Photo courtesy of the Webster Historian

After several years of meetings in schoolhouses and homes, Webster's First Universalist Church was dedicated by Reverend Spaulding in November of 1845. The original budget was only $1200 so the cobblestones used in the construction of the new church were gathered from along the shores of Lake Ontario by church members.

Pictured: Raymond C. Johnson, Elmer L. Johnson, and Eddie Michelson. Photo courtesy of the Webster Historian

Due to the long illness of their then pastor, the Reverend Donald Fraser, the church closed its doors in 1925 and was sold to the Raymond and Elmer Johnson who converted the church to an automotive sales and repair garage.

While the brothers originally sold Maxwell and Chalmers automobiles. Both automobile firms closed in the mid 1920's. Maxwell's assets were purchased by Walter Chysler. For a time it appears Ray and Elmer Johnson sold Chrysler and Plymouth automobiles. In later years, the business focused more on automotive repair and the sale of Allis-Chalmers farm equipment.

Ray Johnson operated the garage until 1961. His brother Elmer went to work for Webster Central Schools in 1954 as the foreman in charge of maintenance of the school district's bus fleet. Elmer was a World War I veteran, and a volunteer firefighter for Union Hill.

In 1962 the building was sold to Walco Auto Supply which became Webster Automotive Supply.

After extensive remodeling, a new chapter for the old Universalist church began in the spring of 2021, with the opening of the Cobblestone on Main restaurant.