Chapter 4
The Meeting House Lots and Meeting Houses
Methodist Church Meeting House Lot Deed-----The Last Meeting House-----Kentucky Conference, United Methodist Church Correspondence
Two of the sides of the original meeting house lot are identified in deeds (
Deed Book 2, pages 633 and 634, and Deed Book 3, pages 183 and 184) in the
courthouse in Webster County, Kentucky. According to the deeds, the
corners of the lot were marked with stones. A large stone marks the south
corner of the cemetery at the present time. The deeds describe the east
side of the lot as having a bearing of South 26 West and having a length of 24.5
poles (404.25 feet). The deeds describe the south side of the lot as having a
bearing of North 73 West and having a length of 24 poles (396 feet). The
included angle of the two sides is 99 degrees and is slightly wider than a right
angle. If the other two sides of the meeting house lot are similar in
length then the meeting house lot would contain about four acres. The
deeds are dated April and December 1865 during the year in which the Civil War
ended. The deeds are for a 100 acre tract of land that Jacob Sigler (wife
Malinda Roberts) purchased from the estate of William W. Lock and then sold to
Samuel V. Jenkins. Other landowners adjacent to the 100 acre tract of land
include Elijah Shelton, John Hill, Robert Hearin, and Sigler.
The current boundaries of the combination cemetery
and meeting house lot are enclosed by
a fence on three sides and the county public road right
of way on the fourth (north) side. The property is basically a rectangle
with its long axis almost exactly north northeast. The approximate lengths
of the sides are 251 feet (south), 445 feet (east), 475 feet (west) and 242 feet
(north). The north boundary deviates from the rectangular pattern because it
follows the route of the old public road.
The approximate area of the cemetery and Methodist Episcopal Church meeting house
lot should be somewhere around 2.64
acres. However, the cemetery and church property lines have not been surveyed by a
licensed surveyor and this description is not intended for legal purposes.
This survey was done by an Eagle Scout with a compass, a 300 foot tape measure
and a 100 foot tape measure. The date of the survey was December 15, 2001.
The cemetery is on the southern two-thirds of the property. The county
maintains an access road to the northeast corner of the property.
This deed is for the Methodist Church meeting house lot only. The
cemetery is a separate entity. The dimensions of the parcel of land on this deed
are approximate. They are stated in terms of "about" and
"more or less". The exact location of the boundaries of the
Methodist Episcopal Church meeting house lot are currently unknown to me. I have been unable to
locate a 330 foot side for the cemetery as stated in the deed. "Thence nearly east with said fence about 20 poles to another corner of said
plank fence in Jenkins' line." A pole is another name for a rod which
is 16.5 feet.
Chalybeate Springs Methodist Episcopal Church Meeting House Lot Deed
This indenture made this 5th day of Feb, 1877, between
Alfred Sigler, Philip Sigler, David Sigler, F. J. Sigler, C. J. Sigler, and
Malinda A. McClendon of the first part and
Agur Platt, James H. Brinson, David Sigler, F. J. Sigler, and F. M. Riggs,
trustees of the Methodist Episcopal, of the second part
witnesseth that the parties of the first part in consideration of the sum of
one dollar, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, have hereby bargained and
sold and by these presents
do now convey and confirm unto the said parties of the
second part, their successors in office, or lawful assigns forever,
a certain
tract or parcel of land lying in the County of Webster and State of Kentucky and
bounded as follows to wit:
Beginning at a stone corner to Jesse Sigler in F. J. Sigler's line
Thence go nearly south with F. J. Sigler's line about 8 or 10 poles to the
plank fence which encloses the grave yard.
Thence nearly east with said fence about 20 poles to another corner of said
plank fence in Jenkins' line.
Thence nearly north about 8 or 10 poles with Jenkins' line to his corner on
the public road in Jesse Sigler's line.
Thence nearly west with this line to its beginning.
Containing about one acre of land to be the same, more or less.
To have and to hold the same with its appurtenances thereunto belonging unto
the said trustees, their successors in office, or lawful assigns, forever in
trust that said premises shall be used, kept maintained, and disposed of, as a
place of Devine Worship
for the use of the ministry and membership of the Methodist Episcopal Church
in the United States of America
Subject to the discipline, usage, and ministerial appointment of said church
as from time to time authorized and declared by the General Conference of said
church and the Annual Conference within whose bounds the said premises are
situated and
the said parties of the first part do further covenant with the said parties
of the second part that they will warrant and defend the title to the
property hereby conveyed.
In testimony whereof the parties of the first part have hereunto subscribed
their names the day and year aforesaid.
Feb 5th, 1877
F. J. Sigler
David Sigler
Philip Sigler
Cornelius Sigler
State of Kentucky
Webster County S CT
I, D. C. Yarbrough, clerk of the Webster County Court, do
certify that the foregoing deed from F. J. Sigler and others to the trustees of
Chalybeate Church and their successors in office was on Sept 12th, 1877,
produced to me in my office and reacknowledged by F. J. Sigler, David Sigler,
and Philip Sigler and acknowledged by Cornelius Sigler to be their act and deed
and lodged for record. Whereupon the same together with this certificate
hath been duly recorded in my office. Witness by my hand Sept 13th, 1877.
D. C. Yarbrough, Clerk
The Last Meeting House
When I attended the cemetery cleanup day on April 3, 2004, I was given a
booklet of sketches of the last meeting house. The sketches were drawn by
Cletus Woodring Jr., a son of Cletus Woodring Sr. Cletus was the last person to
take care of the cemetery. During the early 1950's, Cletus was the person
that demolished and removed the construction materials associated with the last
meeting house at Chalybeate. Cletus was available at the cleanup
activities to answer questions about the building. Cletus is over 75 years
old and did not find a record book in the pulpit of the church Cletus attended
religious services in that building as a young child and through his high school
high school years.
The sketches show a simple rectangular building with a simple hip roof.
The building had three windows on each side and single doors on both ends of the
building. The building had four foundation blocks on each of its two long
sides. One of the foundation blocks is still located in a wooded area of
the property.
The sketches of the interior of the building show several pews on each side
of a center isle and a pulpit at the front in the middle. A wood or coal
burning stove is seen in the right front of the church and a double mantle
lantern is shown in each corner of the church. The choir area is shown in the
right front corner of the church.
The building is shown with a north-south axis and facing the current cemetery
access road. The cemetery is behind the building. This building was
located on the meeting house lot that was deeded to the Methodist Church in 1877
by the children of Jacob Sigler and Malinda Robertrs. A grandson of Jacob
and Malinda, Jacob Sigler, was a well known and respected Methodist minister in
Louisville, Kentucky, during the late 1800's.
It is probable that this was not the first meeting house located on the
meeting house lot. However, it was the last one.
Willie and Jeanne Sigler,
Bishop King has asked that
I respond to your e-mail dated Sept. 10, 2002 since I am the conference staff
person who deals with property issues and works with our Conference Board of
Trustees on deed issues. First, I suppose we need to determine who owns
the cemetery. I have forwarded your e-mail to Dan Mistler, esquire, who
handles our title searches. In the past, the Conference Board of
Trustees has been willing to deed cemeteries over to local non-profits, or
corporations whose purpose is to maintain the cemetery. We do not deed
property over to individuals since the upkeep of a cemetery is perpetual.
If you have additional
questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at odolin@kyumc.org.
or at 1-800-530-7236.
Our attorney, Dan Mistler,
may be contacting you.
Yours in Christ,
Rev. Owen Dolin,
Conference Treasure
