USA > Ohio > Franklin County > Columbus > History of the city of Columbus, Ohio, from the founding of Franklinton in 1797, through the World War period to the year 1920 > Part 34
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In May, 1831, a lot was bought on Front street north of Mound and here the Baptist Church in Columbus built its first regular meeting house, which was occupied for the first time on May 6, 1832. A month later a Sabbath school was organized. The next year the First Regular Baptist Church of Columbus was legally incorporated, with George Jeffries, James Turner, and William A. Morse as the first board of trustees.
Owing to the formation in 1823 of the Welsh Baptist Church under the leadership of Rev. John Harris the growth of both churches remained slow until the two were consoli- dated in August, 1835, by Rev. T. R. Cressy of Massachusetts. Elder Jeffries disagree- ing with those who favored union, withdrew and was given his letter of dismissal. In 1835 a lot was bought at the corner of Rich and Third streets where a more ambitions edifice was erected but not entirely completed until 1840, at a cost of $14,000. Meanwhile services were held in the lower part of the structure.
A succession of zealous pastors wrestled with the difficulties which attended the Baptist Church of Columbus for the next few years, which nevertheless continued to grow and expand, branching out to various parts of the city. The mother church is now located on Broad street opposite Jefferson avenne, and is one of the most beautiful church edifices in the city. The pastor is Rev. Dr. Daniel F. Rittenhouse.
An attempt was made in 1852 to organize a Central Baptist church, but after a feeble existence of three years it disbanded and the members returned to the First Baptist Church, where they had previously worshipped. A similar result attended the Predesti- marian branch of the Baptist Church in Columbus, organized by Tunis Peters in the late thirties. It lasted until 1856 when the building erected for it by Mr. Peters was lost to the branch which was soon after disbanded also.
The first work of the Baptist Church on the north side had its origin in 1866 in a Sunday school organized by several earnest young people, this being later surrendered to the Presbyterians. In 1870 the First Baptist Church started a mission at the home of William Wallace on Summit street. Later the school moved to the Courtright building on North High street, and in the spring of 1871 a lot was bought on East Russell street where a neat frame church was erected at a cost of $1,200. This continued as a mission until 1881 when the North, later called the Russell Street Baptist Church, now the Central, was organized, a large number of its members being those who had worshipped at the First Baptist Church. The first pastor was Rev. A. L. Jordan. In 1881 under the pas- torate of Rev. G. F. McFarlan, a new structure was built and that, in 1916, was much enlarged and beautified.
A Sunday school also was the original foundation of Hildreth Baptist Church. This was organized in 1870 by several members from the First Church in a little briek school on North Twentieth street. Growth was slow at first but with the extension of this scetion
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of the city many strong members were acquired. In 1884 the Sunday school moved to a room on Mt. Vernon avenue where it grew more rapidly. The next year through the gener- osity of Mr. Abel Hildreth, a substantial brick church was built at the corner of Twentieth and Atcheson streets and was dedicated on August 25, 1885. Rev. J. S. Cleveland, or- dained the same day, became its first pastor. Among his successors in the pulpit have been Rev. J. A. Snodgrass, Rev. Adam Fawcett and Rev. L. M. Darnell.
On the West Side the first mission work of the Baptist Church, which eventuated into Memorial Baptist Church, was started in October, 1885, when a Sunday school was started in the upper part of a business block on West Broad street. The school soon outgrew its quarters and a second room was secured, only to be outgrown also when removal was made to a store room on the ground floor. Preaching services were held in addition to the Sunday school and the attendance grew until in 1889 the room they occupied was destroyed by fire. The Methodists offered the little gathering the use of their tabernacle further west on Broad street, and here they worshipped until the organization of the Memorial Baptist Church and their occupation of a neat structure at the corner of Sandusky and Shepherd streets, bought and given by Mr. Abel Hildreth in memory of his wife. It had formerly been the United Brethren Church and had also at one period been used as a Catholic church. Rev. H. A. Nixon was the first pastor. The present pastor is Rev. G. R. Robbins.
The first missionary effort of the North Baptist or Russell street church was made in 1890, when a Sunday school was established in a storeroom at 1547 North High street near Tenth avenue. The same year a church was organized and formally recognized in 1891. Rev. E. F. Roberts was the first pastor. For a time the members worshipped in a room further north on High street and later during the pastorate of Rev. Alfred E. Isaac, were able to build a handsome temple on Tenth avenue, west of High. The church is prosperous and growing, located as it is, in a pretty and growing part of the city. The present pastor is Rev. V. S. Phillips.
