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Pg. 386]
BAPTIST. - A Baptist church was
organized in Rossville, in 1829, on South B street.
The First Baptist church was organized in 1841, as a
branch of the Lockland church, but did not become an
independent church until 1844, when a church was built,
situated on Third street, south of Dayton street.
This edifice, cost three thousand dollars, and was
occupied until 1858. The property was sold at this
time, and the congregation began worshipping in the
present building on Court street. The original
membership was twelve. Dr. Laomi Rigdon,
Aaron Potter and James Shotwell, were the
organizers. The following ministers have served
the congre-
[Page 387 -
gation. J. F. Blodgett, W. H. Rooney, William
Ashmore, H. M. Richardson, J. M. Pendleton, R. V. W.
Snow, R. Telford, N. A. Reed, Thomas Hanford, W. A.
Smith, Thomas Eddy, W. R. Dennis, Charles Huckleberry,
Frank McFarlan and H. N.
Quisenberry.
CONGREGATIONAL -
The First Congregational church was
organized in 1894. Service were conducted in the
Fourth ward school house for a year. Afterward a
small, but handsome church edifice was erected on Sycamore street, near the corner of Seventh.
Rev. G. Z. Mechling, pastor.
SHARON WICK's NOTE:
CLICK HERE
to see what might be the old church.
DISCIPLES OF CHRIST.
- The Church of Christ was originally organized on the
West Side in the old United Brethren church building.
Afterward the congregation erected a fine building at
the northeast
corner of High and Center streets.
EPISCOPAL.
- Hamilton and Rossville have had to Episcopal church
organizations named St. Matthew. One was organized
in 1823, and the other in 1834. In August of the
lat mentioned year Rev. Ethan Allen was appointed
rector.
On Easter Monday, Apr. 20, 1835, a meeting of the
members was held at the residence of Isaac Howe,
in Rossville. At this meeting a resolution was
adopted, accepting the act passed by the Legislature of
Ohio, entitled, "an act to incorporate the wardens and
vestrymen of the parish of St. Matthew's church in the
towns of Hamilton and Rossville, in the County of
Butler.
On Apr. 22, 1835, a meeting of the wardens and
vestrymen was held. It appeared that a contract
for a lot whereon to build a church had been made and
that a subscription had been raised sufficient to
justify them in adopting measures for the immediate
prosecution of the contemplated building. Isaac
Howe, William A. King, George Keck, P. F. Nardin and
Lewis D. Campbell were appointed as a building
committee. Rev. Ethan Allen, of Christ
Church, Dayton, Ohio, on Oct. 31, 1835, made the
following report to the Episcopal convention:
[Page 388 -
"In St.
Matthew's church, Hamilton and Rossville, Butler county,
thirteen communicants have been added, and three removed
making the present number nineteen; and five children
have been baptised. I have preached here
twenty-two times and administered the Communion thrice;
the first time to fifteen and the second to twenty-two.
This church is gaining ground, and affords much
encouragement. The erection of a Gothic edifice of
brick for public worship, sixty feet by fourty,
has been commenced; and the walls are now nearly up, and
will soon be covered in. The site is
exceedingly eligible; no better could have been
obtained. The corner-stone was laid by me on the
twenty-second of last month. The Lord has been
pleased to favor this little vine much. He has
renewed the hearts of some and given the cause which
they have espoused favor in the eyes of others.
Social worship, at which service is performed and a
sermon read, is attended every Sabbath; the labors of a
pastor are much needed."
The building
above referred to was erected on the lot now occupied by
St. Mary's Roman Catholic church. The edifice was
sold under legal proceedings, as the parish was unable
to pay for the same. After a long lapse of time
the congregation purchased a church edifice on the west
side of Third street, one-half square south of Dayton
street. Here the church flourished for years.
In 1893, the parish erected the Trinity church, a fine
and modern building at the northwest corner of Sixth and
Butler streets. Rev. Frederic E. J. Lloyd,
Rector; Wardens, Harrison Lieb and William C.
Rinearson; Vestrymen, Robert M. Elliott,
Alexander Gordon, H. L. Morey, Frank E. Brandt
and Estes G. Rathbone.
EVANGELICAL GERMAN PROTESTANT -
On Jan. 6, 1837, this congregation
purchased the First Presbyterian church property.
