Mr. Bird Pritchett and his wife Anna (Curnes) Pritchett built a brick dwelling for their family on the corner lot on South Fillmore Street, the location of the Faith Fellowship Church today (former Presbyterian Church). The family located to Clarke County in 1876.
Mr. Pritchett died in 1890. In 1913, Presbyterian trustees purchased Mrs. Pritchett’s brick home place for $4,000 in cash. The brick house was to be moved and used as a parsonage. The trustees planned to build a new church building on the corner lot location.
In October 1913, an architect from Cedar Rapids was in Osceola looking over the Pritchett brick residence with a view to securing the contract for moving the building to the north side of the lot.
Later that month, a crew of men employed by a house moving company unloaded a car load of tools and appliances preparatory to beginning work on moving the big brick residence. The house was to be moved 40 feet directly north of its present location, leaving about 100 feet to the south of it for the new church building, which was to be erected the coming year.
It was expected the work of moving the house would require about four weeks. This was one of the biggest concerns of the kind in the state. The company agreed to have the work completed within a month.
Over three weeks much interest was manifested in the preparation being made and a large number of people gathered to witness the final results.
A single horse hitched to the powerful machinery did the work, and on Nov. 24, 1913, the big, solid brick 25X40 house was slowly moved into place as if by magic.
When the foundation was completed, the house would be lowered into position and stand as firm as ever. The home was remodeled into a modern home for the Presbyterian pastor.
The part of the premises vacated left a beautiful plat where the magnificent new church was to be built. On Feb. 23, 1916, the new Presbyterian Church was dedicated.
The house, known as the Manse, was at one time owned by Dr. Harken and used as a home for nurses. Bernice Switzer, a former employee of Dr. Harken, lived on the second floor of the brick building for 51 years.