This blog is primarily to show off three of the creepiest and most fun pictures I took on the inside of the church.

This first photo is of a fire extinguisher like no fire extinguisher I’ve seen before. Check out the detail. This thing is a work of rural Missouri art:

Puttin' Out Fires, photo by smalltowngirl

And then there was the creepy old electric lift chair. Notice the leather seat strap. Vaguely reminescent of the less holy electric chair, no?

Electric (Lift) Chair, photo by smalltowngirl

Finally, an maybe the creepiest of these three creepy old church photos, is a self-portrait of me, smalltowngirl, in a old, old mirror.

smalltowngirl haunted self-portrait, photo by smalltowngirl

Down the Aisle, photo by smalltowngirl

Bellevue remains locked to the public the majority of the time, but I had a special opportunity to see the inside of the church a few weeks ago.

The church, founded in 1816, is very, very simple on the interior. Humble wooden pews line the sanctuary, and simple red carpeting pads the floor beneath your feet.

A piece of the church’s original carpet hangs framed in the narthex (thanks @gregscherer) of the church. Purchased in 1907, 90 yards of carpeting cost the church $63.95.

$63.95, photo by smalltowngirl

The windows at Bellevue are not elaborately stained or colorful. Instead, they are plain, tranparent glass with peeling paint on their wooden frames.

Window, photos by smalltowngirl

One of the things I like the most in the church’s interior was the sanctuary ceiling, pieced together with slats of wood running diagonal at 90 degree angles to the straight edges of the church’s walls.

Ceiling, photo by smalltowngirl

The hour or so that I spent inside the old building left me with an eerie headache and fatigue that the ghost-story-lover in me wanted to believe was caused by the spirits of angstful old Presbyertians, but which I should honestly attribute to allergies. Bellevue has been around for almost two hundred years. That’s a lot of mold and dust.

The Good Book, photo by smalltowngirl

Bellevue Presbyterian Church is located in Caledonia, Missouri. To read more about the church and see photos of its exterior, see my first post about Bellevue.

To read more about Caledonia, check out the following blog posts: Caledonia, Missouri, Smalltowngirl’s Many Hats, and Caledonia, Missouri Pt. II.

For more photos of my adventures in Small Town, Missouri, check out my flickr photostream.

Bellevue Presbyterian Church, photo by smalltowngirl

The oldest Presbyterian church west of the Mississippi River is in Caledonia, Missouri, one block away from the main street that I wrote about yesterday.

Bellevue Presbyterian Church, photo by smalltowngirl

Founded in 1816, the church isn’t currently open to the public, but it’s in remarkably good condition on the outside.

There is no parking lot, just a big patch of grass. But watch out for the tough little guard dog who lives next door. She’s got a big bark, but his girl loves to have her belly scratched…

Guard Dog, photo by smalltowngirl

I’ve heard rumor that this church is being renovated for use as a visitor center/historic center. I have a meeting in July with the Washington County Tourism Committee, so I’m hoping to gather more information then.

If you live in this area and are looking for a nice afternoon drive, I’d suggest Caledonia. It’s a neat little town.

August 3, 1816, photo by smalltowngirl