The introduction of Methodism in the Maury County area was the year 1808, also the official date of the birth of Maury County and of Columbia. Zadok B. Thackston began serving as a circuit preacher in the Western Conference in the area known as the Duck River Circuit. He preached in a section of the county called then (as now) Snow Creek. At least nine or ten other circuit preachers worked in the Western Conference in the following years.

  Then, in the fall of 1818, Thomas Madden was sent by the Tennessee Conference to the south side of the Tennessee River in Alabama. On his way there, he preached a sermon to a group of people at the courthouse in Columbia. Later, upon returning to Nashville, he stopped at Peter’s Campground near Spring Hill and preached four impressive sermons. People from Columbia heard him and later invited him to come to Columbia as their station preacher. In the fall of 1820, he came to the Franklin and Columbia stations. 
 
  When he arrived in Columbia, seven persons belonged to the church. With these seven and Thomas Madden the First Methodist Society was officially formed in Columbia. This small group met at the home of Dr. L.B. Estes on Embargo Street (Woodland). Among those seven members was Nathan Vaught, Maury County’s master builder. A Board of Trustees was formed. On March 9, 1820 the trustees resolved to build a frame church on a lot on South Main Street near Ninth. This great project was completed early in the fall of 1821.

  Interestingly, Nathan Vaught not only supervised the building of the first church, but also a newer one in 1836 at the present site. This church burned in 1874. Then again supervised by Mr. Vaught, the present structure was completed in 1876. From that date to the present, First United Methodist has expanded and flourished to the inspiration of its members and to the glory of God.

  This brief history was provided by Mr. Page Chamberlain