Oregon is no stranger to abandoned places, with the state home to some 200+ ghost towns. In fact, Oregon is believed to have more ghost towns than any other state in the country! But there’s something about an abandoned church that’s much more unsettling than any derelict mining town. Which brings us to today’s adventure: Old Methodist Church, an abandoned church in Sherman County that’s hauntingly, breathtakingly beautiful.

This is the story of Old Methodist Church, a place left to decay in north-central Oregon. How did a place so beautiful turn to ruin? Let's take a look, and put this church's story into context.
Enn Auksmann/Google Local
Sherman County is located in north-central Oregon, and it's the state's second-least populated county.
Finetooth/Wikipedia
It's located between the deep canyons of the John Day River on the east and the Deschutes River on the west.
Bonnie Moreland/Flickr
This is a wild landscape, that's at times harsh and unforgiving, and also a bit lonely and desolate.
Bonnie Moreland/Flickr
The county is home to a few small towns, though, and Grass Valley is one of them. Grass Valley is a teeny, tiny town, with well under 200 residents. It's not uncommon to stumble across abandoned buildings and automobiles in this no-man's land.
Ian Sane/Flickr

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But a big, beautiful abandoned church? That's a horse of a different color.
Lance Reis/Google Local
Grass Valley Methodist Church, known simply as the "Old Methodist Church" by locals -- was built sometime between the 1880s and early 1900s, and was a centerpiece to the city of Grass Valley until the 1950s.
Enn Auksmann/Google Local
Church services were held in the church up until 1946 or '47. It was a beautiful place, back in its time; a place for worship, fellowship, and community.
Lance Reis/Google Local
People prayed and worshipped here. Couples were married here. Families grieved their lost ones here. And then, almost overnight, the church was abandoned.
Lance Reis/Google Local
It's unclear why, exactly, Old Methodist Church was forsaken, left to decay and deteriorate. But today, it's the most photographed building in Sherman County, Oregon, serving as a beautiful testament to a different time.
Ian Sane/Flickr
All's not lost, though. Oregonian Dan Earl created the Old Methodist Church website to document the history of the Grass Valley Methodist Church as he uncovers it. Earl has plans to restore and renovate the beautiful building, returning it to a vibrant community hub in the spirit of its former self. Stay tuned!

Have you visited this abandoned church in Oregon before?

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