Old Pictures

On Labor Day weekend, 1954, Christians who had been driving from St. Charles into St. Louis County began meeting in the home of Elmo and Marguriete Penrod. It was the first house on Wilmes behind Jehling's Hardware just off what is now First Capitol. Then it was simply Clay. That house on Wilmes was recently torn down.  A lot was purchased on Elm St. and this sign was placed on the lot that would become the location of the meeting house for the congregation.

A basement / foundation was constructed at the lot purchased at 2039  Elm St. by members of the local body of Christ. The group began meeting in this basement sometime in the late fall of 1955 while the auditorium was being built by carpenters who were members of the local, newly formed church of Christ.

Our meeting place in the mid-fifties

The constructed entrance at the southwest corner, where the rear exit door is now, was the entry way to our new meeting place.

The brick homes on Sibley had recently sprung up. Few houses existed in the Briarwood subdivision located one block east of the Duchesne / Sibley intersection.

 The walls are going up.

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The auditorium rises from what had been a very steep hillside. The hill on Elm St. at this point is still fairly steep. It was used for several years in the 50's and early 60'a for the annual Soap Box Derby races. They were held on a Sunday afternoon each summer, but the city held off until after the worship assembly dismissed to begin the races, so assembly-goers could leave before the street was completely blocked off and the curbs lined with straw bales.

Construction continues

Does anyone know who this gentleman is? Perhaps the vehicle sitting in front of the building might help identify him.

Nice front steps

Could this lady be Darlein Duncan?

As the meeting house neared completion, one could note the FOR SALE sign in front of the lot next door up the hill. A family eventually purchased the lot and  built a house there in around 1958. The congregation would buy that house around 1959 or 1960 for the local preacher to live in. The first preacher to live here was Richard Black and his wife Martha (daughter of Foy Wallace). Other preachers who lived in the house include T. T. Carney, Jerry Phillips, Glen Markham, (Eddie Littrell did some preaching here in 79, but lived with his parents in Afton),  Steve Belue, Morris Yount, Steven Harper, and Ken Friel. We are currently in-between preachers. Preachers here before the house was purchased were Jack Duncan, Harold Starling, and Joe Spanaugle. 

Jack Duncan visiting, and perhaps staying, with a family while he was away holding one of his many gospel meetings. Jack is the second one from the left.

Jack Duncan was the first preacher for the congregation. He began preaching for the group while it was meeting in the Penrod basement. His widow, Darlein (Farris) Duncan, gave us all of these photos after brother Duncan's death in October, 2006, at the age of 83.

Jack Duncan (1923 - 2006) - gospel preacher