Historic Hickman Mills church goes up for sale

By Kathy Feist

The Hickman Mills Community Christian Church–the heart of the historic Hickman Mills township–has been listed for sale. The 22,000 square-foot stone building houses the original Hickman Mills’ millstone that gave the area its name, as well as a sanctuary, fellowship hall, classrooms, kitchen and stained glass windows.

The board members and congregation of the church made the decision in mid-August, according to Board Member and Elder Carole Ott. “Lack of attendance, lack of tithing is not enough to keep the doors open,” she said. The congregation will continue to meet at the church until utilities bills can no longer be paid, according to Ott. 

“We’re still running off of the memorial funds from last year,” says Ott. “But it’s not enough to keep going for a year.”

Last year, the church celebrated 180 years as a congregation. The church started in a log cabin as the Bethlehem Church of Christ in 1845, three miles north of the current location.  When Edwin Hickman founded his mill on 40 acres in 1856 (around 6006 E Red Bridge Rd), he donated one acre to the congregation. A wood frame church was built and renamed the Hickman Mills Community Christian Church. A third larger wood frame church was built on the current property in 1896. 

Finally, in 1922, church members selected architects from the St. Louis firm Hoener, Baum and Froese to build a church of native stone in Norman-Gothic architecture. The church was completed and dedicated in 1929. 

In the 1960s, a new wing was added on the east end of the building.

The 4.5 acre property includes the church and a 1500 square foot building that currently houses a beauty salon. 

The property is listed at $1.4 million with realtor Thom Knowles of Better Homes and Garden Real Estate.