HUMC

The beginning of the Methodist Church in the Village of Hartland, Livingston
County, Michigan, preceded the American Civil War when in the fall of 1854 a young
teacher named Alexander Gee was appointed Methodist pastor of the new Hartland
Charge which included the surrounding area. Upon his arrival Pastor Gee wasted no
time in getting started on building up a following with several years of revivals and
services which were held in country school buildings, homes, or other available
structures until a permanent home could be constructed.

In 1859 construction of the north section of our present church building was
started which took several years to fully complete. The congregation celebrated
the completion of their new building in the early 1860's. At that time the main
entrance door was centered on the north wall and the pulpit was at the south end.

In 1868 a parsonage was purchased for the church, but not without problems as
the selected house was lost to a fire, and a second residence had to be
substituted. The church was painted in 1874 for $78, and some repair work was
done the following year. In 1877 the church trustees voted to pay off the debts for
the church building and the parsonage.

The year 1910 of the new 20th century saw major changes and additions to the
Hartland Methodist Church. The front entrance was relocated to the present
location with a new vestibule and bell tower, stained glass windows were installed,
a choir loft was added and Christian education school rooms were added to the
back of the building. Unfortunately this project also resulted in the death of a local
carpenter, Will Shoemaker, as a result of his fall from the new bell tower.
Subsequently the stained glass window in the north wall was commemorated in his
memory, and on November 12, 1910 a dedication service took place to celebrate
the reopening of the remodeled church building.

The 1920's brought more changes to Hartland Methodist Church and the Village of
Hartland thanks to J. Robert Crouse, Sr., a former citizen and benefactor., who was
responsible for Hartland landmarks such as Walden Woods and the Cromaine Library.
During 1929-30, in celebration of the church's 75th year, Mr. Crouse created a
trust fund for the benefit of the Hartland Methodist Church and donated a
Hammond Organ. He also helped fund additional church building additions which
consisted of the Memorial Library, the stained glass windows to the left and right of
the Altar in memory of his mother, Betsey Westfall Crouse, and the second floor
dining hall and kitchen. A dedication service was held on February 23, 1930.
Exterior and interior painting and electrical improvements were done for the
church. in 1948-49, and in September 1950 kitchen improvements were completed
at the Parsonage. The Bulletin Board on the front lawn was dedicated in 1951.
On October 15th , 16th, and 17th , 1954 the Hartland Methodist Church centennial
was celebrated with a repainted and redecorated building, a new porch at the west
entrance, a pageant, and visits and talks by former ministers.

In 1958 planning for a renovation of the sanctuary was started. A new Baldwin
organ was purchased in 1961, and in 1962 the modernization of the sanctuary was
completed for services beginning on March 18th. Formal consecration took place on
April 29th, 1962.

In 1966 a new Church Parsonage was built adjacent to Hibner Road in the Hartland
Hills subdivision. Consecration for the completed dwelling was held in October of
that year.
March of 1968 marked a significant change in the church's administrative structure
due to a merger of the Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren,
which also resulted in the name change to "The Hartland United Methodist Church".
Also in 1968 the church exterior was painted and a new gas fired furnace was
installed.

1976 saw the church exterior covered with aluminum siding, and in 1978 the parlor
received new carpeting all in time for the church's 125th anniversary in 1979.
In 1983 a new young pastor, Rev. Mark Spaw, was assigned to the Hartland United
Methodist Church who served for some sixteen consecutive years during which time
an attendance growth was enjoyed, an addition to the existing church was built in
1986, a ramp for barrier free access was added, and planning for a major addition
to the church was started.

In 1997 a generous gift of property that fronts on Highland Road (M-59) was
received from the Harold Armstrong Family for a new church site. Later, the
Armstrong house adjacent to the gifted property was purchased by the church for
a parsonage and plans were drawn up for a new church building. The parsonage in
Hartland was sold and Rev. Spaw moved over to the M-59 house. Eventually
funding and a reluctance by some parishioners to have the church leave Hartland
Village resulted in the decision to abandon plans for the proposed new building
location and to resume plans to add a new Fellowship Hall and kitchen to the
original church building. This decision was reinforced when the opportunity arose to
sell the M-59 properties to another church. The new Fellowship Hall with kitchen,
office space , toilet rooms and parking lot was started in 2003 and completed for
the church's 150th anniversary in 2004 under the leadership of Rev. David Strobe.
In 2006 a new church parsonage was purchased on Odette Drive in the Three
Lakes area for the current pastor, Rev. Fred Finzer and family.