The history of the United
Presbyterian Church in Winterset is interesting as it has a strong influence on
the community and surrounding area. In 1867, the first house of worship for the
United Presbyterian Church was constructed on East Court and Third Street. Some
of the framework and floors of the original church are still present as part of
the building now occupied by the Foursquare Gospel Church. From 1867 to 1870
members of the United Presbyterian congregation were sent to form new churches
near Patterson, Pitzer, North Branch and Peru. This obviously caused a heavy
drain on the church's membership. In 1878, Reverend Henry Wallace arrived in
Winterset from Morning Sun. He had been preaching there, but left because of
poor health. Because the United Presbyterian congregation was without a minister
at that time, he consented to preach every other Sabbath Day. He continued to
offer his services for three years without remuneration. At this time, he was
also part owner and farm editor of the Winterset Madisonian. He later founded
the Wallace Farmer magazine. His son, Henry C. Wallace was a professor at Iowa
State College and later served as Secretary of Agriculture under President
Harding. A grandson, Henry A. Wallace, helped found the Pioneer Seed Corn
Company and was also appointed Secretary of Agriculture and later served as Vice
President in the administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Henry A.
Wallace was a boyhood friend of George Washington Carver. The Wallace home in
Winterset is located on West Jefferson and is on the National Register of
Historic Places.
Another significant event in the
history of the Presbyterian Church took place in 1857.
In that year, while the First Presbyterians (New School) and the two
branches of the soon to be unified United Presbyterians were worshiping as
established congregations, the Old School Presbyterians organized under the
leadership of Reverend Jacobs of Knoxville, Iowa.
Subsequently, Reverend Walter L. Lyons was selected as the minister for
the eleven charter members of this church. The first members included Mrs.
Hornbeck and the McCalls from the First Presbyterian Church plus Mr. and Mrs. A.
G. Welch, Mr. and Mrs. Ault, J. D. Jenks, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Thompson, Robert
Goshorn, Mr. Westfall, Miss Lizzie McCleary, Mrs. Martha Stewart, Mr. Holmes and
J. S. Goshorn. Because the record book of this Old School Presbyterian
congregation was destroyed by a fire that burned the First National Bank
building on the west side of the square, accurate dates in the history of the
church have been lost. However, in 1859, the Old School congregation built a
frame building on the northwest corner of East Court and Second Street. This
building served as the church for both the First Presbyterians and the Old
School Presbyterians from the end of the Civil War until the First Presbyterian
Church was erected in 1875. Later, this old wood building was used as the
Winterset Fire House. It was subsequently purchased and used by the Winterset
Public Schools and continued in use until North Ward School was built in 1878.