Harold Bell Wright Pierce City Museum

     Pierce City's Harold Bell Wright/Pierce City Museum is housed in the former First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), also known as the Pierce City Christian Church, and the "Harold Bell Wright Library and Museum" building located at 404 North Walnut Street (Pierce City, Missouri).        While living in Mt. Vernon (Missouri) Wright was asked to preach in Pierce City and later became Pastor of the church (in 1896-7?).  He went on to lead churches in Pittsburg (KS), Lebanon (MO), and Kansas City (MO), before moving further west. He was a best selling author and his novels set in the Ozarks are often credited for Branson's first tourism boom.        Our museum will house Harold Bell Wright memoriabilia and local history including notable Pierce Citians Ragtime composer Theron Bennett and artist Grace Tinker. The building was coverted to use as a public library in 1933. A very generous donation entrusted to Mayor Carol Hirsch by David H. Jones, Hirsch's persistent and dedicated drive to see the project made a reality, and many hours of volunteer labor by herself, husband Fred, retired Mayor Mark Peters and many others, yielded a new library built downtown.        In March of 2000, again at Hirsch's urging, the Board of Aldermen voted to create the Harold Bell Wright Museum Board of Trustees to oversee the next phase of the site's history. The old church building, previously the city's library, is now the Harold Bell Wright/Pierce City Museum.