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History of the Parsonages
1871 - the present
With the establishment of the M.E. Church in Independence and the assignment of Rev. J. B. Lee as the first pastor, it was necessary to find a home for the family; one was secured on Myrtle Street for $12 per month. Two or three efforts were made during the first year to build a parsonage but they proved unsuccessful.
Records tell us the church has owned five parsonages. The first parsonage was started in 1871 and was completed in February of 1872 on the corner of Ninth and Main Streets. The second one was built on the rear of the present church property. The remodeling and enlarging of the church in 1903 necessitated obtaining a thrid parsonage, which was located on what is now Potts' parking lot, Sixth and Maple.
The fourth parsonage was at 211 South Sixth; construction started in 1907 and was completed in August 1908. It was traditional during these time periods to locate the parsonage near the church and it became an extension of the church in many ways. For instance, in April 1913 a group of about ten men met at the parsonage at a 6 o'clock dinner, served by Mrs. W. P. Wharton, the pastor's wife, to consider the possibility of building a new church. Many weddings took place in parsonages in days gone by.
When the parsonage was in need of extensive and expensive repairs, it was decided to purchase a newer home and to locate the pastor and family further from the church in order to provide more privacy in their lives. In 1969, the present parsonage at 2709 North Eighth was purchased and in 1974 an addition was added to provided more bedrooms.
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