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The Christian Church, Disciples of Christ, was organized in 1865 by a group of rural residents, including one Charles Drennan. It was known as the Pleasant Hill Church. Along with Mr. Drennan, founding members included several Woods and Shivels. Dec 9 1865 listed roughly 80 church members, segregated into male and female member lists. If you drive out to St. Louis Rock Road a short distance, you will soon come to the Pleasant Hill Cemetery on the left side of the road, that is where a brick church stood. The building was 30 x 40 feet, and the brick was made nearby. The front door was on the east end, there was a cistern, and a hitching rail for the horses and mules. The building had a wood shingle roof, possible three windows on each side. Inside there was a balcony, anteroom, and a white painted baptistery. The cemetery predates the church and goes back to 1858. The first grave was opened in 1864 during the Confederate General Prices's raid. A family thought there were to many soldiers around to bury there loved ones in Union.
In 1899 the church decided to leave the Rock Road site and move to Villa Ridge. The building was not moved to the town. Instead, there was a sale for all the materials. the sale brought less than $200. The brick was in the most demand, it went for $100. The foundation stones here may be from the original building.
Why move to Villa Ridge? It seemed to be a growing railroad town. It was a town that was expanding and would boast a depot, stores, meat market, blacksmith shop, bank and other signs of growth. In May of 1901 the the original building here was completed at a cost of $1200.
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