The trustees were: Daniel Beaver, Christian
Rothenbush and August Breitenbach. In
1838 these trustees transferred the property to Jacob
Rupp, Peter Jacobs and Frederick
Gressle, for the exclusive purpose of a German
church. During the brief period intervening, both
English and German services had been held. The
first pastor was Rev. George Reiss. He was
succeeded by the Rev. Rosenfeld, who remained
until 1841. During the succeeding twenty-nine
years, the church had seventeen pastors. In
September 1866, Rev. C. A. Herrmann took charge
and organized the congregation anew. The
[Pg. 389]
old chuch church was torn down and the
present building was erected. He was succeeded by
the Rev. Phillip Stempel, who remained until
1888. In 1887, the congregation celebrated its
semi-centennial. In March, 1883, Rev. C. A.
Herrmann returned to the pastorate where he still
officiates.
EVANGELICAL -
St. Paul's German Evangelical
Church is located on the south side of
Campbell avenue,
between Seventh and Eighth streets. Rev. F. J.
Doren, Pastor. It is an offshoot of the church of
St. John's.
JEWISH SYNAGOGUE - The Kahle
Kodeoh B'nai Israel Synagogue is located on
South Fourth
street, between Chestnut and Walnut streets.
Rev. Lippman Liebman, Rabbi.
LUTHERAN -
The German Evangelical Lutheran Zion's church, is
located at
Front and Ludlow streets. Rev.
George H. Trebel, Pastor.
Sharon Wick's Note: Photo of
Church NOW and
Post Card Photo of Church in 1905
METHODIST
EPISCOPAL CHURCH - In 1818, Rev. Samuel West,
a circuit minister, organized in Hamiton
Hamilton the first society of this denomination in the
city. It was composed of the following members:
Thomas Sinnard and wife, Aaron Jewell and
wife, Mrs. John Caldwell and Miss Lydia Jones.
In 1819, Hamilton and Rossville was made a station, and
Rev. West preached alternately in the Academy
building, at Third and Dayton streets, in the
Delorac's warehouse in Rossville. In the same
year the First Methodist meeting-house was built.
It was erected on
Ludlow street, between Second and Third streets
on the site of the present church. At the end
ofthe year 1821 the membership had increased to
sixty-five. In 1833, another lot adjacent to the
former lot was donated to the society and a new church
building was erected at a cost of $4,800 and the old
building was occupied by Peter Myers, as a
carpenter shop. In March, 1839, both the carpenter
shop and the church building were destroyed by fire. In
1840 a new church building was erected and was
thereafter occupied until 1868 when the same was
remodeled and reconstructed at an outlay of $11,000.
[Page 390 -
The ministers who have officiated as pastors of the
church are:
SHARON WICK'S NOTE:
CLICK HERE for interior of this First United
Methodist Church interior at corner of Second & Ludlow
Streets.
It appears that possibly the church was torn down and
replaced as there is the church parking lot on the
corner. You would have to contact the church
that is there as of 2025.
CLICK
HERE to see Church
Samuel West,
Henry Baker,
John P. Durbin,
Henry Hilt,
John P. Taylor,
Augustus Eddy,
A. S. McClain,
John P. Taylor,
A. M. Loring,
William Simmons,
D. D. Davisson,
John A. Baughman,
Robert O. Spencer,
G. R. Jones,
William Simmons,
E. Zimmerman,
J. J. Hill, |
Daniel Poe,
S. A. Latta,
W. D. Barnett,
David Reed,
O. W. Swain,
David Whitcomb,
W. R. Anderson,
A. M. Lorrain,
M. Dustin,
Augustus Brown,
Augus tus Eddy,
W. H. Lawder,
W. R. Davis,
J. J. Hill,
Moses Smith,
E. G. Nicholson,
|
Charles R. Lovell,
A. Lowrey,
W. H. Lawder,
Moses Smith,
J. J. Thompson,
Charles Ferguson,
W. I. Fee,
J. D. Starr,
T. J. Harris,
George H. Dart,
Granville Moody,
T. S. Cowden,
James Murray,
George W. Dubois,
C. W. Gullette,
John W. Peters. |
In 1893, the
present handsome church edifice was erected.
GERMAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL
CHURCH -
Situated on C street, between Main and
Park avenue. This building was formerly owned by
the German Lutheran congregation. Rev. John Claus,
pastor.
THE
AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH was organized in
1840, by Rev. Thomas Lawrence of Cincinnati.
Nineteen members were enrolled at the organization.
Among these the names of Alfred J. Anderson,
Bud Sampson and Samuel Jones are
prominent. A church edifice was erected and
dedicated in 1842. Rev. Henry Atkinson was
the first minister of the congregation, which was
attached to the Cincinnati circuit in 1844.
Rev. W. M. Clark, Watkins Lee,
Daniel Winslow, John Woodson,
Alexander Austen, were engaged in this
ministry. Afterward Oxford and Hamilton
congregations were united, and had a pastor.
