Did you know that Andrew Carnegie
donated $2,000 to the purchase of a new organ in
1909?... The present parsonage was
built at a cost of $8,000. Extensive alterations were
done to the sanctuary. The floor was inclined
and electricity was installed. Andrew
Carnegie donated $2,000 toward the purchase of a
new organ. The church was open
continuously and served as a meeting place during
World War I. Dr. Beetham, then the pastor of
SUMC, joined the Army and went to France to serve
as a chaplain SUMC membership was at an
all-time high of 1,540. SUMC enjoyed times of
prosperity. A slump in finances and
membership occurred. A fire broke out in the
roof of the sanctuary, and the steeple was struck
twice by lightning, destroying the
finial The Methodist Episcopal and
the Methodist Protestant churches united to form
the Methodist Church, thus making it the largest
Protestant denomination in the world. Many SUMC members served in
World War II. The first Annual Turkey
Dinner was served; the beginning of a tradition for
the SUMC. The carillon system was
installed in the steeple, and was used for 20
years. It was heard in the village of
Sewickley twice daily. Seventy new members joined
SUMC on Easter Sunday. New faces were installed on
the clock, and the Borough assumed its
maintenance. In the sanctuary, the center
aisle was provided by rearranging the
pews. The men of the church dug
out the basement by hand in order to build
the Sunday School rooms. Pigeons were evicted from
the clock tower, after which the tower was
thoroughly cleaned. Extensive repairs
included the covering of the wooden arches, fascia,
and turrets with white aluminum, via contract with
M.G. Yohe of Finleyville. (Note: His
son, Tom Yohe, completed the 1995-96 renovation by
applying copper to the steeple and clock
area. The Patton Memorial Library
was dedicated by Bishop Middleton. Reverend
Tracey and Reverend Brown assisted. A new Teller
electronically-actuated organ console was purchased
and the old organ enhanced. The organ boasts
1,792 pipes. The dining room was
renovated through a bequest from the estate of
Pearl Simpson. The room was renamed the
Simpson Room. The Methodist Church unites
with the Evangelical United Brethren Church to form
the United Methodist Church. The 100th anniversary of
the sanctuary and the 200th anniversary of
Methodism is celebrated. The Patton Memorial Library
Trust Fund was created through a sizable
contribution by Mr. Franklin S. Patton, also a
donor of the library. A Long-Range Plan for the
church is developed. The church embarked on a
Christian Responsibility Program to fund the first
$100,000 of repairs. With the $350,000 Clock
Tower Restoration, the Long-Range Plan is 95%
complete. The total cost to date is well over
$500,000 and has taken 8 years. ©
2003 Sewickley United Methodist Church
The Chronology
of our Church
Remembering
the 1900's
Did you know that SUMC had 1,540 members in 1924?...
Did you know that the first Annual Turkey Dinner was started
in 1948?...
1905
1909
1914-1919
1924
1932
1939
1942-1945
1948
1949-1969
1951
1953
1955-1957
1963
1965
1966
1967
1969
1984
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1988
1996
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