The Clarksville
Methodist Church had its beginning in 1819-1820 when James McMahon and
Henry Knapp were traveling the Mahoning Circuit in Mercer County,
Pennsylvania.
The first class
organized by James McMahon comprised Samuel Clark - the leader - his wife,
Mary, and son, Abraham; Samuel Clark,
Jr., and wife; William McKnight and
wife and Widow McKnight; Benjamin Canfield and
Rebecca Canfield; Thomas
Tomlinson and wife; Charlotte Hayes; William Koon and
Thomas Morford.
The first preaching
was done in the house of Samuel Clark, chairs and boards being used for
seats. Other persons who
later became members of this first class were:
David Hayes,
Charlotte Hayes, Mary Hayes, Sarah Clark, James Pettit, Mary Dumars, Mary
Siddon, Nancy Haun, Richard Mattock, John Woods, Mary Fell, Mary Mattlock,
Catherine
Haun, Benjamin Fell, Catherine
Fell, George
Lucas, James Montgomery, Benjamin Culver, John Waters, John Siddon, and
Catherine Simonton.
At first the
meetings were held in private houses then the little band of Methodists
worshiped for some time in a school house. On the 2nd of February,1826, a
subscription was circulated to raise funds for the erection of a meeting
house. Later in the same year, a rude plank building was put up on land
deeded by Samuel Clark, Sr., for religious purposes. A lot was also deeded
at the same time for a grave yard. Mr. Clark’s remains were subsequently
buried there. About three years later, around 1830, the plank building was
torn down and a more commodious house
was erected.
The structure built
in 1830 was finally sold for a machine shop, and a frame structure costing
$2,000 was erected in 1858 on the church's present (1959) site. William
Budd and John Patterson of Sharon were the contractors.
continued
