From "Kemper County, Mississippi - A
Pictorial History", placed here with permission by the Kemper County
Historical Commission.
Parsonage
DeKalb Methodist Church, winter of 1935.
Front Row children: Peggy Calvert, John Oscar Mitchell, Mary Lou
Turner, John C. Conner, Emmett Norris Creekmore and George Allen
Calvert. Fron row adults: Jamye Haskins and Rev. Murray Cox. Second
row left to right: Edward "Bill" Conner Jr., Helen C. Conner, Jean
Prince, Fay Aust, "T" Calvert, Sammey Russell, W.D. Mitchell Sr. and
Ed Conner. Third row left to right: Leo Calvert, Marion Creekmore,
Linwood Cox and Sue Price. Fourth row: Stanton Daws holding son
Tommy Ray Daws, Mrs. Murray Cox, Mary Hunnicutt, Lula Clopton, Emmie
Sue Overstreet and Miss Gillis (teacher). Back row: first two
unknown, Mattie Daws and Johnnie Hull.
The DeKalb United Methodist Church, located at the intersection of
Church Street and Main Avenue, was founded in 1835 and thought to be
the oldest congregation in DeKalb.
The latest history available, 1835-1984,
written by Lois Tann, church historian, states the first church
building was located on the south side of Scooba Street. This record
also includes the following: With a seating capacity of 150
worshippers, furnishings included long narrow handmade pine pews and
small upright pulpit. Kerosene lamps were placed on shelves about
every six feet around the walls...The Masonic Lodge occupied the
second floor. The approach of long straight-up stairs on the
northwest corner of the building seemed ghostly to the young
children as they neared the church.
According to research the following pastors
served this church: William Gurley Bachus, James A Clement, 1852;
John D. Hayes, 1857; James M. Gann, 1866; William P. Andrews, 1880;
and Daniel G. W. Ellis, 1882.
The second church, a one-story frame building was built about 1884
on the present site. In 1886 the first parsonage was built. Rev.
Robert Witt was pastor. This parsonage was replaced in 1925. In 1914
this church building burned and a two-story frame building was
constructed the following year. .
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