Historic church acquired by Corinne City

Corinne City Councilman Kelly Donovan said city took ownership of the historical Methodist Episcopal Church built in 1870.

CORINNE – The City of Corinne has acquired the historic Methodist Episcopal Church located at Colorado Street and South 600. The church is believed to be one of the first non-Mormon churches in Utah.

Corinne City took over the historical Methodist Episcopal Church built in 1870 with plans to remodel and use it as a city gathering place.

Built of brick in 1870, the building measures 27 feet by 50 feet and is on the National Register of Historic Places. It was added to the registry in 1971.

Corinne Mayor Brett Merkley said the city took possession of the building a few months ago and is gathering information about what it will take to restore the building.

“We hope to get grants to help finance the restoration of the building,” the mayor said. “The state has historical grants we can get up $10,000.”

He said the city has a long-term capital plan. The roof needs to be fixed and the bricks and mortar need to be restored.

“It’s nice on the inside, but it needs some attention,” he said. “We are worried about some water damage and a few other things, but it can still be used. It is still used for different occasions, periodically.”

The work will take several years to complete. The city has posted notices and held public meetings.

There is a small frame building behind the church they hope to turn into a kitchen and restrooms.

“We want to put in air conditioning for the summer,” Merkley said. “There is a lot of desire to restore it to its historical flavor.”

A marker on Corinne City’s Methodist Episcopal Church built in 1870 names it a historic place.

The mayor said there is a lot of history in Corinne. The city was there before Utah’s statehood, but there’s not much left. The history of Corinne is being lost, very few know how much Corinne played a role in the state’s early history.

Restoring the church may be a start to energize the history movement. The city was established by non-members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, even though they dominated the Utah Territory.

Corinne was said to have 1,000 residents, banks, warehouses, whorehouses, over a dozen saloons and more liquor stores than saloons.

 

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