On August 5, 1915 a devastating fire wiped out the majority of the block between Cottage and Main Street. That fire is a topic for another day. One of buildings destroyed was that of the Methodist Church.
Once the church members got over the initial shock that their beloved building, only 14 years old had been destroyed, some serious consideration had to be given about its future. Some wanted to abandon the site, after all they reasoned this was second church they lost to fires at this location in fifteen years. While the fire gutted the church, its brick walls were intact. Upon further examination, after a thorough inspection of the walls, it was deemed to rebuild using the existing walls.
Architect Ralph Taylor drew up plans, making very few changes. The most notable was steeple would not be replaced, as the church would struggle with its finances, as the insurance would not fully cover their loss.
In the meantime, the congregation had to find a new substitute home until the church was rebuilt. At first they met at the Baptist Church, but that was too awkward arranging two different services on Sundays. By mid-September 1915, the Native Sons of the Golden West had just finished building a new hall on the corner of Lassen and Nevada Streets.
The process of rebuilding the church was a slow one. Determined not to take on debt, work on the church would stop, and start again once they replenished their funds. It was not until January 1917 when they moved back into their own church.