USA > Ohio > Fayette County > History of Fayette County, Ohio : her people, industries and institutions > Part 21
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Another Methodist society was organized in the Center neighborhood in 1848. A school house was their place of worship till 1851. About this date a church was erected near the school house where they had worshiped, costing two thousand two hundred dollars. This was on the Allen pike. In 1878 the Harmony church, located six miles west of Washington C. H., on the Palmer pike, was established. The building cost one thousand five hun- dred dollars. Joel Dolby was the first minister.
In Concord township a larger portion of the early settlers were of the Methodist Episcopal faith. Meetings were held in numerous cabins. In 1830 there was no regular organized church of this denomination in the township. But between 1830 and 1832 a class must have been formed. Henry Turner is named as the first circuit rider in the neighborhood. He came over from Hillsboro and in order to meet his flock was compelled to travel over unbridged streams and without pikes, a distance of almost thirty miles each trip. He rode his horse twenty-seven days a month in order to fill all of his appointments. Other circuit riders were John Collins and Will- iam Simmons. In 1850-51 a neat and well constructed building was pro- vided. In 1881 this church was reported to the conference as being in ex- cellent condition.
In Green township the Buena Vista Methodist Episcopal church was organized about 1831-2, on Rattlesnake creek, near present Buena Vista, in a school house where the voters of the township usually assembled to cast their annual votes. A small church was built in 1845, and ten years later a larger, better house was provided.
The oldest of all Methodist societies in this township was the Olive Chapel Methodist Episcopal church, which class worshiped in a rude log cabin for a number of years. Its history has faded with the passing of years. The last account we have is of the erection of a frame chapel about 1860.
In Perry township the first Methodist Episcopal church was organized at the home of Jesse Rowe, in 1816. Services were there continued until 1834, when Mr. Rowe built Rowe's chapel, on land of his own, David Gar- ringer, a carpenter of the neighborhood, doing the carpenter work. After
(15)
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long years, and the numerous changes in the settlement, this society went down.
Another church of this denomination was organized by Rev. John King, at his home, in 1820. Private homes and a school house on Sugar creek served as meeting houses until 1851, when Sugar Grove chapel, a frame structure, was erected at the cost of about nine hundred dollars.
The Cochran Methodist Episcopal church, of Perry township, was or- ganized as an off-shoot from the Rowe church, and took place about 1820 at the house of Barnabas Cochran, who subsequently donated a lot on which the society erected a log church building, which was occupied until 1851, when a neat frame church was built at a supposed cost of one thousand dollars.
The next organization of a church was the one at Martinsburg, prior to 1836, by Robert Buck, services being held in an empty store room. In 1838 a log church was built, and a few years later a frame structure was built.
Good Hope Methodist Episcopal church of Wayne township was organ- ized and received as a mission by the Staunton circuit in 1857. The school house in district No. 2 was used for a meeting place until 1858-9, when, through the efforts of J. H. Parrett, a church was erected. At first there were but seven members belonging to the class and Rev. J. W. Steele had charge of the little flock. In September, 1859, a neat church was dedicated by Rev. J. M. Trimble, and by 1860 there was a membership of thirty-five. In 1878 Rev. L. C. Brooks was sent here by the conference and he was suc- cessful in carrying forward the work by almost a perpetual revival, in which many were added to the class, making in all a membership of about two hun- dred in eighteen months. He started to agitate a new church scheme, but, owing to depressed finances in the country, it had to be postponed until 1880, when the matter was again brought up. In the summer of 1881 the building was completed at a cost of five thousand dollars. It was erected in form of a Roman cross, surmounted by a seventy-foot tower. It was remodeled in 1900. The church now has a membership of about two hundred. The pastors since 1882-3 have been : Revs. A. R. Miller, A. B. Sniff, W. T. Harvey, M. H. Acton, George Cherrington, Ralph Watson, B. E. Thomas, P. H. Chappelear, R. C. Orndorf, C. A. Hughes, George Creamer, and the present pastor, C. L. Pfaltgraf. The recording steward has been for many years E. D. King.
Madison chapel was organized as a church in 1868 by Rev. David Smith. But before that services had been held by the Methodist Protestant and
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Presbyterian denominations for a dozen or more years. The church edifice was erected in 1869. It was dedicated December 19th, L. Cunningham preaching the sermon. On the day of dedication he raised about seven hun- dred dollars to free the church of debt. Its total cost was about two thou- sand five hundred dollars. Henry Fulton donated one acre of land for burial purposes and gave one hundred and fifty dollars towards the building of the church. Later it became a part of the Mount Sterling circuit.