Rev. Jeremiah Lewis came first. Under the
pastorate of H. J. Jackson, the first work was
done toward the present house of worship and it was
completed under the pastorate of Philip Tolliver.
In 1880, the congregation was separated from Oxford,
when Rev. T. Knox became pastor. The
subsequent pastors have been: C. H. Bundy, under
whose pastorate, the comfortable parsonage
[Page 391 -
was built, P. Alston, J. Griffin, G. W. Prioleau, G.
W. Maxwell, John Dickerson and W. H. Coleman.
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
- Among the early ministers
were Revs. James Kemper, M. G. Wallace and
John Thompson, of the Presbyterian church.
These preached in private houses, in the Sycamore grove
and in the old mess room of Fort Hamilton. In
1805, Rev. Matthew G. Wallace, who resided on a
farm eight miles south of Hamilton, began to preach on
alternate Sabbaths. In 1810 he took up his
residence in this city and a Presbyterian church was
formally organized with himself as pastor. The
Union Presbyterian church was built in the years of 1817
and 1818, jointly by the Presbyterian and the Associate
Reform Presbyterian congregations. They purchased
lot No. 103 of the original town plat situate the east
side of Third street, between High and Court streets.
This property was sold, and the Presbyterians acting for
themselves, purchased from John Reily lot No. 22, on
south Front street, in 1829. In January, 1837,
this structure was sold to the "German and English
United Luthern and Reformed church," and the
Presbyterians purchased lot No. 253. Here in 1838
they erected a third place of worship. In 1854
under the Pastorate of Rev. Charles Sturdevant,
the congregation being pressed for room, took the first
steps toward the erection of a fourth house of worship.
The building was finished in 1855, and is still used and
occupied by the congregation.
Since its organization in 1810 it has had nineteen
pastors: Matthew G. Wallace, 1810-21; Francis
Montfort, 1821-37; Joseph J. Montfort,
1837-38; Thomas Wallon, 1838-40; Adrian Aten,
1841-42; Augustus Pomeroy, 1832-36; Charles
Packard, 1837-39; Thomas E. Thomas, 1839-49;
George Darling, 1849-51; Charles Sturdevant,
1852-54; Levi Christian, 1855-56; Hugh Ustick,
1857; William McMillan, 1858-64; C. B. Martin,
1865-66; Edward J. Hamilton, 1866-68; S. M. C.
Anderson, 1870-79; Edward W. Abbey, present
pastor.
UNITED
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH - In 1828, the congregation
purchased of John Sutherland the lot now
occupied, on
[Page 392] -
the southeast corner of Court and Water streets, upon
which a house of worship was erected. It was a
modest, neat brick structure, facing toward the river.
The trustees in behalf of this congregation were
James Brown, William Caldwell, John Sutherland and
Joseph Latta.
Dr. McDill served as pastor until June 1847, a
pastorate of more than thirty years, which was
terminated at his own request.
He was succeeded by Rev. William Davidson who
was installed in March 1848, and continued in the
pastorate until Apr. 7, 1874.
In 1852 an additional lot was purchased and a new
church edifice erected - still in use.
In 1866-7, the Lecture and Sabbath school rooms in the
rear of the church, and the parsonage were erected. The
following list contains the names of all the pastors:
David McDill, William Davidson, A. W. Clokey, J. W.
Bain, E. C. Simpson and Mason Pressley.
The following is a complete list of Ruling Elders:
Messrs. James Brown, William Caldwell, James Scott,
Samuel Gray, William Taylor, Robert Caldwell, James
McDaniel, John McDaniel, David Crawford, James Giffin,
George R. Caldwell, Robert Scott, R. C. Stewart, William
E. Brown, John McKee, Robert Beckett, D. W. McClung,
John Scott, Adam Laurie, J. L. Kirkpatrick, J. R. McKee,
Will T. Scott, R. C. McKinney, George C. Rife and
S. T. Wasson.
WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN
CHURCH - This congregation was organized in 1894.
The members seceded from the First Presbyterian church,
claiming that this church was too liberal in its
Christian views. A fine church edifice was erected
in 1895, at the northeast corner of
High and Seventh
streets. Rev. J. S. Edenburn is pastor of
the congregation.
SHARON WICK's Note: This Church is now ran down
looking and named
Calvary Church.
