and how you can be a part of it..."

Our Heritage

These are the three streams of worship and history that converged to create the river of faith that is the United Methodist Church of Lenox.

• The First Methodist Episcopal Church of Lee (1840-1984)
• Grace Methodist Episcopal Church of Lenox Dale (1872-1986)
• Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church of Pittsfield (1900-1989)

Each of these churches came to life because of the strong faith and hard work of people who were dedicated to the Word of God.

Each Church has a long and vibrant history of the people of faith who would gather together to pray and sing, to study the bible; to baptize, marry and bury family members and friends.

We offer our prayers of thanksgiving for our rich heritage, for these living streams of history which have lifted us up and carried us closer to the Kingdom of God.

I. Introduction

Although the building on Holmes Road in Lenox, the United Methodist Church of Lenox, has only been standing for about ten years , the church goes back much further.  The United Methodist Church of Lenox is a combination of three different congregations dating back one hundred years.  Three separate churches, after experiencing the ups and downs of life, enduring pain and hardship, joined together.  Three distinct parishes helped one another by creating the United Methodist Church of Lenox.  This is the story of those four churches and the people who attend them.

II. Grace Methodist Church, Lenox Dale

The Grace Methodist of Lenox Dale was originally an old office for the Iron Works Company that once was the center of industrial Lenox.  In 1892, the office building was sold for $1900 (Wilbur, Nathan L. 1982, June 24). Berkshire Eagle. "100 year old church to mark what many be the final anniversary") to Trinity Methodist Church of Lenox to accommodate its growing population of followers in the small town.  At that point of time, Lenox Dale was known as the industrial area of town.  What is now  the center of town was the social area, while New Lenox was the agricultural location.  Grace Methodist was built for those in the industrial area.

The Lenox Dale church remained a partner with Trinity Methodist of Lenox until 1919 when it branched off to be its own parish.  The solitary congregation did not last long.  In 1933, it joined the First Methodist Church of Lee to become the Lee/Lenox Dale Charge, In 1971, however, Lee decided to join a larger group of Methodist churches, a choice that did not seem as appealing to their partner.  the Lee and Lenox Dale churches then separated, leaving the Lenox Dale congregation once again on its own.

In 1982, the churches minister and replacement were appointed.  The attendance rate at that time had drastically decreases from past years.  The building was becoming to much for its congregation to care for.  In 1986, Grace Methodist Church of Lenox Dale closed its doors and joining the Trinity Methodist Church of Pittsfield and Lee at the corner of Woodlawn Avenue and Dalton Avenue in Pittsfield.  In 1987, the former Grace Methodist Church was sold to a couple from Lee for $64,040. (Berkshire Eagle 1987, May4), "Lenox Dale church is sold for $64,040"),  The couple Robert and Roxanne Carthy then turned the church into an apartment building.

III. First Methodist Church of Lee

The First Methodist Church of Lee, located on High Street, was built in 1898 costing roughly $10,000 (church history file). In 1979 the building and parsonage was put up for sale for $65,000 (Hinshaw, Jacqueline M. (1979, July 12). Berkshire Courier. "Methodist church and property for sale in Lee"). Much like their sister church, Grace Methodist, the First Methodist attendance was decreasing and the building proved to be too expensive to care fore. The town of Lee school board was interested in buying the building to extend the parking lot and playground of their elementary school. Town officials declined the proposal saying there were enough parking lots in town. Finally, the church found a buyer and sold the two buildings to Louis Caropresso in 1980. The congregation, now without a home, was allowed to hold Sunday night services for a small fee. Four years later in 1984, the First Methodist Church of Lee merged with Trinity Methodist of Pittsfield to become Trinity Methodist of Pittsfield and Lee.

IV. Trinity Methodist Church of Pittsfield

At the turn of the century, the dedication service for the Trinity Methodist Chapel on the corner of Tyler Street and Plunkett Street took place. The small church was built on donated land. After twenty-four years it was proposed that the church move locations to the corner of Woodlawn Avenue and Dalton Avenue to accommodate the growth of their congregation. A more convenient building was constructed in 1924 at the cost of $89,000 (church history file). The first service held in Trinity Methodist Church of Pittsfield was in 1925.

In 1984, Trinity reached out to a church in need and merged with the First Methodist Church of Lee to create Trinity Methodist Church of Pittsfield and Lee. A year later there was talk of changing location once again. The sixty-one year old building was not energy efficient enough and the cost of repairs proved to be too much for the congregation. In 1986, Trinity welcomed yet another addition to its congregation by combining with Grace Methodist Church of Lenox Dale. The combined church of Trinity Methodist Church of Pittsfield, Lee and Lenox Dale found land on which they hoped to build a new building.  In 1986 they put deposit on a 4.3-acre plot of land on Holmes Road in Lenox. The 4.3 acres was only a portion of a twenty-four acre plot of land that was for sale. The owner planned on creating housing with the adjoining nineteen acres. Due to legal difficulties with the owner of the land or the work of God, the purchase was delayed. During this time, now 1988, the church received a new minister. Pastor John Beattie. Pastor Beattie brought a new light and hope to a congregation that had been through so much. The church got quite a surprise when they were offered fifteen acres of the twenty-four acres for only a little more than they would have been paying for the four acres. In 1988, the combined churches built the United Methodist Church of Lenox, costing $500,000 (Hunt, William. (1988). Berkshire Eagle. "First service planned for Easter at new Trinity United Methodist").

V.  United Methodist Church of Lenox

The group was well ready to move into its new home in Lenox. This was a new beginning for everyone, a new start. To make the move easier and to decorate their new church, items were brought from the other three churches. The current bell in the front of the church, for example, was taken from Grace Methodist Church of Lee. The stained glass windows of Jesus in the sanctuary were taken from Trinity Methodist Church of Pittsfield and restored. In 1989, Southern Berkshire Welding Co., Lenox Dale gave the church the gift of the steeple. With a new building, new minister and the same old spirit, the United Methodist Church of Lenox was born.

VI. Today

Today the church has grown. The congregation has come together from three into one. Since the church was built, it has been served by Rev. John A. Beattie, from 1988-1998. The Rev. Steven W. Perry from July 1998, to Rev. George Absomara (interim pastor) to June 2002, and Rev. Eric Dupee, from July 2002 to July 2006, to Rev. Valerie Roberts-Toler from July 2006 to the present.