In Paint township there was organized a Methodist Episcopal church in 1835. A revival was held by Rev. Wolf and was highly successful. In 1840 a frame structure was built and called Union chapel. It was usually occupied by the Methodists; however, a New Light minister, named Lewis Green, occasionally held his services there. This church finally went down for lack of interest and support.
Good Hope circuit was organized from Staunton circuit in September, 1873, and embraced the societies at Good Hope, Sugar Grove, Cochran and Martinsburg. During 1874 there were added to the church many new mem- bers, and the repairs and changes on the building cost about one thousand dollars. In 1880 the total membership was three hundred ninety-one.
The first church in Marion township was formed in 1814. It was the Methodist Episcopal, and took place at the house of George Newman, at which place services continued to be held for over two years, then being changed to the residence of George Bohrer. In 1818 Salem Chapel, a lewed- log structure, was built on a lot donated by Flemming Twifford, in survey No. 7,559, for church and burial purposes. The first to preach here was Rev. Bacon. The Salem burying ground is the oldest of any within this township. In 1822 the church was burned, but was soon rebuilt on the old site. Henry T. Bascom, the celebrated preacher, was among the first pastors. In 1833 this church was transferred from the Deer Creek circuit to the old Washington circuit, and was occupied until about 1853. The early members included the best men and women of the township.
Pleasant Hill, or "Yankeetown," Methodist Episcopal church, in Madison township, was organized at John Thomas's house, in Pickaway county, two miles east of Yankeetown, on the Circleville road. The first members were William Timmons, John Thomas, William Morgan, Leonard Jefferson and Samuel Bennett. All but two lived in Fayette county. Henry B. Bascom formed the society and was its first preacher. The first six years services were held at the house of Mr. Thomas and at Morgan's, after which a hewed- log house was erected a mile east of Yankeetown, on the Circleville road.
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Pleasant Hill chapel was built in 1823 and dedicated by Rev. James B. Find- ley. The membership had grown to thirty-eight at that date.
At Jeffersonville, the Methodist church was organized in 1878, when John Williams was class leader and Ed. Gray steward. The present mem- bership is one hundred. The present brick edifice was erected in 1889-90, and dedicated in September of year last mentioned. It is located on Maple and Walnut streets and cost fourteen thousand dollars. Before this building was erected the society always worshiped in the old Union church building, on Main street. The pastors serving this charge have been in order as fol- lows: Revs. J. E. Moore, David Mann, R. I. DeSelmn, T. Herman Carter, W. S. Benner, R. A. LeMaster, J. M. Stewart, R. H. Griffith, C. S. Naylor, Edwin Sherwood, L. W. Miller, W. H. Mitchell, W. J. Prior, G. D. Clifford, T. L. Haas, and H. K. Wishon, present pastor.
THE BLOOMINGBURG METHODIST CHURCH.
There is a dispute as to which was really the first church organized in Fayette county, and it stands between the Baptist and Methodist Episcopal people, both dating as far back as 1813. The church of the Methodist de- nomination in the county dates from 1813. three years before the town was platted. At first the place was styled New Lexington, and some called it "New Purchase." This dates back to nine years before the birth of U. S. Grant. It was organized by Jesse Rowe, for whom Rowe's chapel was named in later years. Rev. Ralph Lotspeich was the first minister sent to Bloom- ingburg and the first quarterly meeting was held at the house of Joel Woods, on Paint creek, in 1811. It will be understood that there was a circuit which included this station prior to the formation of the church at New Lexington (Bloomingburg). The first house of worship was erected prior to 1820; it was a frame structure which stood on the north side of the alley from the later Presbyterian church building, and it was abandoned in 1850. During the year last named a lot was purchased and in 1851 a building was enclosed, but not finished until 1853; it was dedicated by Dr. Frederick Merrick. In 1856 the society had a membership of fifty-six. In 1862 it was transferred to what was styled the Bloomingburg circuit, having previously been within Washington circuit. In 1894 a new building was erected at Bloomingburg, costing about eight thousand five hundred dollars; the corner-stone was laid June 5, 1894. At present the membership is three hundred and thirteen, and the appointment at Madison Mills has a membership of two hundred and seven. At the latter point a frame church built in 1869 is still doing service ;
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there was an addition and repairs made on this in 1900. The brick church erected at Bloomingburg in 1894 is still in good condition.
