The following is a brief summary of the history of Ebenezer United Methodist Church (written in the 1970’s).
Taken from “Reflections of Winfield”
Compiled by:
Winfield Recreation Council
Barbara Harrison, President
Dorothy Gillespie, Publicity
(No date)
Ebenezer Methodist Church
The first church that was called Ebenezer was organized by a Methodist Circuit Rider during the 1820’s. The first church was located near Winfield, Maryland just west of Skidmore Road on Braddock Road near a hickory tree at the entrance of the Minnie Condon Farm. The structure was made of log, chink and dobb. During the week the church was used as a school and each Sunday was converted by r-arranging the benches and placing a partition down the center aisle to separate the men and the women.
In 1848 the log church burned to the ground. The new church was built on a tract of land ¼ of a mile out of Winfield that was donated by Mr. Ruben Conaway. On this land, in the center of the present Ebenezer Cemetery, a Barrack (similar to a barn) style structure was built. Services were held in this structure until 1860 when it was decided that the community needed a larger place to worship. In 1861 a new one story frame structure was built. Down the center of the middle row of pews, a partition was constructed because it was considered very unchristian for the men and women to sit together.
During the Civil War, services were disrupted by fighting between the Union and Confederate forces in the area. There are several unmarked graves in the present cemetery of soldiers from both armies that were buried for lack of identification.
During the Spring of 1885 the congregation met to plan a new sanctuary. A debate lasted for 3 years as to whether it should be built with or without a partition dividing the men and women. In 1888 the new sanctuary was finally built and dedicated without the partition. On August 3, 1892, the Board of Trustees filed papers of Incorporation.
The entire Winfield Community was proud of the new brick structure which was of the ancient Greek design. This structure has served the community up to the present time. In the 1930’s there was an addition of a Sunday School annex and community hall.
Since 1948 the sanctuary has had a face-lifting. In 1958 construction was started to connect the hall and church by an addition of 2 classrooms.
In the 1970’s Ebenezer remodeled the hall and kitchen. Also they added a new Sunday School classroom wing. In 2017, with the help of Matt and Melissa Pollack from MP Construction, work began on a Food Pantry building behind the church. This building has a first floor devoted to the food pantry ministry and a second floor for other activities, including youth group and crafters. In 2018, everything except for the sanctuary, was demolished to make room for a new fellowship hall, kitchen, office suite and classrooms. This was completed February of 2020 with a ribbon cutting on February 29th for both new buildings and a consecration worship service on March 1st. The keys were ceremoniously handed over to our building manager, Kenny Wean.
