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| CHURCH HISTORY |
| DAWES UNITED METHODIST CHURCH |
| A view of the church from the mid 1920's with the front facing the railroad. |
| It is impossible to know the exact date that services began at Dawes. We do know that it was not in the same building or on the same property. The name of the town was not even the same. The first record we have of our church is from the WV Annual Conference held October 10th-16th, 1883 in Wheeling. The conference journal from that year lists Rev. J. A. Dixon as being appointed to our church. In March of 1884 the Cabin Creek Kanawha Coal Company and the Williams Coal Company set aside a piece of property to be used for the church. This property was located on the creek bank across Cabin Creek Road from where the current church stands. The land was placed in a trust deed in the name of the trustees of the church, the Methodist Episcopal Church of Fairfield. Fairfield was the name the area was known by at that time. The Dawes name was not given to this area until around 1918. That first church was damaged by flood waters in the summer of 1916. In January 1921 the trustees arranged with the Shonk Land Company to trade lots so that the church would not be so close to the creek. The present church was built on that new lot but faced the other direction toward the railroad. |
| The church was later turned around in its present direction by workers of the Pure Oil Company, a major employer in the area at that time. A classroom and narthex was added to the front of the building, then the current porch and steps. Later the ceiling was lowered and the lighting fixtures were replaced. The current furnishings were acquired from the Kayford Methodist Church after its closing. The original "Education Building" was a small building which was connected to the side of the main church by a covered walkway. Sunday school classes were held in the church basement and in the small building. Church dinners, quilting bees, vacation Bible school and other activities were also held in the basement. In the early 1960's the small building was towed up the road and made into a private residence. Plans had been drawn up to replace the entire church with a new structure. The Education Building which currently stands was to be the first phase of this new construction. It was completed in the mid 1960's. Plans for a new sanctuary which would be attached to the Education Building were never carried out. The Education Building has recently been refurbished, although no structural changes were made. |
| It is unclear exactly when the name of the church changed from Fairfield to Dawes but it had changed by 1921. The Dawes church used to be part of a three-point charge: Dawes, Decota and Sharon Methodist churches. One pastor served all three churches. Worship services were: Sharon-10:00AM; Dawes-11:00AM and Decota--7:30PM---all on Sunday. The pastor never experienced Sunday school, although his wife and children did. Mid-week services were on Wednesday at Sharon and Thursday at Dawes. That should help explain why Sunday evening services are so foreign to this congregation and also why we have Bible Study on Thursdays. |
| The dates of the two photographs to the right are unknown. |
| For a list of former pastors and the 1884 board of trustees click here. |
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