Originally named after a benefactor church in Newton, Massachusetts, the Eliot Union Congregation Church was built upon the proposed town site for Maple Hill, Kansas. The 40 acres it occupies was donated by William Pierce, who was one of the New England pioneers who came to Maple Hill from the Boston, Massachusetts area. Pierce expected the new town of Maple Hill to be built to the south and west of the church when the Chicago and Rock Island built their railroad line through Kansas, Wabaunsee County and Maple Hill Township in 1887.
However as we who grew up in Maple Hill know, that was not what happened. George Fowler, who owned a large ranch east of the proposed town site, decided that the town should be built on his ranch land. The Chicago and Rock Island delivered the lumber for the depot to the Pierce town site, but Fowler's ranch hands moved it to his property during the night. Legal action ensued and it seemed that the railroad would be built before a town site could be decided upon.
Everything has it's price. Fowler offered to make Pierce an officer of the new town site company, to give him lots for resale in the new town site and to name one of the principal streets in the new town site after Pierce. With that action completed, the new town was located on the Fowler Ranch approximately 1.5 miles east of the Old Stone Church.
The Old Stone Church was for twenty years, the only church in the Maple Hill area. The congregation flourished under the pastorate of Rev. W. S. Crouch, whose Biblical knowledge and oratory were renowned throughout eastern Kansas.
Transportation was difficult. After the new town was established, people did not want to hitch up their horse and wagon or buggy and/or walk the 1.5 miles from the new town of Maple Hill to the Old Stone Church. In the meantime, George Fowler had given land and money to build a Methodist Episcopal Church in Maple Hill. Fowler was a Methodist himself. Fowler had also given land and money to build a new school house on the eastern edge of the new town. The school house had been designed by architects Root and Siemens of Kansas City. There was no finer school in any town the size of Maple Hill.
By 1900, the Eliot Union Congregational Church (Old Stone Church) had begun a steep decline. The population of the new town had grown to about 300. Although only about 15 years old, the town school had become crowded and a new, larger building was needed. The townspeople, with the assistance of Fowler's ranch manager and partner, William J. Tod, had approached George Fowler about building a new school and remodeling the old school building for use by the Eliot Union Congregational Church.
This is the new school house built in 1904-1905 on the western edge of Maple Hill. George Fowler donated the land. Several generations of our families attended this school which had elementary rooms on the first floor, secondary rooms on the second floor and a large indoor play area in the basement. The author went to school in this building for first, second and third grades from 1950-1953 when it was razed and replaced by a modern, one-story brick school building still in use. In 1921, a brick high school building was built. That allowed the four rooms on the first floor to be used as elementary rooms while the second floor was used for fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth grade classes. There was also a study hall/library combination on the second floor when I was a student there.While browsing Ebay this week, I came across a color print for sale titled, "Maple Hill Congregational Church, Maple Hill, Kansas." That's not unusual. There are many photographs and picture post cards of the Old Stone Church west of Maple Hill, Kansas. I have about a dozen different views myself. But this was not the Old Stone Church. It was an architectural rendering for the building of a new stone church in the new town site of Maple Hill. It was dated March 1903. That fits in perfectly with planning for a new Congregational Church in Maple Hill. Evidently Fowler had Root and Siemens firm design a new stone church so that the congregation could remove from the Old Stone Church and hold worship in the town of Maple Hill. Below is the rendering and description:
I have never seen this picture before, nor have I ever heard that a stone church was ever proposed for the new townsite. This picture is extremely rare, as the American Architect and Building News not only had a very small circulation during that time, but very few copies were actually preserved or colored as this has been. It measures 13 by 8.5 inches and has mat border and foam core backing (not attached to the picture). The whole plan measures approximately 15.5 by 11.5 inches (with mat border). Finely detailed and beautifully hand-colored.
A photo of my mother, Lucille (Corbin) Clark and the blog author, Nicholas L. Clark, taken in front of the Old Stone Church in 2009. The church was destroyed by fire in 1955 and restored. In 1994, it was destroyed by a tornado and again completely rebuilt and restored. The church is used for weddings and funerals and services are held there each Memorial Day by the Maple Hill Community Congregational Church. A grave yard was begun around the church in the early 1880s and continues to be the primary burial ground for Maple Hill.
I thought I was a pretty good student of the history of the Maple Hill Community Congregational Church. I was a member there from birth in 1944 until I left Maple Hill in 1978. But my mother always said, "Don't stand on a stump cause you make a better target!" I'm sure there is much more history to discover and I'll keep trying to be a good student.
Happy Trails!!
I thought I was a pretty good student of the history of the Maple Hill Community Congregational Church. I was a member there from birth in 1944 until I left Maple Hill in 1978. But my mother always said, "Don't stand on a stump cause you make a better target!" I'm sure there is much more history to discover and I'll keep trying to be a good student.
Happy Trails!!
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