Good Easter Friends! I thought I would share these photographs of the Old Stone Church, originally known as the Eliot Congregational Church, to show the evolution in windows and bell tower. The church as originally constructed, had a Greek Key-type notched design in the bell town The large front west window had a gothic, three-pane design. I have never been able to learn the exact date, but sometime between 1900 and 1910, a wind storm crumbled part of the bell town and blew out the front window. Both are seen in the first photo, which is the earliest I have seen. It was taken before 1900.

The second photo, dated 1910, shows how repairs were made. A new hype-type roof was added to cover the bell tower and a new window arrangment was installed in the large west window. There is mention in the Maple Hill News Items for 1902, that the new window was donated by the family of Rev. W. S. Crouch, who served the church for nearly all of its early years.

In 1955, cedar trees were being trimmed and the branches stacked for burning. Somehow they caught first and the cedar sparks caught the churches’ wooden roof on fire. All that was left standing were the stone walls and bell tower. The church was restored with the contributions of interested people between 1958 and 1963. Miss Emily Adams provided addresses and materials and I typed over 2,000 letters asking for contributions over the summer of 1962. The Pilgrim Youth Group from the Maple Hill Community Congregational Church worked during the summers of 1961 and 1962, removing all of the interior plaster from stone walls. Ronnell Bennett from Alma, Kansas was hired to re-plaster the walls after a new roof and floor were installed. Ann Gorbot Adams provided the decorating direction for the interior and the re-built church was rededicated on Memorial Day, 1963.

One would think that fate would look kindly on The Old Stone Church after all that, but on April 26, 1991 the church was completely destroyed by a tornado. The roof and most of the walls were completely destroyed. Not much of the furnishings were saved. With some insurance, friends of the Old Stone Church were again asked to contribute towards rebuilding. Substantial contributions were made by many, and a stone mason named Jackson from Wamego, Kansas was employed to re-build the church. Original stone was used and others, including myself, donated stone from old buildings in the area. The rebuilt church, shown in the last photograph, is hardly distinguishable from the original.

Let us hope that the church will never again be damaged in any way since is it one of the most loved structures in Maple Hill and Wabaunsee County, Kansas.