As long as this is the pioneer church society in Fayette county, and from the fact that great care has been taken to collect a list of all pastors, it is but befitting that such a record be here given, and the same is here subjoined : Revs. Ralph Lotspeich, 1811-12, assisted by Rev. Joseph Haines; Isaac Pavey and John Crowhill, 1813; Moses Troder, 1814; W. P. Finley, 1815; R. W. Finley, 1816; J. Hoopes and W. W. Westlake, 1817; J. Solomon and Thomas Carr, 1818; W. P. Finley, 1819; Andrew Mclain, 1820; Daniel .D. David- son, 1821; James Smith, 1822; John Simmerville, 1823; David Lawrence and George Gach, 1824; A. L. Baxter, 1825; B. Westlake, 1826; James Donohue, 1828; J. P. Taylor and S. Miner, 1829; James Donohue and James Prior, 1830; August Eddy and Will Snow, 1831; W. L. Snow and Henry Turner, 1832; James Quinn and E. E. Dailey, 1833; E. F. Webster, 1834; C. C. Lybrand and James A. Brown, 1835; John W. Clarke and Edward Estelle, 1836; Eli Truitt, 1837; James Laws, 1838, assisted by Henry Wharton; Barnard A. Casset, 1839; Joseph Reader and B. A. Casset, 1840; John Fitch, 1841; Noah Hough and H. Z. Adams, 1842; Martin Wolf, 1843; J. W. Kelley and B. H. Sphor, 1844: J. W. Kelley, 1845; James B. Austin and A. Fleming, 1846; A. Fleming and E. C. Townsend, 1847; Thomas W. Chandlier and G. Haines, 1848; Samuel Brown and Milton G. Baker, 1849; Milton G. Baker, Samuel Middleton and J. F. Reed, 1850; Barton Lowe, H. F. Green and E. H. Dixon, 1851 ; B. Lowe, William Sutton, 1852 ; Moses B. Bowman and William Sutton, 1853; Joseph Morris and J. F. Williams, 1854; the same in 1855; Addison Nichols, 1856; Samuel Middleton, 1857; L. F. Drake and E. H. Heagler, 1858; T. W. Stanley, 1859; L. S. Stivers and J. D. Fry, 1860; J. Q. Lakin, 1861; Abraham Cartlick, 1863; John Martin, 1864; Joseph Morris, 1865; Alonzo F. Hixon, 1866: David H. Smith, 1867; Richard Pitzer, 1869; W. F. Hughesy, 1870; Ancel Brooks, 1871; A. H. Wirdro, 1872; L. F. Drake, 1874; William McLaughlin, 1875; J. W. Adams, 1876: George W. Burns, 1878; J. W. Wait, 1879; T. H. Hall, 1880; J. H. Berry, 1882; F. M. Grimes, 1883; S. C. Frampton, 1886; W. H. Sayre, 1887; D. Storer, 1889; W. H. Hargett, 1891 ; F. S. Davis, 1895; P. L. Mark, 1897; George Marshall, 1899; F. H. Smiley, 1900; B. P. Judd, 1903 ; C. WV. Brady, 1906; WV. H. Mitchell, 1910; W. J. Jewett, 1911; C. L. Thomas, 1913 and still pastor.
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AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
The African Methodist Episcopal church was organized at Dennis Brown's house in July, 1867, by Reverend Arnett, of Circleville, and services were held at the house of several members of the congregation for more than a year. Hamilton was rented and occupied for some time, after which the congregation rented the old Methodist Episcopal church, where services were held about one year. In 1875 a committee, consisting of David Rogers and Mills Gardner, were appointed to negotiate the purchase of the old Cath- olic church, on Main street, for this congregation. This they accomplished, paying two thousand dollars for the property. Mr. Rogers donated one thousand dollars to the society toward the purchase.
The charter members of the church at Washington C. H. were: Dennis and Frances Brown, Sarah Jackson, Harry Terry, C. and Margaret Johnson, Agnes Weaver, Thomas and Sophia Kees. The membership is now one hun- dred and seventy men The society is called Rogers African Methodist Episcopal church. The pastors having served are: Revs. Edward Wright, Wadkin Lee. R. Green, H. W. Toney, C. S. Bundy, J. W. Steward, B. N. Carson, Shilo Brown, H. M. Turner, Alfred Mercer, Edward Humpberry, C. H. Johnson, A. J. Means, R. J. Moetemore, H. E. Steward, Smith Carter, WV. P. Myers, G. W. Cotton. O. R. William, J. B. Harwood, L. W. White, S. W. White, T. W. Woodson.
METHODIST PROTESTANT CHURCHES.
