As a church, we had our beginning in Waterbury when Bishop Francis Asbury, the first Methodist Bishop, visited and preached in the area September 23, 1796. A Class was formed in the summer of 1815, which was the formal beginning of a church. In a short while the group moved from Waterville to the center of Waterbury, where they met at the home of Mrs. Mary Peck on East Main Street, where Poli's Theater now stands.
As the membership increased, meetings were held in the East Center School on Union Square, in the "Bell School House" (the old frame academy on West Main Street, near the foot of Central Avenue). Later meeting were held in the stone academy, which stood where the City Hall was built, and also in what was then a very fine tavern (known as the Tantine Hotel) on the corner of East Main Street and Exchange Place.
The membership of the church at this period was about twenty-five or thirty, but due to deaths and removals in 1829, the number dropped to thirteen. By God's providence, a powerful revival under the preaching of Rev. Herman Bangs brought it up to one hundred in 1831.
Finally in 1832, property was bought in the name of Timothy Ball for $116, and deeded to the trustees of the church. The property was on the northwest corner of Union Square at the head of Scovill Street. A plain frame building measuring 36 X 50 feet was erected. The building was heated by a woodburning box stove and lighted by whale oil lamps that were odorous, greasy, and gave a dim light. The building had forty-eight pews and the total cost was $2,700.
By 1859, after the railroad came up from Bridgeport, the city and the church both began to grow. A new brick church measuring 55 X 85 feet, was built at East Main Street and Phoenix Avenue. It had twin towers, a basement, and an auditorium seating five hundred people. It was dedicated on March 1, 1854, and was occupied by Methodists for twenty-four years.
A number of revivals were held and the facilities were again too small. The existing building was sold to the Immaculate Conception Church for $25,000 and a lot was obtained at the corner of North Main Street and Abbott Avenue. The first services were held at this new location January 27, 1877, and the building was completed and dedicated the following year.
In 1884 the Waterville Mission Church was deeded to the trustees of Grace Methodist Church. In August of 1866, a Mission Sunday School was started in a vacant store on Farm Street, which grew to be an energetic and progressive St. Paul's Church.
The name "First" was give to the larger downtown church, which has also grown, with some members traveling from the western part of the city. When one member, Timothy Church passed on, he left some land on West Side Hill for a church. Ultimately this lot was sold and Dr. Robbins' home on Grandview Avenue and West Main Street was purchased.
After many setbacks, a building was erected in 1931, but not completed until 1955. Interior completion came in 1965.
All four churches prospered and grew through the years. In the late 50's and early 60's church membership throughout the nation declined, including Waterbury. Even with assistance from the conference, the smaller congregations could not survive. St. Paul's merged with First Church in 1967. A few years later Grace Church and West Side Hill shared the same minister. First Church was in trouble, with the building needing extensive repairs. The members were dispersing and the remaining ones unable to support the church as they would have liked. The same was true with Grace Church and West Side Hill.
At the urging of the Conference, the congregations individually voted to accept a merger plan in 1970. After meeting for a few years at West Side Hill, and the inability to expand at this location, an opportunity arose to purchase property on Country Club Road and plans were drawn to build a new church.
In November 1970 the move to the new location was complete with the first service being held. After the sale of the property in Waterville and West Side Hill was completed, a mortgage-burning and dedication of the new church was observed September 1979.
Twenty-one years have passed since settling at Country Club Road. The Methodist Church by the highway has expanded its membership and has grown through the years. Part of the growth has been the establishment of a "Day Care/Pre-School" which is attended by children of all faiths and has earned a fine reputation.