The Second Baptist Church (colored) was set off from the First Church in 1836, though it was not regularly organized until October 18, 1839. One of the noted pastors of this church was the Rev. James Poindexter, a man revered alike by the white as well as the colored residents of the city. The church is now located on Seventeenth street and the pastor is Rev. W. E. Moore.
Shiloh Baptist Church, colored, was organized in 1871. The members worshipped in a building on East Long street until they bought the old Christie Chapel on Cleveland avenue. A fine new church was erected here in 1884.
Union Grove Baptist Church (colored) came into existence in 1886 as a Sunday school organized under a tree near the corner of Hughes and Baker streets. Services were held later in a log cabin on Mt. Vernon avenue. Organization was effected in 1888 with twenty members from the Second Baptist Church, Rev. W. E. Nash was the first pastor. A church was finally built on Champion avenue near Main street.
A Sunday school started on East Fifth avenue in the fall of 1882 was the origin of the Bethany Baptist Colored Church. It was a union school and in 1889 the Baptists with- drew and held services of their own at the house of James Jackson. They proceeded to build a frame church the same year and two years later the church was organized and Rev. R. C. Minor called to the pastorate. In 1891 this frame building was moved from the leased ground on which it stood to a permanent location at the corner of Fourth avenue and Sixth.
The Holy Pilgrim branch of the Baptist church, organized on the North Side, is now located at 199 East Naghten street.
The Hillcrest Baptist Church, west of the State Hospital, was organized in 1918 by members of the First Church residing in that vicinity. A lot was bought and a building erected on Eldon avenue, and services begun with a membership of about 100.
Congregational.
Congregationalism began in Ohio as early as 1796 when the first Congregational church was established in Marietta, but its progress was not rapid, owing to the fact that the New Englanders of that persuasion who came west joined with the Presbyterians in preference to establishing churches of their own. Several tentative congregations were organized throughout Ohio only to be merged into the Presbyterian church. The oldest in this vicinity
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was probably the little church at Hartford, Licking county which was organized in 1818. The next fifteen years were barren of Congregational endeavor. Then the great anti- slavery agitation which led to the foundation of Oberlin with its church and college, stirred the churches of Northern Ohio to their very foundations and led to the formation of many new churches on a more liberal basis, some as Congregationalists and some as Free Presby- terians. It was in the course of this upheaval that many of the Welsh Congregational churches in Central Ohio came into existence, among them the Welsh Church in Columbus, established in 1837. In many places these warmhearted earnest Christians, full of sympa- thy for the downtrodden and oppressed, met with bitter opposition and even persecution. This naturally led to a closer union among themselves; and resulted in the formation of the Congregational Association of Central Ohio, now known as the Central Ohio conference of the Congregational Church. This was organized August 13, 1861, as Columbia Center, Lick- ing county, the First Congregational Church in Columbus taking an active part in the work of organization.
Just after the middle of the deeade preceding the Civil War the First Congregational Church of Columbus took on its present form. It originated in an offshoot of the Presby- terian church then located on Third street south of State, and it was designed to occupy the field lying north of Broad street. At a preliminary meeting held in March 1852 it was decided to purchase a lot on the northeast corner of Third street and Lynn alley. Here a frame chapel was built for the new congregation under the pastoral care of Rev. William H. Marble, who had been working in the interest of the new enterprise. The chapel was dedicated July 11, 1852, and on the 29th the church organization was effected with Mr. L. L. Rice as president and Mr. Warren Jenkins secretary. The original members were 12, bearing letters of dismissal from the Second Presbyterian church. Under Mr. Marble's charge the church prospered both spiritually and financially. Though Presbyterian in name and form of government and under the eare of a Presbyterian minister, the church was never connected with a Presbytery and showed at the start a leaning toward the Con- gregational order. In 1854 the vigorous young ehureh began taking steps for the building of a new meeting house but the resignation of the pastor and various financial difficulties eon- spired to postpone this work until 1856 when Rev. J. M. Steele of Stratham, N. H., became the pastor. On November 3 of that year the church decided unanimously to assume the name and form of a Congregational Church. The first officers of the reconstructed church were: MI. B. Bateham, J. W. Hamilton, L. L. Riee, S. B. Stanton, deacons; L. L. Rice, clerk ; T. S. Baldwin, treasurer. The first board of trustees consisted of Dr. R. J. Patterson, T. S. Baldwin and F. C. Sessions.
