322 PERRY STREET
HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE
The property at 322 Perry Street was donated by George and Mary Lord for the construction of a parsonage for the First German Methodist Episcopal Church then amended to the Zion German Methodist Episcopal Church in 1897. The church later took the name as the Wesley United Methodist Church.
Many ministers resided at 322 Perry Street through its 75 years service as a parsonage. The first being Reverend Wrede and hise wife. They were loved by the people and Reverend Wrede was noted for his singing and preached in German. One of 322 Perry Street's other tenants was Reverend Elger who was known for talking and chalking at the same time. He loved the youth of the congregation. He stayed in the home from 1913 through 1918. This was the era of Would War I and almost overnight, the German language had to be dropped. He and his wife then moved to Pasadena, California and he died soon afterwards. 322 Perry Street stopped being a parsonage in 1972 with its last tenant, Reverend James King. He was a business man in earlier years and accepted a calling to the ministry after World War II. Reverend and Mrs. King collected stained glass and displayed them in the windows throughout the home. It was noted that their style was very modern. It was at this time when the church's new parsonage was built and the Kings moved in that home.
ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE
322 Perry Street is an example of the Queen Anne style that contains much of its original features. The most notable characteristic on this home is its rounded front porch entry with a conical roof. In addition, other features include its variation of clapboard siding on its first floor and hexagonal shingles on its second. The home has been well taken care of through its many years serving as a parsonage.
TIMELINE OF PREVIOUS OWNERS
Sources: 2009 Heritage Plaque Application; Audio: TextAloud