The Country Church, originally Prairie
View Church, was completed in 1889 by a hearty
group of Christians. Lumber and stone were delivered
to the site by wagon. The Church is one of the
"Akron Plan" churches developed in
the early 1840s. This style emphasized family
worship as noted by the single front entrance.
A unique feature of the Church is the theatre
seats rather than the more traditional pews.
The last Prairie View service was held in the
1970s.
The Church was dismantled, each
piece was numbered and the Church was moved
to the grounds of the Audrain County Historical
Society in 1998. Reconstruction included laying
the original wood flooring and ceiling.
The altar, pulpit, pulpit chairs,
and pew are from the Littleby Methodist Church
in north Audrain County and the First Christian
Church of Mexico.
The Warm Morning stove was the
invention of Sam Locke, who formerly resided
in the Ross House, the Society's headquarters.
The organ cabinet, gift of the
Missouri Military Academy, was formerly at St.
Paul's Episcopal Church of Mexico.
In addition to being open to
the public, the church may be reserved for weddings
and other family and community events. (click
for more information)