Old Stone Church
Linton twp.

The location of this church is said to have been "on Pleasant Ridge Road, in Allamakee county, or "in the rural community of Watson" Clayton co. A check of old plat maps & on-line geographical servers, shows that Pleasant Ridge road is in Clayton co., just south of the Allamakee county line. A satellite image obtained online from a map server appears to show the church in Allamakee county. (see map & image below). If anyone can pinpoint the exact location of the church, please email the Allamakee co. coordinator. The village of Watson was located near the Clayton/Allamakee co. border and is listed in Clayton co. having a postoffice as early as 1886, but discontinued before 1916.

Old Stone Church ---------- Watson, Iowa  

The Old Stone Methodist Church was founded in 1859 by a group of early settlers.  The original hand quarried stone building which was completed in 1861 still stands in the rural community of Watson - three and one half miles east of Monona, Iowa.  In 1928 the Pioneer Memorial Association was organized to preserve the building and to hold annual Home Coming services.

The Old Stone Church History

One of the old Methodist Churches in the area was the Old Stone church, on the Pleasant Ridge Road, in Allamakee County and near Watson. It was a "German" Methodist Episcopal Church belonging to the Yellow River Circuit and Clayton Mission. It was incorporated in 1859. Services were held by visiting ministers until 1859 when it was decided to build. It was built of stone and was completed in 1862. It and the Giard Methodist Episcopal Church belonged to the Northeast German Conference and were served by the same pastors. From 1838 to 1868 they lived in a parsonage at Watson. Since Giard was a flourishing village they built a parsonage there and the one at Watson was discontinued. The church continued until 1920, when the congregation dwindled and the German language was discontinued.

In 1929 the first homecoming was held, the building was repaired and an annual gathering was held there till 1968. The church was placed under the care of the Monona Methodist Church. When the final merger came in 1968, items from the church were sold at auction. The building is still standing, though the interior is in ruins.