Bishop John Seybert
Flat Rock Area Cluster Heritage Landmark

There are nine distinct points on the Heritage Landmark all located in the Bellevue/Flat Rock Area.

1) Seybert United Methodist Church and Museum. This is the only UM Church named after Bishop Seybert anywhere. He was the First Bishop of the Evangelical Association. On display here are many things related to Bishop Seybert including his wagon. A large roadside Ohio Bicentennial Marker honoring Bishop Seybert and the Importance of Circuit Riders in the development of the United Methodist Church stands in the front yard.

2) The Parker Home. The Parker family was one of the early Evangelical pioneer families and their home became a preaching place for ministers of the denomination. Bishop Seybert died in January of 1860 while visiting in this home. The Parker Home was demolished several years ago.

3) The Bishop Seybert Cemetery where The Bishop is buried was started in 1841 and is still used today. Many of the early Evangelical pioneers of the area are buried here as well as orphans that died in the Ebenezer Orphans Home of North America.

4) The site of the Old Stone Church is just east of the cemetery and across the road. This church was built in 1841 and housed the General Conference of the denomination in 1851. This conference established the first foreign mission as well as the Indiana and the Pittsburgh Conferences here. Bishop Seybert's funeral was held here the site is now marked with a historical marker.

5) Flat Rock Home and Care Center formerly the Ebenezer Orphans Home. The orphans home was begun in 1866 in Tiffin, Ohio and moved to Flat Rock, Ohio in 1868. It was the only orphans home of the Evangelical Denomination for years and brought children here from all over the country. It's current mission statement is to provide rehabilitation, education and treatment services for children and adults with moderate mental retardation, who may exhibit behavior problems; and, to do so within a residential environment that fosters Christian values.

6) The Daniel Wonder Home built in 1836 by Daniel Wonder and his family. It was the original site of the Flat Rock Class meetings and was also used as lodging for the delegates to the many conferences held in the Old Stone Church. Daniel Wonder then received the call to enter the ministry and moved to Carey, Ohio and became a Circuit Rider.

7) Ebenezer United Methodist Church Flat Rock Ohio. This congregation started in the Old Stone Church. It's roots lead back to McClure, Pennsylvania to the First Evangelical Church west of the Susquehanna River.

8) The town of Flat Rock, Ohio was founded in 1841 as a colony of Evangelical pioneers from the Thomas Class in McClure, PA. Many of the pioneers were the original converts of Jacob Albright, the founder of the Evangelical Church.

9) The Detterman Log Church built in 1848 near Republic, Ohio is one of a few original log churches in existence in Ohio. It is of an unusual mortise-tendon construction and has been restored at Historic Lyme Village. Sunday Morning church services are held here mid-June to mid-September at 8:00 AM. Contact William Drown or Seybert United Methodist Church 442 W. Main St., Bellevue, OH. for more information.

• William Down's history page

• East Ohio Conference Historian

• Ritter Library, Baldwin Wallace College, Berea, Ohio

• Archives of Ohio United Methodism

William Drown -- bdrown@woh.rr.com
 

Updated Page 1/30/2007
Copyright © 1997/2007 William Drown, E.O. Conf. Historian