Home | Cemetery | Spirituality | Theology Quiz | Bible History
Virtual Tour
Green Valley Chapel circa 1940 & today.
Green Valley Chapel's History:
The community of Green Valley began in the 1830's and was originally called "Newcomerstown" after its founder Cromwell Newcomber. The town never came into its own, but the community remained strong, boasting a mill, store, blacksmith shop, post office, and several one-room schools within a few miles of one another.
Mill Stone from the Sockman Mill in use about 1825.
Retrieved for the church centennial 1956. Erected as a memorial to our
pioneering forefathers.
Green Valley Chapel was built in 1856 as a non-denominational meeting house by local Methodists and Presbyterians on a lot deeded from the Clark Farm on March 3, 1856. Prior to the construction of the original church building, prayer meetings were held in the Green Valley School an eighth of a mile east of the church's present location, at the end of Sockman Road. Regular services were not held in the building until sometime after 1880, but several Christian societies, including a temperance group, used the meeting space for several years. The original building had two front doors, one for women and one for men.
Green Valley School
Artist's rendition of the first chapel. By Peggy Streby.
By the early 1900's, Green Valley Chapel had become part of the Methodist Episcopal Church and was one of four churches on a circuit. That meant that the parishioners had a minister for services only once every two weeks. In order to maintain a full-time pastor, in November 1946, members of the church purchased a 78-acre piece of property (an eighth of a mile west of the church) from R.C. and Alice Sellers for $7000. On February 28, 1947, the Green Valley Christian Association was founded to care for the house and land. After spending an additional $2000 for remolding and modernization, the four-bedroom house became the residence of the church's pastor with the land to be farmed to supplement his/her income. The rental of the farmland continues to pay for the maintenance of the house and barns to this day.
"The Church Farm"
(click here for USGS Satelite Image)
In 1954, a total of 74 persons contributed 6,000 man-hours of labor to excavate and equip a basement for the church, including the addition of a vestibule and rear stairway. The Woman's Society for Christian Service (known today as the United Methodist Women) donated $800 for a new kitchen, keeping the total project cost to less than $15,000. The building was rededicated on August 15, 1954. Two years later, Green Valley Chapel celebrated its centennial with a week of activities including a special program, pageant, and speeches by Bishop Hazen G. Werner and Dr. Ralph Sockman, a Green Valley native.
Before and after the "lift." Left: Green Valley Chapel circa 1930. Right: Green Valley Chapel circa 1960.
In 1977, the church was added to again. The new addition included a nursery as well as Sunday school classroom space downstairs and upstairs, a church office, and additional sanctuary space.
Green Valley Chapel Today:
Floorplans:
Sanctuary (upstairs)
Fellowship Hall (downstairs)
Views of the Church:
altar
sanctuary
pews
fellowship hall
handicap ramp
visitor parking
Green Valley United Methodist's newest addition is a Noah's Ark playground!
It has a slide, monkey bars, captain's wheel, fireman's pole, ladder, and
plank. The Ark is located in the yard on the west side of the church. It has already seen a lot of use from the church and neighborhood children.
The church's nursery recently went through an extensive renovation. It
now has all new carpeting, new paneling, a new heating system, a new look, and even some new toys!
In August 2001, the church steps and sidewalks were all replaced to allow easier access from the front and side parking lots.
In 2002, the church furnace was replaced.
In the fall of 2008 the congregation remodeled the church basement by repainting the walls, texturing the ceilings, and recarpeting the floors through out the basement.
We are excited about our ministries at Green Valley United Methodist Church!
We hope you will come and grow with us!
Home | Cemetery | Spirituality | Theology Quiz | Bible History
