The William Clare Allison Memorial Methodist Church was completed in 1892. Construction of the Gothic style building had lasted for two years and the dedication took place on March 6, 1892. A large amount of the construction cost had been donated by Mrs. William Clare Allison as a memorial to her husband. The church property extended from High Street back to Church Alley. President George Reed allocated some of the land at the President's House for the church's usage, as a donation by Mr. Allison had allowed for the renovation of the house a few years earlier. Perhaps the most distinguished feature of the church was the set of stained glass windows on two sides of the building; each depicted the life of Christ and had been designed by Tiffany and Co.

Disaster struck the church on January 20, 1954, when faulty electrical wiring in the basement caused a fire that completely destroyed the church and most of its contents. The damage was estimated at over $300,000. Dickinson College offered the congregation space in Bosler Hall in which to hold their services until a new church building could be completed.