History
The cottage was built in 1909 by Rev. George Cocking. He first served as pastor of the Murrieta Methodist Episcopal Church in 1904. He served in Southern California for almost twenty-years. He made Murrieta his based of operations. When an assignment took him away from Murrieta for a year, he would rent out the cottage as a second income. He also planted a large eucalyptus grove along 1 st Ave and Washington Ave.
In 1921, he sold the cottage to Vernon James and he had the eucalyptus grove cut down and the wood sold. In 1925, he retired from the pulpit. He would continue to fill in as a substitute pastor, when a pastor was ill or out of town. He also went on a speaking circuit entertaining audiences. He would deliver the monologue, “Your Mother’s Apron String,” or give a hilarious lecture on love and marriage. After his wife died, he went back to England. He met and married a second time, and remained in England for the rest of his life. This cottage is a reminder of an extraordinary minister who served the Murrieta community for many years. Through births, weddings, and funerals, Rev. George
Cocking left a lasting legacy that should never be forgotten.
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