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Baptist Church
In the winter of 1838-39 Elder Brigham who had preached
occasionally in the township of Burns organized the First Baptist Church
of Byron with about a dozen people. Special meetings were held which
resulted in the conversion of 9 persons, all of whom joined the church.
The meetings were held in a log cabin. Although receiving much
encouragement at the start, the society lost its influence and was
disorganized. It was later reorganized by Elder Peck and some of the
substantial members of the former association. The meetings were held in
a school house that stood at the corner of Reed and Beard Road. About
ten years later this association broke up.
On October 6, 1866, the friends of the Baptist Church met, agreeable to
notice, at the Green School House with nine persons present. This stood
at the corner of Reed and Lovejoy Roads just over the county line in
Livingston County. The result of the meeting was the organization of a
Religious Society to be known as the Baptist Conference of Burns and
Cohoctah, and was the germ of the society now in active operation in the
village of Byron.
On August 31, 1872, at the covenant meeting of the society it was
resolved to build a place of worship during the next fall. Committees
were appointed to solicit subscriptions and choose a site for the
building. This new building had a large auditorium with a vestibule at
the west end above which was a balcony. At the east end was a platform
on which the pulpit stood, also the organ and twelve chairs for the
choir. Under the platform was the Baptistry. At the south east corner of
the auditorium there was a trap door that opened to a flight of stairs
leading to the basement. The full basement consisted of a spacious room
where fellowship meetings and potluck suppers were held as well as other
social affairs. There also was a cloak room, fuel room and kitchen. A
much anticipated social event was the annual chicken pie donation supper
held each fall after the harvest season. This was a time of feasting,
fellowship and financial donations to the church treasury.
During the First World War the Red Cross used the basement for its
sewing and knitting work for the soldiers.
A top the church at the west end there was a steeple, with a spire
pointing to the sky, that housed the church bell which has faithfully
summoned the worshipers for the past century. The building cost $3,000
and dedicated November 30, 1873. There were 90 members in 1880. It was
located on the northeast corner of Hamilton and Ann Streets.
Several changes were made in 1899, the main ones being the remodeling of
the front entrance and vestibule, rearranging the seats (pews) in the
auditorium and installing the beautiful memorial colored glass windows,
gifts of various church members. The names on the windows are: Decon
Kanouse, Deacon Sherman, James Hawley and wife, Melissa M. Joslin, L.
Ward Joslin, Wm. And Rebecca Smith and Redmond.
In 1956 a two story addition was built on the east side of the church.
This provided a sizeable room on the first floor with Sunday School
class rooms, and space for the Sunday School secretary and treasurers
office in a corner of the hall on the upper floors.
A new Baptistry was installed at this time just in back of the platform
of the main auditorium. In 1961 an oil painting 4’x 8’ of a water scene
was painted for the background of the Baptistry by Ruth Hoover. The cost
of this addition was $12,000.
October 1965 through April 1966 saw the construction of a new addition
to the front of the church on the west side. This included an entrance
hall, pastors study and a nursery with a large glass partition and loud
speaker so the attendants could see and hear services. The cost of
$16,000 included much remodeling on the interior.
Prior to 1920 the parsonage was a rented house at 404 Maple St. The
second parsonage was at 307 N. Saginaw this place being willed to the
church by Mrs. James Hawley. The present parsonage is at 115 Ann St.
across the road from the church and was a new house purchased in 1968
costing $18,500. The old parsonage was sold for $12,700.
From the earliest history of the church there was the Ladies Aid which
did much to keep the church going. Around 1920 a ladies organization
known as the Martha Class was started with the assistance of Mrs. Sarah
Wright, the wife of the pastor. This group was active for 30-35 years as
a combination Ladies Aid, Missionary Circle and Bible Study Class. In
1954 a later Women’s organization was formed called the Missionary
Gospel Workers which has carried on with similar activities as its
predecessors although in a different manner.
As the congregation grew, it was apparent that there was
a need to expand and the church was given six lots in the north end of
the village. The church was sold and a business went into it. A new
edifice was built and dedicated in October 1985 on North Ann Street.
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