Mystic Lodge purchases church building in 1906

The old Broadway Methodist Church, located on the southeast corner of Sixth and Broadway, was constructed in 1881 at a cost of $15,000, according to History of Marion County, Missouri, 1884. The congregation built a new church on the southwest corner of Ninth and Broadway in 1907. Photo/Steve Chou collection

MARY LOU MONTGOMERY

A double land transaction took place in mid May, 1906, which permanently changed the Broadway landscape.

The Methodist Episcopal Church building, located since post-Civil War days on the southeast corner of Sixth and Broadway, was sold to the Mystic Lodge. This sale, handled by noted Hannibal attorney and real estate developer J.J. Henderson, allowed the congregation to move forward with its plans to purchase the land that had long served as yards for the Conlon Lumber company, on the southeast corner of Ninth and Broadway.

What would ultimately evolve from this dual transaction would be a new brick and stone home for the church.

Subsequently, Sixth and Broadway, in a remodeled state, would be the long-term home of the Mystic Lodge, located at 521-523 Broadway.

Early plans

The members of the Broadway Methodist Church thought long and hard before making the decision to move to a new location.

On Feb. 16, 1904, the church building, located at 521-523 Broadway, was advertised for sale in the local newspaper. “Inquire of J.J. Henderson, First International Bank Building.” Henderson  and his wife, Mary, were prominent members of the church. (The International Bank Building which contained his office was located on Broadway, the northeast corner of Third, the predecessor of the B&L Building, which was constructed 1909-1910.)

Despite the “for sale” status of the church, business continued as usual.

A funeral was conducted for Mary Elliott, wife of  Wilson B. Elliott, 116 N. Seventh, on Feb. 28, 1904, at the church. 

“It was very largely attended, showing the esteem in which the deceased was held by the citizens. There was a profusion of beautiful flowers. The music was by a quartette composed of Mrs. David Price, Mrs. J.D. Seibel, Mr. Thos. Robinson and Mr. J.W. Remley. The pallbearers were Messrs. Jonathan Smith, H.A. Reiman, C.A. Willoughby, Wm. Jones, J.J. Henderson and O.H. Anderson.”

The old church building had been constructed in 1870, according to the History of Marion County Missouri, 1884. With a seating capacity of 800, the sanctuary was fully adequate to hold the membership, but a long-existing draw back was the fact that the sanctuary was located on the building’s second floor, which was undoubtedly very hot during the summer months. First floor space was reserved for storefronts rented out to local merchants.

As examples, in 1885 Wm. H.C. Nash operated a grocery store at 523; and Joseph C. McAtee sold pianos and organs at 521.

These renters likely provided a welcome income for the church.

The building was still unsold by April 1904, and members toyed with the idea of tearing the church down and rebuilding a new sanctuary on the same site.

The newspaper of April 26, 1904, explained: “The idea of tearing down the present building and erecting a new one in its stead was abandoned, as the old building was considered too valuable to abandon. It is the idea to entirely remodel the interior of the building and transform it so that the auditorium will be on the ground floor. The entrance will be on Broadway, with a vestibule. A tower will be placed on the building.” The estimated cost of improvements was to be about $6,000.

But by Nov.  2, 1905, the tear-it-down idea was back on the table. The church announced that the plan to tear down the old building and replace it on the same lot was the route they were to go. This time, however, the sanctuary would be on the first floor, replacing the retail space at ground level. The razing of the old building was planned for January 1906.

But wait, that didn’t happen, either.

Real estate sales

On May 13, 1906, the Trustees of the Mystic Lodge #17 closed a negotiated deal to purchase the church building at Sixth and Broadway for $12,000. Work was to begin remodeling the first floor.

On the same day, the trustees of the church closed the deal with John J. Conlon and the Richards Brothers for lots at the corner of Ninth and Broadway. The purchase gave the church 85 feet of frontage on Broadway, located across the street from the new Marion County Courthouse at Hannibal.

The cost of the property was $7,125. Members of the church building committee were P.H. Rutherford, J.C. Johnson and C.H. Burch.

The newspaper reported: “It is one of the most desirable locations in Hannibal and work will be commenced on the new edifice within a few days.”

Architect

Martin S. Martin, a 36-year-old from Rolla, was selected as the architect. He moved to Hannibal with his wife, Emma D. Proetz Martin, and their 3-year-old son, John W. Martin. Mr. Martin soon set up a suite of offices in Hannibal, containing a large reception room furnished in the Mission style of design, with waiting rooms and a drafting department. The office was located on the second floor of the new Siebel building, 119 1/2 South Main Street. (By 1912, the address of the building had changed to 118 S. Main.) He had been located in Rolla for the past eight years.

The Aug. 7, 1906 edition of the Hannibal Morning Journal announced that bids were to be accepted for the following materials, appliances and labor for the new church building:

For the following material, appliances and labor necessary to a full and complete erection of a brick and stone church building, will be received by the building committee of the First Methodist Episcopal church, of Hannibal, Mo., on the 25th day of August 1906, up to 2 o’clock p.m,. at the office of Dr. C.J. Chase, 105 S. Sixth street, as follows:

Bids on excavating and concrete walls

Bids on brick work

Bids on iron work

bids on cut stone work

Bids on lumber as per bills to be furnished

Bids on carpenter work

Bids on mill work

Bids on plastering

Bids on painting

Bids on electric work

Bids on heating

Bids on plumbing

Bids on marble work

Bids on tile work

Bids on granitoid work

Bids on art glass

Bids on blackboards

Bids on roofing, slate and tin

Bids on hardware, etc.

Bids will be entertained on any one several or all of the above subdivisions, as bidders may elect.

The cornerstone ceremony for the First Methodist Episcopal Church was scheduled for Tuesday, March 19, 1907. At the time of the ceremony, the building was ready for plasterers.

Mary Lou Montgomery retired as editor of the Hannibal (Mo.) Courier-Post in 2014. She researches and writes narrative-style stories about the people who served as building blocks for this region’s foundation. Books available on Amazon.com by this author include but are not limited to: "The Notorious Madam Shaw," "Pioneers in Medicine from Northeast Missouri," "The Historic Murphy House, Hannibal, Mo., Circa 1870,” “Hannibal’s ‘West End,’ and the newest book, “Oakwood: West of Hannibal.” Montgomery can be reached at Montgomery.editor@yahoo.com Her collective works can be found at www.maryloumontgomery.com