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German Methodist Church

Submitted by Tamara Kincaide

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405 Jefferson St Newburgh IN

It was in 1853 that ABRAHAM & FRANCES PHELPS deeded lot number 170 in PHELPS enlargement to LOUIS HEPP, PHILLIP SEIGLE ERNEST KATTERJOHN, PETER SEIGLE and NICHOLAS SCHULTZ trustees in trust.

There was to be built a place of worship for the use of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States of America. A brick building was erected and used for a number of years for this purpose. The membership was so small that they united with the Evangelical Church .

In 1855 FRANK HEPP, NICHOLAS SCHULTZ and HENRY PEPMILLER trustees of the German Methodist Church deeded the property to LOUIS SCHUMACHER, A J TAYLOR and A J RUTLEDGE trustees of the Newburgh School. The building was used for school and community center for the colored children of the town. 1958 the Jefferson Street School as it was then known was consolidated with the Newburg School and the building sold to NORMAN & GENEVIEVE CARSON.

For a while Mr. CARSON used the building to store his collection of antique cars. Early in the 1970's he leased the building to Electronics' Research INC. for storage.

The little red brick school house was a typical one room school for all grades taught by one teacher. There were outdoor toilets and drinking water supply. Children brought their lunches from home. The playground was small and the children often played in the street. There was a covered stoop over the front entrance and for a while it was the only door. The chalkboards are still in the building however the windows are boarded up because of vandals. Some bricks on the side of the building have been pulled out.

Mr. ED L JOHNSON one of Newburgh's colored citizens taught in the school for many years. His wife taught school in Kentucky. At the end of the school year she would bring her pupils over for the closing program.

Mrs. VIOLA POSEY GROOM and Mrs. PHILLIPPA WEST BARNETT these memories of the school.
Mr. Johnson always came to the door and rang a beautiful brass bell he had various ways of ringing the bell as a signal for the children to know what to do. He always promised to give the bell to the person who would take care of him when he became old and ill.

After Mrs. GROOM'S husband passed away she went to care for Mr. ED L JOHNSON and she was the proud possessor the the beautiful brass bell and remembered him to be a dedicated teacher.
There was a old clock that students pitched in to purchase and at the closing of the school it was sold to an outsider and the old flat top piano disappeared as so often happens when a building closed down.
The Church was found JUNE 29 1853 and then sold SEPT 12 1885 to be used as a Negro grade school and continued as such til 1950.
The Newburgh Women's Club 1975