3rd Street near Lake Street intersection looking southeast
Henry Starke donated the land on which this wood frame
edifice stands. The total cost of the building was about $5,000. The
church structure remains nearly the same today as when it was constructed,
except the original side entrance at the base of the tower has given way
to a central front door to better accommodate the entry of funeral
caskets. The tower bell, which is 30 inches in diameter, was cast in St.
Louis, MO and installed around 1888 at a cost of $75. The Century tower
Clock built by Nels Johnson of Manistee was installed about 1890 at a cost
of $300, and until recently it has operated accurately to within 3-4
seconds per month. The clock tolling is now performed by an electronic
device using a recorded tape.
Inside. the church has birds-eye maple pews,
stained glass windows, and an antique tracker pipe organ that was
installed in 1901 at a cost of $675. The organ was electrified in 1920
when electricity was introduced to the village. However, it is still
operational by the hand-pumped bellows. The original kerosene chandeliers
have been converted to electricity.
