PLACERVILLE, Calif. —
Tucked along Thompson Way, the oldest surviving church building in El Dorado County has once again found new life.
The Methodist Episcopal Church, built in 1851 and designated California Historical Landmark No. 767, has undergone a renewed restoration effort driven by local organizations, private donors and community volunteers determined to preserve one of Placerville’s most enduring symbols of faith and frontier history.
Constructed with hand-hewn Ponderosa pine and finished with siding shipped around Cape Horn, the modest structure has endured more than a century of relocations, neglect and rediscovery. Today, it sits at 1031 Thompson Way beside the Federated Church campus and adjacent cemetery — a quiet but powerful reminder of the county’s Gold Rush-era roots.
Rev. Dr. Laura Barnes of Federated Church said the building’s past has not always reflected its historical significance.
“The church has not always been held in high esteem. It has not always been well cared for,” Barnes said. “It was treated like a barn to store things. The last true restoration was in the mid-1990s.”
Community-driven restoration
Recent damage — including extensive woodpecker activity that left thousands of holes in the siding and trim — prompted renewed concern in 2024. That October, members of Save The Graves and the El Dorado County Historical Society met with church leaders to begin planning a fundraiser.
The result was “An Evening with C.C. Peirce,” a historical performance held in early 2025. Local actor Dan Trainor portrayed the 19th-century pastor in three sold-out shows, with all proceeds directed toward restoration.
Facilities manager Mary Morisset said the fundraiser provided critical momentum.
“With a recommendation from the Historical Society, we chose preservationist and contractor Seth Dasmann of Pollock Pines to do the job,” Morisset said. “They donated all the proceeds from the ticket sales, which allowed us to start the project.”
Additional funding came through a grant secured from the Latrobe Fund, enabling the installation of a new roof. Restoration work has included repairing dry rot, replacing the cupola, sealing wood damage with epoxy and beginning the process of restoring the historic bell tower.
A personal connection
Among the most meaningful contributions came from playwright and author Charlotte Higgins, who donated in memory of her late wife, Irene Goleski.
The couple was married in the church in 2008 — one of the earliest recorded same-sex marriages in El Dorado County.
“The small historic church has special meaning to me personally and historically to our county,” Higgins said. “That day was filled with such joy and celebration … to exchange our vows in such a beautiful sacred place was a dream come true.”
Goleski died in 2023. Higgins said her donation was intended to honor both her wife and the church that held their story.
A bell that echoes history
The church’s bell carries its own remarkable legacy. Purchased from the hull of the beached sailing ship Staffordshire in San Francisco after its voyage around Cape Horn, the bell once rang over Placerville’s early congregation.
As the church community grew, a larger brick structure replaced the original building at Cedar Ravine and Main Street. The small wooden church was repurposed, moved and eventually absorbed into another structure — until its rediscovery during demolition work in 1958.
Efforts led by the El Dorado County Historical Society resulted in its dismantling and reconstruction at its current location in 1961. The original bell was later recovered and returned.
More recently, another artifact came home: the church’s original potbelly wood stove, donated in 2025 after decades in private use.
“A ripple effect” across the community
Barnes described the restoration as more than a construction project, calling it a reflection of Placerville’s broader sense of community.
“Federated Church is like the center of a lotus blossom,” she said. “A beautiful place where a lot of community organizations have come from … it has that community grounding.”
El Dorado County Historical Society board member Sean Manwaring said the collaboration mirrors the church’s earliest days.
“All people of faith worked together here in the 19th century,” Manwaring said. “History has a way of bringing us all together. Once again, the community has come together to preserve the historic church.”
Work still ahead
While exterior improvements have stabilized the structure, restoration efforts are ongoing. Volunteers recently uncovered additional headstones in the adjacent cemetery, highlighting the need for further preservation work.
Organizers plan to partner again with Save The Graves to restore burial sites and continue maintaining the historic grounds.
For now, the small church stands restored — its weathered wood renewed, its bell soon to ring again — as both a landmark and a living testament to Placerville’s past and present.
