St Paul United Methodist Church
Williamsport, WV
Potomac Highlands District

The African American Methodist congregation located at Williamsport in Grant County, have held services at least since 1872, initially in a log structure known as Waugh Chapel located near the bottom of the hill where the present church structure known as Christ Church is situated. Christ Church, a sandstone structure with horse-hair plaster interior, was constructed in 1869 for the Methodist Episcopal Church South; however, political changes in the valley following the Civil War diminished that congregation and in 1906, Trustees of the Waugh Chapel Church, purchased Christ Church along with the surrounding 2.3 acres for the sum of $350.00, renaming the church St. Paul.

St Paul is the State’s only extant example of a sandstone church. It was following that purchase that a porch was added to the structure. As was common to the three area African American Methodist churches located at Williamsport, Moorefield, Petersburg, annual all-day Camp Meetings were held at each church during the summer months. Two worship services (morning and afternoon) were held with guest ministers, special choirs, soloists, music and an enormous picnic lunch. Family members who had relocated and local people from as far as 50 miles away would return to celebrate their heritage.

In 1978, when the Grant County Board of Education decided to demolish the former segregated “Colored School,” the St. Paul Trustees, all of whom had attended the school, arranged to move the frame school building, which was constructed in the 1800's using wooden pegs, to the Church lot for use as a church hall. To preserve the original construction, the building was sawn in half and set on a new foundation behind the Chapel.

Over the years the St. Paul church family has worked to preserve the original integrity of church structure by repointing the sandstone exterior and re-plastering the interior. The hardwood floors, pews and oil lighting fixtures are also original to the building.

The congregation of St. Paul remains committed to providing a welcome place to worship.