- 1858Society organized by the Methodist Episcopal circuit
- 1861Building completed as a Methodist Episcopal church
- 1891Stewartville church built as a second site in the High Forest circuit
- 1944Closed by the Methodists during World War II
- 1945Purchased for $300; became an independent Bible church
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1858
Original establishment
The Methodist Episcopal society in High Forest was organized in 1858, shortly after the village of High Forest was platted. It was part of the "Spring Valley Circuit," which included several neighboring settlements.
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1861
The first building
The original church building was constructed in 1861. This white frame structure served as a central landmark during the village's most prosperous years.
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1880
An educational hub
In 1880, the church sponsored the creation of the High Forest Seminary led by E.W. Young. It provided higher education to the area for two years before moving to Rochester to seek a larger population base.
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1891
The railroad shift
When the Winona and Southwestern Railroad bypassed High Forest in favor of Stewartville, the High Forest pastor, Rev. Josiah Royce, oversaw the construction of a new Methodist church in Stewartville to serve the growing town. As families followed the railroad, the High Forest congregation began to dwindle.
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1914
The bell tower
Sometime between 1900 and 1914, the church acquired a large bell and built a bell tower to house it. The same bell is still rung every Sunday as a call to worship to the community.
This photo was taken in 1914. Note the landing deck for getting in and out of wagons and buggies, and an old fire lamp out front. -
1919
Horses and horseless carriages
By the early 20th century the church was no longer the regional powerhouse it had once been, but Sunday mornings still drew folks from the surrounding farms.
The building in 1919: a bygone mix of horses and some new fancy "horseless carriages" bringing folks to church. -
1944
Closed during World War II
The congregation faced a critical shortage of members during World War II, as many of the men from the community left for military service. The Methodist church officially closed its doors as a denominational entity in 1944.
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1945
High Forest Community Church
In 1945, the American Sunday School Union (now American Missionary Fellowship) purchased the shuttered Methodist property for just $300. The building was renamed High Forest Community Church and became an independent, non-denominational congregation.
Taken sometime between 1945 and the 1950s. The upper portion of the bell tower had been removed, but the bell was (and still is) housed in the roof above the entryway. -
1970s
Running water and a basement
In the 1970s the church finally got running water, which allowed for indoor bathrooms! Before this time, an outhouse stood out back. Around the same time, a basement was added underneath the fellowship area, and the original foundations of the sanctuary were reinforced.
The building in 1974, with the bell tower showing a new roof. -
2023
Fellowship hall & kitchen
The fellowship area underwent a cosmetic update, and the kitchen was updated.
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2025
Sanctuary restoration
The interior of the sanctuary underwent a detailed restoration, repairing the original tin ceiling and restoring the interior to more closely represent its original features of the late 1800s. While much-needed repairs and updates had to be done, it was important to the congregation that the building pay homage to its simple and established past.
The church as it stands today (photo from 2024).