E.P. Hart Circle

Edward Payson Hart, born in Vermont in 1835, came to Michigan with his wife, Martha, in 1864 as a Free Methodist evangelist. On a snowy January day, E.P. and Mattie Hart arrived by train from Chicago at Ida, Michigan, found no one to meet them, received directions from a storekeeper to the home of their contact, and set out on a walk of a mile or more through the snow, with E.P. carrying the luggage and Mattie the lunch basket. When they stopped to rest halfway to the house, E.P. remarked, "This looks rather dubious, doesn't it?" and Mattie picked up the lunch basket and continued on, singing, "while there's a track I'll never look back, but go on at the risk of my all." Soon welcomed into the home of Henry Jones, the Harts immediately began holding revivals and founding churches. At that time, the Free Methodist denomination was barely three years old and the U.S. Civil War was still raging. After Hart learned of valuable school property in Spring Arbor, Michigan, local residents and Free Methodists provided financial support to purchase it, and the property was temporarily deeded to Hart. The Hart family then moved to Spring Arbor to open the school. In 1873 Hart founded Spring Arbor Seminary, now Spring Arbor University, and the property was dedicated on September 2, 1873, with General Superintendent B.T. Roberts presiding. Roberts said the aim of the new school was "to combine sound and thorough scholarship with careful religious training." Hart later served as Free Methodist General Superintendent, or Bishop, from 1874 to 1908.

Spring Arbor, Michigan · United States