Cornerstone United Methodist Church, Watertown, South Dakota - Methodist Churches on Waymarking.com

In the years 1879 through 1882, the families of Jacob Horn, Fred Taecker, Reinhold Zike, and Fred Radtke migrated to farms six miles to 10 miles north and east of Watertown. All these families had been members of Evangelical Churches in Wisconsin. Pastors from these churches and others met with the families in their homes and later in the Rauville schoolhouse, at the same time serving the missions of Kellerton, Clear Lake, and Goodwin.

At a meeting of the Dakotas Conference in 1911, a recommendation was made that a mission be started in Watertown. Pastor I. A. Young was stationed at Watertown and began his work in a tent on 4th Street and 2nd Avenue NE.. On April 2, 1912, he organized a Sunday School in a tent with 15 people that he had previously visited.

Under Pastor G.E. Bohner, a church building was built in 1913 at the cost of $9333.43. Dedication services were held on June 14, 1914 at 409 North Maple in Watertown.

In 1946, the Evangelical Church and the United Brethren Church merged. It was then called the Evangelical United Brethren Church.

In the spring of 1955, the church purchased four lots at the corner of 9th Avenue and 3rd Street NE. On June 1, 1957, the church on Maple Street was sold to the Seventh Day Adventist Conference for $10,000. A program was worked out with the Adventists by which the membership was able to use the building during the construction of the new church building.

Ground breaking was held on August 18, 1957, and on May 11, 1958, the First Evangelical United Brethren Church was dedicated to God. In 1968, the Evangelical United Brethren Church and the Methodist Church merged to for the United Methodist Church. At that time, this church became Ninth Avenue United Methodist Church.

On August 8, 1997, Ninth Avenue United Methodist Church purchased 12.2 acres of land in the Konrady Addition, located on the northeast corner of 14th Ave and 11th Street in Watertown, South Dakota, for $250,000. In February of 1999, the mortgage was burned for this piece of property. At 8:00 pm on Monday, August 20, 2001, a ground breaking ceremony was held for the construction of Cornerstone United Methodist Church located at 1350 11th St NE, Watertown, South Dakota. Total cost of the building was $2.4 million. On June 4, 2002, the 9th Avenue United Methodist Church building was sold to the Seventh Day Adventist Conference for $130,000. Once again a program was worked out to used this building while the new building was being constructed. At this time, the church on Maple Street was purchased from the Adventists so the stained glass window could be used at Cornerstone.

On August 11, 2002, a worship service was held at the 9th Avenue building during which the congregation proceeded to the new Cornerstone building. That day, three baptisms were performed, communion was observed, and a missionary was sent forth. Current membership is 820 and an additional 400 active non-members.

Active church?: Yes Year Built: 2002 Service times: 8:30 am and 11:00 am Website: [Web Link]

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