before (to wit, about 1816), had been used in early days as a
church by the Methodists; later, by the United Brethren. In 1872 the MECS Baltimore Conference made
appointments to the following charges in Rockingham Co.: Harrisonburg, Bridgewater, Rockingham, E.
Rockingham, and Rockingham Mission. In the latest available census reports, the membership of the
MECS in Rockingham Co. is given as 2,560.
The first Methodist church in Harrisonburg, which was also the first in the county, so far as
known, stood on the hill west of the Co. Court House, on the site now occupied by the Church of the
Brethren. In this house the school established in 1794 under the direction of Bishop Asbury was
conducted. The divisions, etc., incident upon the Civil War caused certain changes in organization, and
the natural course of circumstances has brought about various changes in the construction and location
of church houses. At present, the Harrisonburg Methodists are just completing a splendid brown-stone
church on the west comer of Main and Bruce streets. When the cornerstone of this structure was laid,
Sep. 1, 1911, Rev. H. H. Sherman, pastor, read an extended and interesting paper on the history of
Methodism in Harrisonburg, which paper was published in full at the time by the local press.
4 Historical details for Methodism in Rockingham Co. are from [Wayland 1912, pp. 263-267].
II.B. Harrisonburg City Churches 53 Volume 5
B. HARRISONBURG CITY CHURCHES4
Methodist Churches in Harrisonburg were organized as early as 1788; the church lot of the first
church was donated by Robert and Reuben Harrison in 1789, and the first church house was finished in
1794. Freedmen’s Mission churches were established by the United Brethren as early as 1876. The
Methodist Mission at the north side of Harrisonburg was established in Apr. 1899.
Four Methodist-United Brethren Churches called Harrisonburg Church. Before 1970,
there were four churches named Harrisonburg—one Harrisonburg Church closed ca. 1900; another
Harrisonburg MEC, a member of the Central Jurisdiction, was renamed John Wesley Methodist Church
sometime before 1968 and became John Wesley UMC in 1968; Harrisonburg MECS was renamed
Asbury Methodist Church in 1952 and became Asbury UMC in 1968; and Harrisonburg EUB Church
was renamed Otterbein UMC in 1970 [Wrenn 2014].
In 1912 Wayland identified the following MECS circuits in Harrisonburg-Rockingham Co.:
Bridgewater Circuit comprised Bridgewater MECS (organized by 1866), Dayton MECS
(organized prior to the Civil War), Clover Hill MECS (dedicated Nov-1866), Spring Creek MECS
(dedicated 14-Jun-1885), and Rushville MECS (began prior to 1858).
Elkton Circuit comprised Elkton MECS (said to date back to 1821), Mt. Hermon MECS (1893),
and Mt. Pleasant MECS.
Mt. Crawford Circuit comprised Mt. Crawford MECS (a union church there is known in 1835)
and Fairview MECS (2 mi south of Mt. Crawford).
Port Republic Circuit comprised Port Republic MECS (a union church there is known as early as
1835), Grottoes MECS, and Timber Ridge MECS (3 mi northwest of Port Republic).
Rockingham Circuit comprised Keezletown MECS (1869), McGaheysville MEC-MECS
(possibly as early as 1835), Fellowship MECS (3 mi east of Linville), and Edom MECS.
Note that New Market Circuit of Shenandoah Co. included Broadway MECS (1881), Lacey
Springs MECS, and Glasses MECS; and that Furnace MECS was part of Shenandoah City Circuit of
Page Co.
In the Rockingham Register of Jan. 5, 1866, appeared the statement that Long’s School House,
which stood on land in the southern part of Rockingham belonging to the heirs of Ephraim Whitmer, and
which had been erected some 50 years before (to wit, about 1816), had been used in early days as a
church by the Methodists; later, by the United Brethren. In 1872 the MECS Baltimore Conference made
appointments to the following charges in Rockingham Co.: Harrisonburg, Bridgewater, Rockingham, E.
Rockingham, and Rockingham Mission. In the latest available census reports, the membership of the
MECS in Rockingham Co. is given as 2,560.
The first Methodist church in Harrisonburg, which was also the first in the county, so far as
known, stood on the hill west of the Co. Court House, on the site now occupied by the Church of the
Brethren. In this house the school established in 1794 under the direction of Bishop Asbury was
conducted. The divisions, etc., incident upon the Civil War caused certain changes in organization, and
the natural course of circumstances has brought about various changes in the construction and location
of church houses. At present, the Harrisonburg Methodists are just completing a splendid brown-stone
church on the west comer of Main and Bruce streets. When the cornerstone of this structure was laid,
Sep. 1, 1911, Rev. H. H. Sherman, pastor, read an extended and interesting paper on the history of
Methodism in Harrisonburg, which paper was published in full at the time by the local press.
4 Historical details for Methodism in Rockingham Co. are from [Wayland 1912, pp. 263-267].
II.B. Harrisonburg City Churches 53 Volume 5
