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The Methodist Episcopal Church, South, of Farmington traces its history back to the year 1802 when Mrs. Sarah Murphy, the widow of William Murphy, first held protestant religious services in her home in the vicinity of what is now Farmington. At this time this territory was a part of Upper Louisiana and under Spanish control, and the holding of any kind of religious services by Protestants had been strictly forbidden. It is said that Mrs. Murphy, ever equal to any occasion, appointed someone to watch while she held services. This, then, was the beginning of Methodism west of the Mississippi and these meetings are said to have been the first protestant services west of the river.
In 1804 the first log church was constructed and in 1820, at what is now known as the corner of Jefferson and Harrison Streets, a new church was constructed. In 1844 the Methodist denomination was split into two factions and this church took the name of M. E. South, and, at the advent of the Civil War, fell into a lethargy caused by hardships from which it was revived in 1876 by Rev. J. H. Headlee, who came to Farmington and reorganized the church with 27 members.
In 1881 the first brick building was erected at the corner of West Columbia and Clay Streets, and in 1902 the present building was erected at a cost of $25,000.
The present structure seats 300 persons, has a membership of 540, of whom 75 are non-residents, and an average Sunday School attendance of 150. The present pastor is Rev. Hubert A. Gibbs.
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