The next year it was decided to build a new church on Broad faeing Capitol square. In 1857 Mr. Steele went east to secure material aid and in the course of his trip contracted smallpox and died in New York. Though grievously distressed by their great loss the mem- bers of the church went forward with their building enterprise and by December 27 of that year the church was ready for dedieation. It stood on the rear of the lot and was a suitable and attractive edifice. Rev. Nathaniel A. Hyde began to occupy the pulpit on December 6, 1857. The church grew in power and membership under the guiding care of many sueccss- ful pastors until in 1872 its growth warranted the ereetion of an addition which gave a commodious main auditorium and additional Sunday school room. This same year was sig- malized by the arrival, as pastor, of Rev. R. G. Hutchins, of Brooklyn, N. Y., who eon- tinued in the pulpit for ten years and under whose wise direction the church throve im- mensely, paving the way for the wonderful reign of the Rev. Washington Gladden. Dr. Gladden came to the First Congregational Church on December 24, 1882, beginning a fruitful pastorate which ended only with his death in 1918, a period of thirty-six remarkably suc- cessful years. He took his place at onee as a power in the city, both spiritually and as a civic factor, to which his growing fame as an author added strength and influence.
In 1886 the church was remodeled, improved and refurnished throughout, making it one of the most attractive and commodious houses of worship in the eity. In the course of its history this church has given from its membership a large number of young men to the ministry and to missionary and other religious endeavor and has done great things for the religious growth of the city. The church is also represented in Foreign Missionary work. For some time before his death Dr. Gladden was pastor emeritus and the regular work was in charge of Dr. Carl S. Patton, who was succeeded in 1918 by Rev. Irving Maurer.
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Plymouth Church had its origin in 1872 when eleven members of the First Congregational Church met to form another church in the northern part of the city. The organization was effected the following Mareh and the new congregation worshipped temporarily in the Bap- tist ehapel on Russell street, with Rev. S. M. Merrill as pastor. A temporary ehureh was soon built on High street and by December of the same year the basement of a more ambi- tious edifice was roofed in and ready for services. The church for several years had slow growth owing to heavy finaneial troubles with which a sueeession of zealous pastors had to wrestle. Among these were Rev. F. W. Gunsaulus, afterward widely known as a Chieago divine, Rev. Casper W. Hiatt and Rev. Alexander Milne. In the spring of 1891 finding itself in a prosperous condition the ehureh decided to change its location and also its name. With the sale of the High street property and the purchase of a lot on West Fourth avenue it beeame known as Plymouth Church. It now occupies a beautiful edifiee and is a strong and thriving church. The pastor now in charge is Rev. Wm. A. Warren.
The Third Congregational Church was organized in 1872, growing ont of a union Sunday school formed in the Piqua railroad shops in 1866. A frame eliapel had been built in 1867 on the rear of a lot on West Goodale street donated by Robert S. Neil, and as the population in that quarter increased there seemed to be a call for a regular preaeher and the establishment of a ehureh, which was effeeted in 1872, largely through the efforts of Rev. Lysander Kelsey. The enterprise did not prosper, however, and though the Sunday sehool was kept up for many years the ehureh was formally disbanded in 1887, the members going to the High Street Congregational ehureh.
The Congregational Church of North Columbus had its beginning in 1870 or 1871, in a small Sunday school organized by Rev. Joseph Harris of the M. E. Church. Meetings were first held in a public school and steps were taken soon for the ereetion of a ehureh building. It was to have been a Methodist church, but the presiding elder refused his eonsent for the ereetion of another ehureh so near the one in Clintonville. The supporters of the new ehureh sought other help, which was given them by the First Congregational Chureh. Thus encouraged they met in December, 1874, and adopted the name of the Congregational Church of North Columbus, building a church forthwith which was dedieated on June 13, 1875. A month later it was formally recognized by a eouneil of the Congregational Church. Growth here was slow owing to so many other denominations in the same field, but the different pastors in charge were full of zeal and with the ineumbeney of Rev. J. Porter Milligan, who began his labors in July, 1899, a fresh impetus was given to the work of the society. The attendanee at serviees and Sunday school inereased and the church grew in power and numbers. The present pastor is Rev. P. L. Blake.
