East OhioConferenceHistorian's Page
East Ohio Conference Historian
William Drown E-MAIL bdrown@woh.rr.com As historian I am available to be a resource to the Local Church Historian in East Ohio and am happy to advise them on maintaining and persevering their local church history. I can also assist in research in the Roy B. Leedy Collection that he assembled while compiling the book "The Evangelical Church in Ohio" which was published in 1959. This is one of most extensive collections on the Evangelical Church in Ohio and the individuals that were important in its historyI am the curator of this collection housed at the Seybert Museum and Archives housed in Seybert United Methodist Church Bellevue Ohio. I work with the collection on many Wednesdays but you should contact me before coming to confirm that I will be there/
The Conference has one United Methodist Heritage Landmark within its bounds. A Heritage Landmark is a structure or location specifically related to events or personalities in the overall history of the United Methodist Church. The Bishop John Seybert/Flat Rock area cluster Heritage Landmark is located near Bellevue and consists of 9 sites related to Bishop Seybert the first Bishop of the Evangelical Association and was approved by the 1992 General Conference. The East Ohio Conference Historic Site number 155 - is Tiffin St. Paul's United Methodist Church located at 46 Madison St. Tiffin, Ohio was built in 1874. St. Paul's enjoys a unique distinction in it's lighting system. The Tiffin Edison Electric Illuminating Company plant erected in the fall of 1883, was the third central station plant in the USA. In December 1883 during completion of the second floor sanctuary, the church was wired for electric lights - the first church in the world to be lighted by the Edison electric light. The Edison Electric Light Company of New York Presented to the church the ornate Brass chandelier still in use today. For more information or tours please contact St. Paul's United Methodist Church, P. O Box 817, Tiffin, OH 44883 Phone (419)447-1743. Site number 163 - Hopewell United Methodist Church. This site is important because in 1785 The American General Butler refers to "The Sect called Methodists. In 1787 Circuit rider George Callahan preached the first Methodist sermon of record in the Northwest Territory. in 1798 the First Methodist Church in Eastern Ohio was built at Hopewell. In 1803 the first ordination in Ohio, of record, Bishop Francis Asbury ordained Rev. John Wrinshall on September 10, 1803 in Hopewell Church. In 1803 the First Methodist Meeting house in eastern Ohio was consecrated here by Bishop Francis Asbury September,11. The log church became too small by the growing congregation and was replaced in 1844 by a brick structure. The Ohio Conference cane was carved from logs from the original structure. The cane is presented to the oldest United Methodist minister in a ceremony at Annual Conference. Hopewell is located on Co. Rd. 4 and Rush Run Rd. near Rayland, Ohio on the Ohio River. Tours may be arranged by calling the pastor at (614)859-6339. Historic Site number 201 - Bishop Seybert Memorial Cottage at Linwood Park Vermillion, Ohio, this cottage was built in 1949 with the money that had been collected by the Ohio Conference of the Evangelical Church for the purpose of restoring the Old Stone Church at Flat Rock Ohio. Stones including the cornerstone were used to build a large fireplace in the historical room there. East Ohio Conference sold this cottage in 1994 and it is now in private hands. Cornerstone has been brought back to the Bishop Seybert Museum in Bellevue, Ohio. Historic Site number 202 - Bishop
Seybert Gravesite Flat Rock Ohio Historic Site number 245 - The Greensburg Historic Site Cluster is a 12-site group with the Greensburg Emanuel United Methodist Church, 2161 Greensburg Road, Greensburg, Ohio as the central point. The cluster includes the site of the First Evangelical Church building in Ohio, The Greensburg Seminary site as well as the former dormitory site, The site of the Highland Park Campground of the United Evangelical Church and the Klinefelter Cemetery. The Greensburg Cemetery Thursby Rd. which is the site of the original church. The Conrad Dillman home. Historic Site number 260 - The Bishop John Seybert/Flat Rock Cluster Historic Site Historic Site number 306 - Epworth-Euclid United Methodist Church. The Epworth League was Organized here. In 1889 a United Conference for the Five Youth Societies across the U. S. was convened at Central Methodist Church, Cleveland Ohio. The purpose of the conference was to unify the various youth groups under one organization. After two and half days of prayer and soul searching one organization, the name Epworth League was agreed upon and a constitution drafted. At the time of the union of the Evangelical United Brethren Church and the Methodist Church in 1968 there were some thirty thousand Methodist Epworth Leagues. After union the name was changed to United Methodist Youth Fellowship. The present church was built in 1928. Historic Site number 341 - Thoburn United Methodist Church is dedicated to the memory of James Mills and Isabella Thoburn, a brother and sister whose rich legacy is deeply rooted in Belmont County. While it is not unusual for such distinction to be made by churches and congregation, the Thoburns' contribution were extraordinary. Isabella was the First Methodist woman missionary sent on her own to the mission field sponsored by the Women's Foreign Missionary Society which would later become the United Methodist Women. East Ohio Conference Web Sites
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Thomas E.O. Conf. Historian |
