Arcadia Congregational Church

Inside, the old church keeps much of what its congregation left behind. When the members gave up the building, the town's boosters took it over and formed a board to pay for its upkeep. The stained glass windows went to Kruse's of Hartington, which took them to its shop and restored them to their original colors. The original church Bible still lies on the altar, and the seating is a set of old opera seats, each with a place beneath for a hat. The building is open to the public and books weddings.

What the plaque says

Arcadia Congregational Church Three years after the town of Arcadia was platted in October 1885, the First Congregational Church was organized on November 25, 1888, the second church in town. Articles of incorporation were recorded on December 2, 1889, and the build- ing, costing $2,885, was dedicated in July 1890. The Reverend Howard Hitchcock was the first permanent pastor. A parsonage was erected in 1899. On July 9, 1904, a tornado damaged the church, which was repaired without the original steeple. In the spring of 1920 a new parsonage was constructed east of the church. The longest serving pastor was the Reverend William Alcorn, from 1919 to 1929. During his pastorate the church added 258 members and held 20 weddings. By the 1970s membership had begun to decline, and in August 1998 the five remaining members voted to close the church, after 110 years of service to the community, and donate the building to Arcadia. Now known as "The Gathering Place," it is used for weddings, funerals, and other events. It is the oldest building on Main Street. Valley County Centennial Committee Nebraska State Historical Society

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Fort Hartsuff State Historical Park — 21 mi
  A small infantry post of 1874 in the North Loup valley, built of local lime concrete on the raiding road between Lakota and Pawnee country, and kept nearly whole by eighty years of farming.

More markers nearby

• Arcadia Centennial, 1885-1985 — 0.5 mi
• Mitchell and Ketchum Homesteads — 7.3 mi
• The Blizzard of 1888 — 8.9 mi
• The Loup City Riot, 1934 — 13 mi