Bristol residents formed the first Methodist "class" in the tradition established by John Wesley, founder of Methodism, in 1833. By 1834, the Methodist Episcopal Society of Bristol was legally incorporated and land purchased for a church building on West Street. A typical small country church, the structure was completed and dedicated in mid-1837.

Steady growth spurred the decision to leave West Street in favor of a larger structure to be built on the corner of Center and Summer streets., closer to the center of town. The then new 1880 structure was eventually partially torn down to make way for an even larger sanctuary on the same site. The new sanctuary was dedicated in 1894. The cost was borne entirely by John Humphrey Sessions, a prominent industrialist and early convert to Methodism. The structure, built in the Akron style and with the prominent tower depicted at the top of the ornament, has been a fixture in the downtown area ever since.

Prospect United Methodist has a wealth of historic photographs, books and artifacts under the care of the church History Committee. Much of the material is maintained in a room above Sessions Hall. Committee members are working to catalog and organize these historic items. The History Committee also maintains the Historic Display Case inside the Center Street vestibule and undertakes special projects from time to time to help familiarize members with church history, such as a commemorative ornament and the Historic Photo Gallery dedicated in May 1998.