Sharon Methodist Episcopal Church
Encyclopedia
Sharon Methodist Episcopal Church is located in Sharon Township
, a rural area of northwest Clinton County, Iowa
, United States
. The building is the only remaining structure that remains of a community by the name of Burgess, which was nicknamed Smithtown. The building is commonly referred to as the Smithtown Church. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 2003.
. The Reformed congregation was affiliated with St. Paul's Reformed Church in Wheatland
and was served by ministers from that church.
In 1871 the Sabula, Ackley and Dakota Railroad announced plans to pass through Sharon Township. However, the tracks were to be built two miles south of Burgess. A station was built at Lost Nation
and many of the village’s business, including the general store, moved there to be near the railroad. The Good Templar Sharon Valley Lodge, a benevolent and charitable organization that promoted temperance, remained active at Smithtown until 1900. Smithtown Church discontinued regular services in the late 1920s. Thereafter, it was used for special occasions such as funerals and community meetings. The Smithtown Cemetery Association was established in 1929 to care for the cemetery and the church. In 1931 they purchased the property from the Upper Iowa Conference. The cemetery association presented the property to the Clinton County Conservation Board for use as a historical site on August 2, 1970.
, where the entrance into the church is located. The tower is topped with a belfry
and a short spire
. The side walls of the church contain four rectangular windows with shutters
.
Sharon Township, Clinton County, Iowa
Sharon Township is a township in Clinton County, Iowa, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 784. Sharon Methodist Episcopal Church, which is located in the township, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.-Geography:...
, a rural area of northwest Clinton County, Iowa
Clinton County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 49,116 in the county, with a population density of . There were 21,733 housing units, of which 20,223 were occupied.-2000 census:...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The building is the only remaining structure that remains of a community by the name of Burgess, which was nicknamed Smithtown. The building is commonly referred to as the Smithtown Church. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2003.
History
The Sharon Methodist Church was incorporated in 1865 in the town of Burgess, which was a crossroads along the Camanche to Anamosa territorial road in northwest Clinton County. Land for a church and cemetery was donated by George Reed, a trustee and local landowner. Burials began in the cemetery soon after, while the church was not built until 1874. In 1875 St. John's Congregation of the German Reformed Church of Sharon Township paid one-fourth of what it cost to build the church to use the building for their services. They, therefore, had use of the church building one-fourth of the time. The Methodist congregation belonged to the Monmouth Circuit of the Upper Iowa Conference of the Methodist Church and was served by ministers from Monmouth, IowaMonmouth, Iowa
Monmouth is a city in Jackson County, Iowa, United States. The population was 180 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Monmouth is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
. The Reformed congregation was affiliated with St. Paul's Reformed Church in Wheatland
Wheatland, Iowa
Wheatland is a city in Clinton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 772 at the 2000 census.-History:Wheatland was platted in 1858 under the leadership of John Bennett. The town was named for President James Buchanan's estate 'Wheatlands' in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Bennett being an...
and was served by ministers from that church.
In 1871 the Sabula, Ackley and Dakota Railroad announced plans to pass through Sharon Township. However, the tracks were to be built two miles south of Burgess. A station was built at Lost Nation
Lost Nation, Iowa
Lost Nation is a city in Clinton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 497 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Lost Nation is located at ....
and many of the village’s business, including the general store, moved there to be near the railroad. The Good Templar Sharon Valley Lodge, a benevolent and charitable organization that promoted temperance, remained active at Smithtown until 1900. Smithtown Church discontinued regular services in the late 1920s. Thereafter, it was used for special occasions such as funerals and community meetings. The Smithtown Cemetery Association was established in 1929 to care for the cemetery and the church. In 1931 they purchased the property from the Upper Iowa Conference. The cemetery association presented the property to the Clinton County Conservation Board for use as a historical site on August 2, 1970.
Architecture
The building is of wood construction in the Italianate style. It features a central bell tower on the main façadeFacade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
, where the entrance into the church is located. The tower is topped with a belfry
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
and a short spire
Spire
A spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, particularly a church tower. Etymologically, the word is derived from the Old English word spir, meaning a sprout, shoot, or stalk of grass....
. The side walls of the church contain four rectangular windows with shutters
Window shutter
A window shutter is a solid and stable window covering usually consisting of a frame of vertical stiles and horizontal rails...
.