This denomination was early in the field in this county, the same being an outgrowth of the Methodist Episcopal church. In 1845 such a church was organized at Plymouth, and meetings were held at a school house a short dis- tance from the village, Robert Dobbins serving as the first and last minister, for the work was abandoned in 1846. Later a church of this denomination was organized in Milledgeville.
The Pleasant Valley Protestant Methodist church was organized in a school house on the William Waddle farm, on Snow Hill pike, with original members as follows: Henry and Lucy Luttrell, Eli Plummer, Bird Webb, Jacob Allen, Sarah Allen, Samuel Allen, a local preacher, Harriet Allen, Deborath Morris, Joseph Stevenson and wife and Mr. and Mrs. William Tainer. A good frame church building was erected and served for many years. This was associated with the Washington circuit.
White Oak Grove Methodist Protestant church was formed cotemporary
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with the formation of the denomination. Robert Dobbins had long been a consistent member and pastor of the Methodist Episcopal church, but became dissatisfied and proceeded to organize a society under the discipline of the then new denomination. Up to 1835 meetings were held in school houses and at private houses, but during that year they erected a small frame build- ing in which to worship, at the lower end of the cemetery in Green township. This served until 1857, when another church was erected. This society in 1880 was reported as not strong, but made up of faithful believers. Reverend Hinkle was pastor at that date.
In Madison township a church of this denomination was formed at White Oak, by Raymouth Hussey, and services held in school houses until 1858, when a frame building was erected. Here the Universalists, Friends, Baptists and others also used to hold their meetings.
Mount Olive Methodist Protestant church was formed by Rev. Father Dobbins, of Jamestown, Greene county, Ohio, and at first consisted of the following members : Henry Burnett and wife, Thomas Burnett and wife, Peter Fultz and wife, John Coile and wife and George Hinkle and wife. For fourteen years services were held in the winter season at the different dwell- ings of the members and in summer in barns and in the groves. Father Dobbins came at stated intervals to preach. In 1831 he removed to the banks of Sugar creek, four miles west of Washington, and settled in the midst of his small flock, in whose interest he worked until his death, on January 13, 1860, at the age of ninety-two. In 1843 this little congregation, with the help of some outsiders, erected a large hewed-log church on the banks of Sugar creek, on land owned by Daniel Bush, which was dedicated as a Methodist Protestant church, but which was named Union church, as it was understood that when not occupied by the Methodist Protestant denomi- nation it was to be free to all and any other churches. The membership in- creased very slowly.
About the year 1856 it was thought best for the convenience of some of the members to divide the class, which was accordingly done, and the branch organization held services in what was called the Coile school house, two miles north of the church, till 1863, when the society erected an elegant frame church on the farm of Isaac Coile, near the Coile cemetery on the Plymouth pike, and named it Sugar Creek chapel from the name of the creek on whose banks it stood. The members remaining in the class at Mount Olive, con- sidering the old church too much dilapidated for further use, in 1863 selected a site on the farm of Samuel Coile, on the Wilmington pike, three miles west
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of Washington, on which, in 1864, they built a commodious frame church at a cost of seventeen hundred dollars.
Harmony church, on the Plymouth pike, six miles northwest of Wash- ington, is an outgrowth of the Mount Olive church.
The Methodist Protestant church at Jeffersonville was a part of the original circuit embracing five points, but is now reduced to points as follows : Jeffersonville, Spring Grove, Plain View and Blessings chapel. The church here was organized in 1829-30 by Rev. A. H. Trumbel. It now has a mem- ber in the person of Father Wallace Creamer, who is ninety-six years old and has been a member in this church for seventy-seven years. He lives just west of Jeffersonville. The society at Jeffersonville erected a church in 1874 which served well until 1901, when the present large red brick edifice was con- structed and is valued at twenty thousand dollars. The 1914 membership is two hundred and thirty-one. A good frame parsonage is on the next lot adjoining the church lot. Among the ministers who have faithfully served are Reverends Kingsley, Jonathan Flood, O. P. Stevens, James Baker, Reuben Rose, Ravenscroft, J. P. Williams, S. S. Fleming, J. F. Hedrick, E. H. Wood- worth, J. E. Bailey, J. Shepard, J. Webster, M. M. Campbell, M. R. Stover, E. W. Price, B. B. Courtwright and C. B. Doty, the present pastor.
