Rev. Mr. James Grimes, the Methodist minister, came to Middletown in 1796, and began services and organized class meetings in his log cabin home. Mr. Grimes was educated at Alexandria, Virginia. He fought in the American Revolution. When he was taken prisoner by the British, he made his escape by taking a horse and riding past the guards, who fired on him. His son was in the war of 1812. Mr. Grimes was a carpenter by trade, and he was noted for building stairs. After the British had burned the Capitol in the War of 1812, he rebuilt the stairs in that famous building.

After he had held services here, Father Grimes, as he was called, was given a license to preach from the quarterly conference as a local preacher. He organized Methodist societies and used his cabin as a meeting house. This devout Christian made his living by working as a carpenter; many homes here were built by him. For many years be carried on the work of the church; In 1815 he was ordained by Bishop Asbury of Lebanon, Ohio, at the meeting of the Ohio Conference.

A small brick building was finally erected in 1829 to serve as a meeting house-- this was the first brick church in Middletown. The land was bought for $50, and a deed was made out to the trustees of the church. Bishop Soule dedicated the church and Rev. Mr. A. Morris, of the Franklin circuit, became Its preacher, for 20 years this building was used; it was- replaced in 1849 by a two-story structure on Broadway.