Winchester Friends Meeting Timeline

April 1873    Elkanah and Irena Beard, just back from India agree to move to Winchester to hold meetings for Friends in the city of Winchester

1873-1891    Pastors: Elkanah and Irena Beard, Henry Merrill

May 1873     First Sunday meeting for worship held with 30 Friends in City Hall

Dec 1874    Winchester Quarterly Meeting house dedicated (built on present location)

Feb 1875     Winchester Friends first meeting as a Preparative Meeting in the Quarterly Meetinghouse

June 1875    Cast iron bell from Buckeye Foundry in Cincinnati, Ohio was purchased for $172.14 and placed at the meetinghouse

1893            Pastor: Abijah Wooten

1897            27 Friends Meetings in Winchester Quarterly Meeting with membership of 3700 Friends

June 1897    Winchester Quarterly Meetinghouse was torn down to begin construction of present building

Oct 1897      First cornerstone laid for present meetinghouse

May 1898     Present meetinghouse dedicated and present parsonage given to the meeting by Elkanah and Irena Beard

1903            Pastor: Edward Woodard

1903-1909    Pastor: William J. Sayers

1904            First pipe organ installed in the meetinghouse                     

1909-1911    Pastor:  George C. Levering                    

Dec 1925     Fire in meetinghouse destroys organ, piano and northwest corner of sanctuary

1926  Fire damage repaired and meeting for worship resumes in meetinghouse with new Wick’s organ

1934-1946    Pastor: Aaron Napier                                        

June 10, 1946 Aaron and Inez Napier involved in car accident in North Webster on their way to Camp Quaker Haven.  Aaron died a few hours after the accident and Inez suffered body cuts and bruises.

1946-1947    Pastor: Inez Napier 

1947-1950    Pastor: Kenneth Pickering                                                         

1953-1958    Pastor: Kenneth Pickering

May 1957     Purchase of property joining church on the west for a future addition         

1958-1960    Pastor: Charles Thomas                                                                                                   

1960-1961    Pastor: Inez Napier                       

1961-1965    Pastor: Homer Vail                       

1965-1975    Pastor: Raymond V. Breaker       

1970            Educational Annex completed

Above middle, John Cook (Clerk of Trustees), Richard Hinshaw (contractor), Raymond Breaker (pastor) and Ennis Gulley at the dedication of the $80,000 project on May 24, 1970.

Above left: Gordon Keys (father of Norma Ludy) and Treasurer of Winchester Friends at the burning of the mortgage on Nov. 4, 1973.  Above right, Gordon Keys, Walter Mills, Keith Hinshaw and John Cook at the mortgage burning in the Fireplace Room.

1976-1985    Pastors: Keith and Judy Kendall 

July 1978     Purchase of property to the east on Washington Street for a future parking lot and new pews and new carpet were installed in the sanctuary.     

1985-1989    Pastor: Bruce Bray                        

1989-1990    Pastor: Harold Smuck                   

1990-1993    Pastor: Ralph Lohman    

1998-           Pastors: Ron & Pam Ferguson