Of the Washington circuit it may be stated that it contains five preaching points and societies within Fayette county. These are situated as follows : Mt. Olive, where a church was erected in 1864, and now valued at five hun- dred dollars. Here a new church is in course of erection. The membership is seventy. At Milledgeville, a church was built in 1882, value two thousand five hundred dollars ; membership about twenty at this date. At Harmony, a church was built about 1877; present membership, fifty. Pleasant Valley, between 1865 and 1868, a society was formed; present membership, about seventy. At White Oak Grove a church was formed before the Civil-war period. It now has a membership of one hundred and fifty. These build- ings are all frame structures. Then there is one more church of this denom- ination in the county, that at White Oak, Madison township; its membership is now very small and it is supplied from Jeffersonville now.
THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH.
This church is the creature of the fifth missionary district of the Ohio Missionary Society. It is a mission of the district board. They instructed J. C. Irvin to go to Washington and make a reconnoisance. He visited all
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members in the city and established preaching temporarily in the Baptist church. This was continued for five months.
In December, 1874, Rev. W. W. Sawyer and Mr. Irvin joined in a union service of Baptists and Disciples, which meeting lasted one week; an intercommunion service was held and friendly relations cultivated. This year several sermons were preached in the city hall.
During the next winter, Elder Robert Moffett, state evangelist, of Cleve- land, Ohio, held a meeting of three weeks in the Baptist house of worship, which was well attended. The interest, good from the beginning, increased to the close. At this meeting two young ladies were added to the church.
The board, encouraged by this meeting, determined to make the mission permanent. J. C. Irvin was continued in the management. His health fail- ing, however, he was not able to preach and was compelled to abandon active work. During the year 1878 he held Bible service and social meetings in the temperance hall. These meetings began as early as November, 1877, and were held regularly thereafter.
The organization dates from April 6, 1879. There were but six mem- bers present, whose names were J. C. Irvin, Mrs. J. C. Irvin, Miss Jennie Davis, Mrs. Maggie C. Hess, Mrs. Julia Benjamin and S. Eldan Irvin. In November, 1880, a Sunday school was organized in the city hall and the meet- ings removed to that place.
In 1884 the society erected the present brick edifice on the corner of East Temple and North streets. It has served until the present, but is entirely too small for the rapidly-increasing congregation, and plans are maturing for the building of a more modern and a much larger church building. The present membership is over four hundred and the Sunday school is more than three hundred and growing monthly. Rev. Bowman Hosttler, present pastor, has been connected here since 1910. He was preceded by Reverends Wingerd and W. H. Bowden, the last named being pastor for five years.
The only other church of this denomination in Fayette county is the one at Pleasant View, in the midst of an excellent farming community not far from Jeffersonville. The society does not have a regular minister at present, but is supplied by that grand old man, Rev. J. O. Flax, who is a wealthy land owner of that section, and has preached this doctrine for more than thirty years for this congregation. This church was formed in 1877 and a building at once erected and is still in use. The membership in 1881 was reported eighty-four.
In Marion township this denomination organized a church near New
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Holland, and under peculiar trials, as they had to contend with the warring elements of the Baptist, United Brethren and Methodists. In 1858 a real church organization was finally effected at a school house. They were then usually styled Campbellites or Disciples. A Sunday school was not formed until 1874.
THE UNITED BRETHREN CHURCHES.
About 1831 a society of this denomination was organized at the house of David Turnipseed, and various home meetings were held until 1850, when the Otterbein chapel was built in Marion township. During the Civil War this society went down, but in 1881, when a Methodist church was built this society held frequent meetings. A frame church was built, as noted already, and a general conference of the denomination was held therein in the autumn of 1850. Among the delegates present was one colored preacher, who, on account of race prejudice, had hard work to secure boarding accommodations, but was finally taken care of by Mr. and Mrs. Fuller Hess, of the community, he being a leader in the Christian church. A Sabbath school was formed in 1851, with Thomas Roseboom as its first superintendent. This denomina- tion largely united with the Christian and Methodist Protestant denomina- tions in later years.
BAPTIST CHURCHES.
In Madison township, the Baptist society organized a church July 17, 1813, being among the oldest churches in Fayette county. The charter men- bers were Samuel, Lucretia and Caleb Gaskill, Peter Timmons, Lettie Pan- coast, Barzilla Rozel. Polly Rozel and Sarah Vandaler. Thomas Crabb and Catherine Blue were baptized into this church in October, 1813. Rev. Isaac McHenry was the first pastor called and commenced in 1813. After three years the society was without a pastor for eight years, but not long after this Rev. J. B. Moore, of Kentucky, was called and served twenty-five years as pastor. From the date of formation of the church up to 1829 services were held at the homes of various members, and from that year on to 1844 a school house was occupied. Later John Messmore erected a suitable church for the congregation, at Waterloo. Its cost was eight hundred dollars.
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