MONTE VISTA— The Monte Vista Methodist Church will celebrate its 135th anniversary of service to the community on Sunday, July, 14.
The public is invited to join the congregation for a commemorative worship service at 11 a.m. followed by a dinner.  
The newly formed town of Henry was home to the first church and the first sermon was preached in 1884. The name was changed to Monte Vista in 1885, and the first stone chapel of the church was dedicated in 1892.
After fire destroyed the original building in 1922, the church was rebuilt and the current structure was dedicated March 16, 1924. It was paid for at a cost of $65,000.
The building was listed on the Colorado State Register of Historic Properties on June 11, 2003 and the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior on Oct. 11, 2003.
The State Historical Society/State Historical Fund awarded four grants for a total of $494,461 ($369,522-SHF grant funds and $124,939-matching funds) to complete the preservation and restore the historic value of this beautiful building over an 11 year period from 2003 through 2014.
The church has been an architectural and cultural landmark in the Monte Vista community since construction in 1922. It possesses a high level of historic integrity and is important to the community as well as the congregation.  In the process of working with the preservation professionals and the State Historical Fund, we have come to value our historic structure even more.
If you plan to attend the dinner, contact Colette Skeff at 852-3435 for tickets.