CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH

The Story, Loral, and Past
HISTORIC SKETCH OF LOCAL CHURCH


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The Congregational Church of Conneaut, or, of Salem, as our city was formerly called, was organized April 14th, 1819. There were earlier services of our order, and members were received into a Congregational church long years before; but probably, through the first decade of the century, that church centered in Austinburg and radiated out over the sparsely settled country now embraced in the counties of Ashtabula, Lake, Geauga, and Trumbull. Sustaining this surmise is the published diary of Rev. Joseph Badger, pioneer preacher and plenipotentiary over the whole Western Reserve, a main of sterling character, marked by bigness of heart and of brain. From his diary we learn that as early as October, 1802, he held preaching services in Conneaut. A later entry reads as follows:

"January, 1804. Wednesday, rode to Conneaut, twenty-four miles; Thursday, wrote journals and letters; Friday, preached; Saturday, made family visits adn examined Thomas Montgomery and wife for admission to the church; Sabbath, preached twice, admitted the two persons into the church and baptized five of their children."

An entry made the following August gives account of a communion service, held in Austinburg, which was attended by many persons, whom he names, who lived in towns from five to fifty miles away. As Austinburg, founded in 1801, was the only church organized in the territory mentioned during the first decade, and, as the diary makes frequent mention of recieving into the church members residing in hamlets near and far away, together with the record of communion in Austinburg attended by many members who lived in other villages, all seems to warrant the opinion that Austinburg was the church of the district, of which in other villages there were outlying stations. This being the case we may with propriety date our Conneaut Congressionalism to the founding of the Austinburg church, October 24th, 1801.

As a local church our organization was perfected April 14th, 1819, with the following charter members: Ebenezar and Ada Buck, Robert Montgomery, Stephen Webb, Luther and Mary Jones, and Sarah Sanford by letter; on profession, Mrs. Robert Montgomery, Mrs. Julia Kennedy, and Miss Laura Buel. The services were held at the house of Robert Montgomery. The sermon was preached by Rev. E.T. Woodruff, the Rev. Joseph Badger and Giles H. Cowles taking the other parts.

The church was organized on the "Union Plan" -- a Congregational joined to a Prebytery. The result of this union was disasterous; our fate was that of a thousand other churches between the Hudson adn Mississippi rivers; the Presbytery was bigger than the church and in 1835 swallowed it. In due time reaction commenced, and the desire for a New Testament church increased, culminating December 30th, 1847, when by unanimous vote the church returned to the form of government purely Congregational and Apostolic; and form present indications, in view of past experiences, it is safe to affirm that we shall never pay fare to Tarishish again.

The foundation for the first church edifice was laid in June, 1826, seven years after the church was organized. Prior to this time religious services were held in school houses and private dwellings. Amid great personal sacrifice the building was completed in 1828, and in 1829 was solemly dedicated to the worship of God. Rev. Luther Humphrey, the first permanent pastor, preached the sermon. The builing was of brick, with a vestibule built of wood, and in architecture was almost an exact copy of King's Chapel, Boston. This site was beautiful for situation, on Liberty street, opposite Academy Park, overlooking the winding valley of Conenaut Creek. In time the growing village changed its center of life, and with it in 1873 the church moved to the location on the corner of Main and Buffalo streets.

It may be of interest to some of the older members of the church to know that at least the vestibule of the original church which stood on Liberty street on the present site of City Cemetery, is still in existance. When it was torn down this part of the old church was purchased by W.W. Hawke and moved down on Liberty Street, between Broad and Buffalo streets. The old church vestibule formed only half of the house, the other half being constructed to make the complete building. This house is still occupied by the Hawke family and stands on its original location giving mute testimony to the honesty and quality of material and workmanship of constructors of years agone.

The then new brick edifice at the corner of Main and Buffalo streets was erected in the year 1873 and finished in 1876. Sixteen hundred dollars was paid for the lot and the building cost about eighteen thousand dollars. The financial depresssion which swept over the country in 1873 sorely affected our community and made the tast of completing adn furnishing the new church one of heroic endeavor. This church was dedicated April 7, 1877, just a week before the fifty-sixth anniversery of the foundation of the church. Rev. Mr. W. Wolcott, of Cleveland, preached the dedicatory sermon.

