Prior to 1883, Oxford’s Black Methodists had to walk two-and-a-half miles to attend services at the John Wesley Methodist Episcopal Church in Oxford Neck (Stop #36). By then, the Black community in Oxford had grown so large that prominent members of the congregation were determined to organize and establish a place of worship closer to home. Rev. D.G. Waters was the first pastor of this new church, and by 1901 the church was well established and incorporated as Waters Methodist Episcopal Church.
Over the next 70 years, a total of 42 ministers have served as the church pastors, leading the congregation in worship, music and education. Each has made tangible and intangible contributions to the welfare of the church and the community as a whole. In 1908, Rev. Johnson oversaw the first church building renovations. In 1917, Rev. Beechman expanded the parsonage to meet the needs of pastors and added new pews and a pulpit for the congregation. In the early 40s, Rev. Nichols and his wife Pauline led a campaign to purchase the leased land on which the church stood as well as three adjacent lots. In 1953, Rev. Scriber celebrated the addition of a new Parish Hall by hosting the Annual Session of the Easton District Conference here in Oxford. Music has always played an integral part of the services at Waters Church, but today the congregation is so small that there are no longer enough voices to maintain the choir that led Oxford’s residents in hymns and carols for generations.
“I remember taking communion at the beautiful altar. I remember the coal pit and the ministers would be up there and when the church got full folks went upstairs to the balcony. The music would be goin’ and the people would be shoutin’ and over in the Fellowship Hall they would have all kinds of food that you can imagine, the lawn would be packed with cars and people would socialize and connect with each other.” -- Ferne Banks
Continue up to Morris Street, noticing on your right the little Oxford Library. Established in 1939, the independent all-volunteer library has been serving the community from this location for 70 years. (Stop #22)