Page 8C
East Oregonian
OFF PAGE ONE
Saturday, April 15, 2017
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
The St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Echo was dedicated in 1913 but now lies in disuse.
CHURCHES: Echo Community United
Methodist Church was built in 1886
hoped to ring the church’s bell 100 times
during the 2007 centennial. However,
increased attendance, the congregation the rope broke during the process — and
dedicated a new structure April 3, 1922, that’s the last time it has sounded.
on East Gladys Avenue. Expanding
A highlight in the building is a number
over the years to accommodate swelling of stained glass windows. Provided as
congregations, the church continues to gifts and memorials, they add beauty to
meet in that location.
the sanctuary.
For its centen-
Of particular
nial, “A History
note is a large
of a Church”
one of Jesus that
was compiled in
was
donated
2007 by Dave
by the Ladies
Hutchinson,
Aid Society, the
Dorothy
Irish
precursor to the
and Lela Collier.
United Methodist
It described the
Women’s, Hector
church’s construc-
said.
tion as a labor of
Aside from the
love with most of
building and its
the carpentry and
history, Hector said
masonry
work
a more important
performed
by
part of the church
church members.
is the people.
A trained civil
Attendance
has
engineer
and
dwindled over the
architect, Henry
years — regular
John Ott provided
Sunday services
instrumental input
shrank to around
into its construc-
90 people 20
tion, son Walther
years ago and now
Ott said in a letter
hovers around 45.
about the church’s
Despite the low
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
history.
Ott
numbers, Hector
suggested design The stained glass window at the views the people
of the chapel at the First United
methods
that end
Methodist Church in Hermiston was as more important
would be long- donated by the Ladies’ Aid Society.
that the actual
lasting and require
structure.
little maintenance.
“At some point,
Phil Hector, who has helped with the you cross over to the memories of the
music program and finance committee, people and the pastors,” he said. “It’s an
said the building remains in good condi- ongoing river of service and faith.”
tion, considering its age.
“It’s a struggle for the congregation to
Echo
keep it that way,” he said. “It’s old and
The city of Echo is proud of its
had demands.”
heritage and history. The town makes
Hutchinson said Rev. Syd Bell had it a priority to preserve and renovate its
Continued from 1C
Staff photo by Kathy Aney
The Finnish Apostolic Lutheran Church, west of Adams, was built in 1884 and
is now a heritage site maintained by the Greasewood Finnish Heritage Society.
historic buildings.
St. Peter’s Catholic Church, de-conse-
crated in 1996, and the Echo Community
United Methodist Church were both
added to the National Register of Historic
Places Aug. 28, 1997.
“For Echo as a whole, we as a commu-
nity feel that our history and our heritage
is represented by our historic buildings
and sites,” said city administrator Diane
Berry. “It’s what makes us special and
unique.”
St. Peter’s Catholic Church,
constructed in 1913 in the Portuguese
Colonial Revival style, features a distinc-
tive stucco façade. The interior houses
ornate statues and a faux marble altar.
In 1996, it was donated by the
Diocese of Baker to the Fort Henrietta
Foundation. The building has received
a new roof and some basic repairs,
including replacement of some windows.
The Echo Kiwanis have committed time
and resources to help clean and repair
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
Echo Community Methodist Church in downtown Echo.
the building, as well as heading up
fundraisers to contribute to the ongoing
renovation.
The Echo Community United
Methodist Church was originally
built in 1886 on land donated by J.H.
and Cynthia Koontz. A simple New
England vernacular style, the church
was expanded and transformed into the
Gothic Revival style in 1910 when the
Koontzes donated additional land.
The congregation, according to a
history written by Bennie Lee Tolar,
originally met at “Spikes Grove,” a spot
along the Umatilla River, located in a
cottonwood tree grove south of town.
Circuit rider ministers, who arrived by
horseback, led the outdoor services.
Families often camped along the river
for a week or more while participating
in worship services and communal
meals.
Greasewood Finnish Apostolic
Lutheran Church
Located five miles west of Adams, the
Greasewood Finnish Apostolic Lutheran
Church was built in 1884. It provided a
place of worship for the Finnish Laesta-
dian community, with services presented
in their native language.
According to “Pioneer Trails Volume
9,” Finnish immigrants were lured to
Oregon from Michigan to claim free
homesteads. Many came to the area,
building homesteads and farming the
land.
“For one dollar, Peter and Josephine
Enbysk donated one acre of land for the
church in the center of the settlement,”
the article states.
Longtime Pendleton resident James
W. Enbysk, who died July 2015, was
among the descendants. He was proud of
his heritage and often wrote articles for
the Umatilla County Historical Society’s
“Pioneer Trails.”
Although services are no longer held
at the building, which is surrounded
by wheat fields, the fenced churchyard
springs to life as the weather warms with
colorful wildflowers. The property is
maintained by the Greasewood Finnish
Heritage Society. In addition, it has been
a featured stop during Century Farm
Tours presented by the Umatilla County
Historical Society.
———
Contact Tammy Malgesini at tmal-
gesini@eastoregonian.com or 541-564-
4539.