Eastwood ehapel, a small brick edifice on Twenty-first street was dedicated on October 15. 1876, and a Sunday school organized the week following. So well was the Chapel sustained that by 1877 an addition was built and the Sunday school under union auspices throve greatly. The first regular pastor was Rev. F. W. Gunsaulus, a young Methodist minister of Chillicothe, who took charge in 1879, though serviees had been held at intervals by pastors from other city churches. This year the chapel was again enlarged and in 1882 under Rev. Irving Metealf the church was regularly organized and a constitution adopted. In 1890 lots were purchased on Twenty-first near Broad and later a handsome and substantial house of worship was erected. It now has a large and earnest membership and continues in the good work which it has always done, giving liberally to benevolent eauses and missionary endeavors. Rev. D. F. Bent is the pastor in charge.
Mayflower Church had its inception in the spring of 1886 when a Sunday school was opened in a storeroom at 898 East Main street, which grew and developed to such an extent that in 1888 a lot was seeured at the corner of Main and Ohio avenue, adjoining a lot donated by Mr. F. C. Sessions. On this lot a chapel was built and occupied by February, 1889, in which for some time Dr. Gladden preached every Sunday. In April it was found expedient to proceed to the formation of a Congregational Church in connection with May- flower chapel and this was accordingly done, the Mayflower Congregational Church being duly incorporated June 10, 1889. The church has a flourishing Sunday school, an active Young People's Society and a Christian Endeavor. A reading room and gymnasium was built and now a beautiful edifice rears its stately head at the corner of Ohio avenue and Main street, with a devoted membership. The pastor in charge is Rev. F. L. Graff.
In December, 1837, the Welsh Congregational Church was organized in Columbus with
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12 members. For many years its membership continued small, and because of taking coun- sel with Dr. Hoge of the First Presbyterian Church it was erroneously known as the Welsh Presbyterian Church. During the first seven years it worshipped in several different places and there were numerous changes of pastors. In 1845 the congregation built a frame meeting house on Town street between Fifth and Sixth. From here the church moved to Gay street and Washington avenue where in 1890 a new brick church was erected and dedicated in May. 1891. On its roster are found the names of many of the most prominent Welsh people in Columbus. The pulpit is now occupied by Rev. E. L. Roberts.
The South Church has been in existence since 1890 when a Sunday school was organized by Mr. J. L. Bright, who was also instrumental in building a small frame chapel on South High street. Later ground was purchased at the corner of High and Stewart avenne for a more snitable church which was built in 1891. Mr. Bright, when regularly ordained, became the pastor and the church was recognized as the South Congregational Church. It grew and prospered from the first and great good was wrought by the earnest work of pastor and people. At this writing the pastor in charge is Rev. A. M. Meikle.
In the summer of 1890 through the efforts of Mr. George W. Bright and other mem- bers of the First Congregational Church, a neat frame chapel was built on the corner of St. Clair and Hoover avenues for the accommodation of those of Congregational leanings in that neighborhood. The chapel was dedicated on Sunday, September 25, with a sermon by Dr. Gladden. Rev. W. B. Marsh became pastor of the little church the following Decem- ber, in addition to his work as assistant pastor of the First Church. Rev. George P. Bethel took charge in 1892, holding Sunday services and weekly prayer meetings.
At present the Congregational churches in Columbus are as follows: First, Rev. Irving Maurer; North, Rev. P. L. Curtiss; Eastwood, Rev. D. F. Bent; Grandview Heights, Rev. O. C. Weist; Mayflower, Rev. Franklin L. Graff ; Plymouth, Rev. W. A. Warren; South, Rev. A. M. Meikle: Washington avenue (Welsh), Rev. E. Lloyd Roberts.
Disciples of Christ.
