Dan had emailed me this picture and it took me a while to finally track it down and get the scoop. I thought I would put it on here and maybe somebody out there had some more information about it. The info I have is--- it was the 7th Day Adventist church. It was located at 218 N Pine, here in Moline. The preacher (I don't have his name) ran off with another man's wife and the church ceased shortly thereafter. My source tells me this happened around 1923 or 1924 or somewhere right around there. Later someone moved into it and used it as a house. Sometime in the 60's John Clark bought it and removed the steeple, windows and totally gutted it and turned it into a regular home for his mother. It is still standing to this day and is owned by Denny Davis, who currently lives there. I am going to quiz him when I see him and see if I can look at his abstract. At any rate I thought this story was pretty good considering the current structure has absolutely no resemblance to a church and the interesting history it has.
(http://www.molinekansas.com/Moline%20church.jpg)
(http://www.molinekansas.com/denny.jpg)
There ya go the before and after shots
Could you take a picture of the current building and add it to your post? That way we can see the difference. Thank you, my Lisa.
John also told me that they had taken the whole roof off of it and stripped it down to just the walls. Even the bay window area there in the back. It sure doesn't look like the same building but he assured me it was.
In my copy of July 16, 1897 Moline Republican I have found the following listed under the Church Directory.
ADVENTIST CHURCH- Sabbath School at 10:30 a.m., and social meeting with occasional preaching at 11:30 a.m. Prayer meeting every Wednesday evening. Missionary society every 4th Sabbath at 11:30 a.m.
Richard Symms, S.S. Supt., Mrs. Geo. D. Symms, President of M.S., John H. Gibbs, Elder.
I admit I had to giggle ;D a bit when I read "social meeting with occasional preaching" and I think to myself isn't that kinda like the coffee shop in the mornings hehehe.
Here is some more information I found out today. I had Denny bring in his abstract. The 7th Day Adventists bought the property in 1891 and had it until they sold it in 1918. The original abstract lot information was 1873. It has had a lot of owners almost as many as it is old.
It just don't seem possible, does it? Thank you Lisa for the before and after pics.