Marengo was first settled prior to 1846.  There were two branches of Methodists who were pioneers, the Methodist Episcopal and the Methodist Protestant.  A Methodist preacher named Edward Twining was among the first to visit the county as early as the spring of 1846.  He was the first minister to officially solemnize marriages, by authority issued to him on October 8, 1846, by the county clerk.  As such, October 8, 1946 is the date which the church considered its official anniversary date.  Marengo was at first an appointment of the Bear Creek mission, of which Richard Swearingen was pastor in 1848.

The Marengo Mission, Iowa City District, Iowa Conference, was organized in 1849 by H.W. Reed, presiding elder.  Asbury Collins was pastor.  The conference consisted of the pastor, Lewis Lanning, steward, and J.H. Richardson, leader. 

While there is some disagreement as to where the first meeting place was, conventional wisdom is that the first religious services of a public character held in Marengo occured at Downard’s store, which was located west of the present day Post Office on West Washington Street.  The Marengo Mission would meet quarterly in the courthouse.  The meeting commenced on a Friday night and continued until Sunday night.  Several of the Methodist ministers during this time came from nearby counties.

The first church was erected in 1851 on the corner of Court Avenue and Washington Street where the Gode building now stands.  A parsonage was also built on that site.  The first Sunday School was organized in 1853.  The circuit then extended from near Iowa City to the vicinity of Brooklyn, and south of Williamsburg.

About 1888, a church was built on the corner of Marengo Avenue and South Street with a parsonage built to the west of the church. The church was dedicated by Rev. T.B. Mighes on March 11, 1888.  In 1900, $1,800 was raised to build a church tower, a brick walk and grading outside, and a new railing.

Construction of the present church began June 7, 1915 and was completed March 1916.  It was dedicated on April 2, 1916.  The Kilgen pipe organ was purchased in 1927.

The Marengo Church was known as the Marengo Methodist Episcopal church until 1939.  In that year the Methodist church reorganized by uniting three branches of the church.  The church was then called the First Methodist Church.  The United Brethren and Evangelical Churches united in 1946.  The union of Brethren and Methodists occured in 1968 thus giving the church its current name of First United Methodist Church. On May 6, 1969, a Uniting Conference in Des Moines created the largest Iowa women’s organization, which is currently known as the United Methodist Women.

The present parsonage located at 1215 Howard Avenue was built in 1975. Reverend O’Toole did all of the woodworking on the inside of the parsonage.  Since then, the church has been redecorated and an elevator installed to provide additional access to the sanctuary. 

The church celebrated its 150th anniversary in October, 1996. Several former pastors attended the event. 

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