The Lexington Advertiser

Durant Methodists Build New Parsonage Soon

Durant Methodists broke ground last Thursday morning for a beautiful new parsonage which is now under construction for their pastor, the Rev. R. E. Wasson and Mrs. Wasson.

The Rev. Wasson led in the groundbreaking ceremony with an opening statement and prayer and read the declaration of why the building was being constructed.

Participating in the ground breaking were Herman Clements chairman of the Board of Trustees; J. C. Robertson, chairman of the Official Board of the church; Dan Wells, finance committee chairman; F. V. McCullar, church lay leader; Mrs. W. C Castleberry and Mrs. Harper Jones, well known citizens (and sisters) of Durant, whose father originally gave the land for the church.

Mrs. B. W. Moore, who at 91 years is believed to be the oldest living member of the church, also attended the ceremony, along with a number of other interested members, despite the inclement weather.

The Rev. H. L. Beasley, District Superintendent of Greenwood planned to be present for the ceremony but was unable to arrive in time.

Colonial Design

The lovely new home will be of modified colonial design with a 30-foot front porch containing four columns and two gabled ends. It will be built of old brick with white shutters and trim and consist of a living and dining room, den, kitchen, three bedrooms, two baths, utility and storage rooms and a two-car garage.

The new home for the pastor will occupy a lot north of the church.

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GROUND-BREAKING CEREMONIES for the new Methodist parsonage at Durant were held Thursday morning in near-freezing weather.

Pictured at the ceremony, left to right, are Herman Clements, Dan Wells, Mrs. Celia Castleberry, J. C. Robertson, Mrs. W. H. Jones, F. V. McCullar, J. B. McGehee and J. C. Gibson, contractors, and the Rev. R. E. Wasson, pastor.
Durant
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present parsonage and will face on Northwest Avenue, in the same direction as the present one.

J. B. McGehee and J. C. Gibson of Jackson are the contractors for the structure which will cost about $16,500 and take two months to complete, provided weather conditions are favorable.

About $11,000 has already been contributed to the building fund and it is hoped that most of the money for the new parsonage will be on hand by the time it is finished.

The old parsonage will be used to house the church overflow for a time after completion of the new one.

The church program, however, calls for building an educational building on the spot occupied by the present parsonage as soon as possible following completion of the new one.

All members of the church are interested and enthusiastic about the building program of the church, including the young people.

A bake sale conducted by them recently netted $33.00 for the parsonage building fund.

Other activities will be sponsored in the future to raise funds.