Great credit for the completion of the plands for this church must be given to Rev. R.M. Keyes, then pastor of the church, and to the building committe composed of Hiram Judson, S.J. Smith, and M.D. Townsend, now of Columbus, and Geo. J. Record, of whom the last two named are the sole surviving members of the church. The members of this committe assumed personal repsonsibility for all debt contracted during this period of construction of the church. As before stated the panic of 1873 swept the country during the construction of this building and rendered the work of raising funds one of heroic endeavor. The church became so deeply in debt that the spire could not be built at the time nor could the auditorium be finished. An excursion to Niagra Falls was conducted in 1874 to pay off part of the debt. This was so successful, raising $1,142.36, that another, known as the Centennial Excursion, was made the next year in which $1,783.75 was again raised. Two thousand people made the trip adn told old church spire stood for many years as a monument to the memorial event. Before the auditorium was finished, however, the members of the congregation had to purchase the seats to raise funds. This was not sufficient so the titles to the church were reliquished and the members bought them over again. This was a great sacrifice to most as they had paid as high as five hundred dollars for the seats in the first place. By this means the auditorium was finally finished.

The death of Mrs. May Ellidia Record Findley, the only child of Mr. and Mrs. Record, took place January 18, 1905.

On November 23, 1905, announcement was made by Mr. Record of the purpose to erect the May Record-Findley Memorial. The cornerstone of this building was laid June 9, 1907, the addresses on this occasion being made by Rev. J.J. Pearce, Rev. J.H. Rankin, pastor, and Rev. J.R. Findley, a former pastor. The building was nearly four years in course of erection and on June 20, 1909, the dedication service was held. The address was given by Rev. W.J. Hutchins of the Oberlin Theological Seminary.

The Memorial was erected directly to the north of, and adjoining the old brick building. Upon completion of the the auditorium of the old church was, of course, abandoned, but the lower floor continued to be used as a kitchen and banquet hall.

On January 7, 1914, Mr. Record made an offer to the church to pay more than one-half the expense of a suitable annex to replace the old brick structure. An agreement in the matter was reached between Mr. Record and the church on January 20, 1915.

The church raised it approtionment of the expense by selling one thousand shares at twenty-five dollars each. For the most part these shares were purchased by individual members of the congregation and the various church organizations as bodies. Some shares were taken by former members of the church and society, by persons not members of the church and by some persons, who though not now local residents of Conneaut, still have a deep interest in the local church. All shares are to be paid for in the next three years.

The work of raizing the old church was commenced April 12, 1915, (the spire, having been condemned, had been torn down some time before). A farewell prayer meeting was held in the beloved old building Wednesday evening, April seventh, at which service many reminiscences were related by the older members adn it must be confessed, but not with shame, that not a few tears were shed for the passing of the old church whihc was so dear to the hearts of many and which held countless memories of joy and sadness, sunlight, and shadow, and toil and endeavor in the Master's cause.

Work on the new building was commenced and has progressed more than satisfactory until it is rapidly nearing completion. As this book goes to press it is expected that the structure will be completed early in 1916.

This building, like the memorial, is constructed of New Bedford Oolitic stone and the exterior and interior line throughout with marble.

The Memorial contains and auditorium and balcony, which combined seat 700 person, gymnasium, with hot and cold shower baths for both ladies adn men, public reading room, ladies' committee room and pastor's study. The entire building is beautifully finished with marble stairs and wainscoting tile floors and harmoniously upholstered chairs. The rostrum is marble inlaid and has a marble pulpit. The pipe organ is of mahogan with gold leaf pipes. All windows are made of exquisetly stained art glass with two large especially beautiful pictoral windows, one at either side of the rostrum. The one depicts the announcement to the shepards of the birth of Christ and the other the three women at the tomb after the ressurection of Christ. In the tower is a set of twenty bell chimes, the first twenty bell set ever made by this manufacturer.

Floor Layout
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Basement


Ground Level


Upper Level

The annex when completed will contain entrance, halls, kitchen, infant department, gymnasium, dressing rooms, baths, lockers and check rooms, dining room on the first floor, parlors on the second, and janitor's room, store rooms, boiler and fuel rooms in the basement. The hallways on either floor connect with those of the Memorial.

The three front upper windows in the May Record-Findley Memorial Chapel Annex will "Christ, the Good Shepard." The middle window will be beautifully wrought out of art glass Christ holding in His arms a lamb while in the windows on either side will be seen the sheep.

The completed building, of which no city the size of Conneaut and many larger cities can boast none more magnificent, will be present in appearance, both inside and out, of unsurpassed beauty and utility, and such as the community in general and the congregation in particular may well feel the special pride in generations to come.

The membership of the church and Sunday school at this time is the largest in its history, the former numbering about 500 and the latter well over that.


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