In 1847, Thomas L. Gaston deeded an acre of land to Peter and George Miller, brothers who wanted to build a meeting house “for the benefit of the neighborhood.” The Miller Meeting House, as it was called, was intentionally nondenominational, but experienced a lot of Methodist influence.
After several pastor changes, the meeting house was named Balm Grove Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and was a stop on a few different circuits over the years. In 1909, the first brick was lain on the property for a larger, more sturdy building, and renamed West Asheville Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Though this building was new, the administrators of the church at the time knew it too would be outgrown, so planning began for a third sanctuary and a separate education building.
In 1927, the third and final building was built, and the church was renamed West Asheville Methodist Church. 1929, the Great Depression hit, and the church felt the strain due to the large debt from building the new sanctuary. One significant way the women of the church contributed to paying down the debt over the next few years was making and selling chicken pies in downtown Asheville. Other drives and fundraising events led to the church being officially paid for in 1945 and dedicated shortly thereafter.
The current name of the church – Trinity United Methodist Church – was settled upon in 1968. It recognized Abernethy UMC (another church in the West Asheville area), eliminated the geographical name, and was more religious.
The large stained-glass window in the balcony of the sanctuary was donated in honor of Rev. J. S. Hiatt, who led the charge on fundraising and building the current structure. The window was donated by the West Asheville Masons, and “as far as can be determined, this is the only church window in existence donated by a Masonic Lodge.”
A special thanks to Rev. Ralph L. Reed and Jennie Lynn Krichbaum for the research and writing of the extended history posted on Trinity UMC’s website.