The Central Christian Church had its origin in prayer meetings held by a few persons in private houses during the month of October, 1870. On December 1 of the same year a small apartment for use as a Sunday school and prayer meetings was rented over Samuel's drug store on North High street. Here different elergymen conducted services until on April 1, 1871, the congregation rented a room in the Sessions block, corner High and Long streets. Rev. T. D. Garvin, of Cincinnati, accepted a call to the pastorate. At this time T. Ewing Miller was treasurer of the church. On March 7. 1872, the congregation decided to incorporate under the name of the Central Christian Church, known as the Disciples of Christ. A lot was bought at the corner of Third and Gay streets and a frame church quickly erected. A brick edifice succeeded it in 1879 at a cost of $14,000. In time a change of location became advisable owing to the encroachments of business and the growth of the downtown scetion, and accordingly a lot was purchased on the corner of East Broad and Twenty-first street where a handsome church was built.
This denomination, with its variant, Church of Christ, has eight places of worship as follows: Broad Street Church of Christ, Rev. A. M. Haines, pastor; Chicago Avenue, Rev. C. A. Kleeberger; Linden Heights, Rev. W. O. Roush: South Church, Rev. R. F. Strickler ; West Fourth Avenue, Rev. T. L. Lowe; Wilson Avenue, Rev. J. J. Tisdall; Indianola, Willard A. Guy ; Hilltop, J. N. Johnston; First Christian Church, West Fifth avenue. Rev. H. Russell Jay, pastor.
Universalist.
A few scattered members of the Universalist Church were located in Columbus in the early forties and gave eager welcome to the traveling evangelists of that denomination who visited the young city. By the winter of 1813-44 the number of these seemed to warrant the formation of a society and accordingly on January 1, 1844, forty-three people met and organized the First Universalist Church of Columbus. Occasional services were held in the St. Paul's German Church on South Third street, which they afterward purchased. On March 29, 1845, the Society was legally incorporated and by October was supporting its own pastor, Rev. N. Doolittle. The membership gradually increased under a succession of hard- working pastors. In 1884 the property on South Third street was sold to the Masons and
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a lot bought on State street, on the rear of which a Sunday school and chapel were built. Later a commodious stone church was built and dedicated in May, 1891, under the pastorate of Rev. William Jones. At that period a handsome home for the pastor was pre- sented to the church by Mrs. Luey Stedman. One of the well known pastors of this ehureh was the Rev. E. L. Rexford, D. D. The present pastor is Rev. E. V. Stevens.
All Souls Church, Rev. E. L. Rexford, pastor, now worships in the Spiritualist (old Westminster Presbyterian) edifice at State and Sixth streets.
Independent Protestant Church
A desire on the part of a number of German Protestant citizens of Columbus for re- ligious services dissociated from the rites of the Lutheran and the Reformed German Protest- ant Churches, resulted in the formation in 1843 of the Independent Protestant German Church. The new congregation was at first organized at the home of Henry Waas, then known as the Canal Hotel. Rev. Mr. Zeller volunteered as the first pastor. The members went energetically to work and a church was built the same year on Mound street near Third. For a few years prosperity attended the undertaking, but in 1849 the congregation was re- duced to such financial straits that it was obliged to lease the church edifice to the Trinity Lutheran Society, in whose possession it remained until 1857. Meanwhile by prudent man- agement the congregation had paid off the indebtedness that had hampered it and in 1848 resumed occupation of its own church. A Sunday school was organized and a new pastor secured in the person of Rev. Edward Graf. One of the most prominent pastors of this church was the Rev. Christion Heddaeus, who filled the pulpit with great success for many vears. Until 1871 the church property was vested in a few members of the congregation who had paid for it, but at that time these men generously deeded the property to the con- gregation with the proviso that the encumbering debt be paid off. This was done and the church property reverted to the congregation. The present pastor is Rev. J. F. Meyer.
Friends.
The Society of Friends was organized in Columbus some time about the year 1870. The members held services in various places until the dedication of their own church on Ohio avenue on October 12, 1873, on which occasion many prominent visitors from other places were present. The Friends today in Columbus worship in these churches: Camp Chase, West Broad street; 1150 North Fourth street, Seth W. Osborn, pastor; Highland avenue, Rev. John Pennington, pastor ; Ogden avenue, Rev. D. H. Woods, pastor; Sullivant avenue.
United Brethren.
This denomination did not exist in Columbus in organized form until 1866, when its first church was erected on the south side of Town street between Fourth and Fifth. Rev. W. B. Davis was the first pastor. In 1876 Mr. Davis, after retiring from the First Church, organized the Olive Branch Church, an edifice for which was erceted near the railway shops.
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