Powers Church Committee Members
Front Row: Lawrence Curtis, Kathy Aldrich, Martha Latson, Dewey Powers
Back Row: Blake Stevenson, Marcia Powers, Grady Rose
Not pictured: Greg Aldrich, Debbie Cleckner, Jamie McCann, Cindy Rose, Ashley Stevenson.
Summertime at Powers Church
Our Volunteers
The new sign tower in the cemetery. Danny Patterson, (right) designed and built the tower with help from Dewey Powers (left)
Angola High School Agricultural Class
These students designed and planted the flower bed around the sign.
History
Although the Powers Church was not built until 1876, the idea began in August 1839 when two young children in the Powers Settlement died of scarlet fever. The land was donated by Clark Powers for a cemetery and future church. Plans for the church were delayed until 1875. By this time the population of the area had increased and the need for a church became more apparent. Winn and Calvin Powers became the leaders in planning the project. In the fall of 1875, Winn circulated a subscription paper asking for contributions of money, labor, and materials. There were 102 subscriptions ranging from one dollar to one hundred dollars. The total of money, labor, and materials subscribed was $1825.
The church was built during the summer of 1876. The York Methodist Church provided furnishings of carpets, chairs, lamps, stoves, and other small items. The church was dedicated on October 15, 1876.
The church was originally built as a "Free Church" and was nondenominational. It was eventually affiliated with the Methodist Church, and a circuit minister held services at the church for several years. Regular services ceased in the 1920s, but the church was used occasionally for funerals and Powers family reunions into the 1950s.
Our History
Present Day Church