Renovations Begin for Fresno County’s Oldest Church

The oldest operating church in Fresno County is undergoing renovation after 153 years.

The small wooden one-room sanctuary is located at 10677 N. Madsen Avenue just off of Highway 168 in the Big Dry Creek area.

The Academy Methodist Church was established in 1868 and has provided church services for 153 years.

In 2013, the Academy Community Foundation was formed to purchase the church and preserve it for future generations. The foundation purchased the church in 2017.

After the purchase, the organization raised $200,000 to renovate the church.

Renovations began February 22, 2021. The first project of the renovation is to re-enforce the aging foundation.

The foundation of the church is expected to be finished in the next two weeks. This is the first project with many more to come.

The Academy Community Foundation’s goal is to restore the church to its original look when it was built in 1868.

Tori Lavon
Tori Lavon is a Multimedia Journalist from Reedley, California. She received her Bachelor's in Mass Communications and Journalism with an emphasis in Broadcasting from California State University, Fresno. Currently, she is a radio intern at One Putt Broadcasting. On occasion, Tori has the opportunity to be on-air with talent. She is getting her start in media. She has a passion for reporting, photography, and videography. Tori also has a love for art; she loves to draw, paint, and does pottery on the side. One day she hopes she can be on-air talent at a radio station as well.