Meet Union 212
Our history
As in all early settlements, religion held an important position and churches were established almost immediately. The first recorded religious organization in Milford, a Methodist class, was formed in 1836. In the same year a second class of Methodists was formed under the name of the English Class. These religious groups first met in homes or schools in the Township. Between 1840 and 1844 the classes merged to form the Methodist Episcopal Church. The members built, as their first house of worship, a small frame building located on the east side of Union Street north of Canal Street. In 1875, a new and larger striking brick church was built replacing the wood frame Greek Revival church that stood north of this building.
In 1890 a new kitchen, parlor and dining room were added in the rear, the auditorium was enlarged and a large alcove was built for the choir and organ. In 1908 a pipe organ was installed in the addition. In 1967 the Methodist congregation built a new church on Atlantic Street and this building was sold to the Milford Masonic Lodge. The Masons closed up the loft at the east end, installed the wall on the west, and removed the steeple. The Italianate building features stone-arched entrance doors and stained-glass windows. The brick tower remains, minus its steeple. Brick corbeling lines the eaves and gables. Four window openings on the front have been bricked up. Inside are the beaded tongue-and-groove wainscoting, the original Romanesque doors on the east and in the upper hall, door knobs from the Milford Doorknob Factory, the original walnut altar rail and a few remaining pews reside upstairs.
