contributed by the Arkansas United Methodist Archives
Lately, we at the Archives have been speaking with Gilbert Scoggins as he asked us to share what we have on the church of his childhood, which was Mallalieu United Methodist Church in Fort Smith. This was a church in the Fort Smith District of the Southwest Conference, and it has been closed for quite some time.
This was a beautiful church, as you can see in the picture. Now there is only one brick wall standing including a cornerstone. Mr. Scoggins is an architect living in Vacaville, California, and he is drawing a plan of the old church as he remembers it.
His grandfather was the Rev. C.C. Hall who was District Superintendent of the Fort Smith District and pastor of Mallalieu Church in the Southwest Conference in the 1940s and 1950s. We sent him copies of our Mallalieu file, but no one could read the words on the cornerstone.
We called and asked Becky Neighbors, administrative assistant of the Northwest District Office, if she could find someone to take pictures of the cornerstone that could be read. She did it herself and sent them to us.
Thank you, Becky! For many years, the office of the Church and Community Worker, Euba Winton, worked out of this church.
If you are searching for information about a former or present pastor or a church, contact us at the Arkansas Conference Archives at arkmethodist@hendrix.edu.