Turners Chapel 1876 – 1933 Tobinsport, Perry County, Indiana

Turners Chapel was built in the summer of 1876 and served the Methodist Congregation of Tobinsport,  formerly known as Polks Bottom until October 2, 1933, when it was torn down and construction of the present Clayton Harris Memorial Methodist Church began. This Church stood in the clearing in front of the Tate Cockrell Cemetery.

Clayton Harris Memorial United Methodist Church, Tobinsport, Indiana
According to L.A. Weatherholt, 1856 is recognized as the official recorded date of the beginning of this church. However, the beginning of Methodism in this Community dates to the period of 1807 to 1812 when the families of James Asbury and William Finch arrived. This community was known as Polk’s Bottom, Knox County, Indiana Territory. Tradition has it that by the 1820’s Methodists of Polk’s Bottom was occasionally having religious services in their homes. Names of preachers are not known. They served such Methodist Circuits as Rome, Rono, Branchville and Troy.
In 1829 Arad Simons and his wife, Catharine deeded to the commissioners to be appointed by the donors, 100 squares of land where the church and school house now stand. These commissioners are not named and the land is not otherwise described.  It is the land that is now the Simmons Cemetery adjacent to the current church building. The deed for that log building stipulated that its use was to be free to all religious bodies. (Log Church) For several years Baptists, Methodists and Universalists used the log building.
Baptists and Universalists finally withdrew and left its use to the Methodists. In 1856, Rev. Samuel W. McNaghton, pastor of the Methodist Church in Rome, held a revival at the log church. With the new converts, the organization of the Methodist Church of Polk’s Bottom was established as part of the Rome circuit. During the summer of 1876 a new church was completed and dedicated as Turner’s Chapel M. E. Church. We cannot determine if the name was given in honor of the Pastor at that time, Rev. Joseph Turner or for the Rev. Aaron Turner, presiding elder of the Rockport District.  This building was used until October 1933.
According to the will of Clayton Harris, a legacy of $4,000.00 in government bonds was left to the Methodist Church. This was to be used to build a new Methodist Church, only at such a time and place as they thought advisable. On October 1, 1933, Sunday School was held for the last time in Turner’s Chapel. On October 2, razing of the old church began. This was the first big mistake. Now the Methodists had no place to worship. Gilead Baptist Church offered their building to be used on the 2nd and 4th Sunday’s until the new building was ready for use. Rev. William R. Lathom was assigned as pastor for the Methodist Church at Tobinsport in September of 1933. That was how the church was given permission to build a new building. Rozella Ahl and Alex Ahl offered to donate 3/4 of an acre on the south side of the cemetery as a building site. This offer was accepted. Wilson Brothers Construction Co. of Terre Haute was contracted to build the new church.