THE FIRST REFORMED CHURCH
- This church was organized
No. 13, 1867, at the residence of August Breitenbach,
on the West Side. John Breitenstein and
F. B. Thomson were elected elders; Jesse
Jacoby and George Huber,
[Page 393 -
deacons. On Sept. 11, 1867, a lot was purchased at
the
corner of Ross and D streets. The church
edifice was erected by liberal contributions from a
small membership, and by other congregations in southern
Ohio. Rev. G. Z. Mechling was an untiring worker
in the cause. The corner stone was laid August,
1868, and the building was dedicated Sept. 19, 1869.
The defalcation of the Treasurer, left a debt of
fifty-five hundred dollars upon the church, and the
property was advertised for sale. It was saved,
and the debt finally extinguished in 1875. The
church is in a flourishing condition, under the able
pastorate of Rev. S. Ezra Neikirk.
SHARON WICK'S NOTE: The church on the corner of
Ross and N. D Streets is now the Christ Tabernacle
Apostolic Church.
ST. STEPHEN'S CATHOLIC
CHURCH - This church was ST.
STEPHEN'S CATHOLIC CHURCH. founded in 1832. The
Germans and Irish communicants worshipped together until
1848, when they separated. Germans held the
property now occupied by St. Stephen's congregation.
The The first resident pastor was Rev. Thomas Butler,
who had charge of the congregation from 1840-45.
Since that time the congregation has been under the
charge of the Franciscan order. The growth of the
congregation rendered a larger house of worship
necessary, and in the year of 1852, the corner stone of
the present edifice was laid. The church was
completed in 1853. In 1849, a Parochial school was
established. Other necessary buildings, a school,
vestry room, parsonage, etc., have been built as
necessity or ability. suggested. In 1887 the
interior of the church was thoroughly overhauled.
In 1889, a new school building was erected and was
dedicated in the following year.
SHARON WICK's NOTE:
CLICK
HERE for church when it was built and Renovated
church named
St. Julie Billiart church today
ST. MARY'S CATHOLIC CHURCH
- In 1848, this congregation
purchased St. Matthew's Episcopal church, which was used
as a place of worship until 1856. At the
commencement of the work of erecting a new church, not a
cent of money was in the church treasury, but as the
congregation contained a great number of artisans, each
of whom contributed labor in building, this seeming
obstruction was removed, and when finished, the edifice
was truly a work and a labor of love. In 1867, the
congregation purchased a tract of land from the
[Page 394] -
estate of William Hunter, situated between
Hamilton and Symmes Corner, for a cemetery. The
first Parochial school was established in 1860, in the
basement of the church, and continued there until 1890,
when possession was taken of the new school building.
The following pastors have been in charge of the
congregation since 1848: Revs. T. Hallinan, Joseph
Kearney, E. P. Corcoran, A. O. Walker, Charles F. Hone,
M. L. Murphy, J. H. Bonner, P. A. Quinn, J. O'Donahue
and Henry Anderson.
ST. JOSEPH'S CATHOLIC
CHURCH - This church was
established in 1865. The square on
Second street, between Washington and Hanover,
on which the church is built, was the gift of William
Beckett, Job E. Owens, John M. Long and Robert
Allstatter, who also donated $2,500 to the building
fund. In June, 1866, the corner stone was laid by
Bishop Rosencrans. The church was
dedicated by Archbishop Purcell, assisted
by Bishop Toebbe and others, Sept. 15,
1867.
In March, 1873, a dwelling and school house for the
Sisters of Notre Dame was completed at a cost of $8,000.
Rev. Francis Varelmann, Pastor.
ST. PETER'S CATHOLIC CHURCH,
is situated at the northwest corner of
Millville Avenue and Ridge Lawn Avenue, West Hamilton.
Rev. Henry Propperman, Pastor.
SHARON WICK'S NOTE: Millville Avenue
has apparently been re-routed which cuts off
before it gets to Ridge Lawn Avenue. Across
the way, The street is Liberty Avenue that intersects
with Ridgelawn Avenue and St. Peter In Chains Church.
CLICK HERE for Picture of Church which faces
Ridgelawn Avenue and is all along Liberty Avenue between
Ridgelawn & Washington Avenues.
ST. VERONICA CATHOLIC
CHURCH is located on Shuler Avenue, East Hamilton.
Rev. George Franz, Pastor.
FIRST UNIVERSALIST
CHURCH, east side of Seventh, between High street
and Campbell Avenue. Rev. R. E. Olmstead,
Pastor.
GERMAN UNITED BRETHREN,
southeast corner of Ninth and Rigdon streets.
Rev. Henry Ochlschlegel, Pastor.
SHARON WICK's NOTE: This church on corner of
Rigdon & 9th Sts.
CLICK HERE
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH,
corner of Seventh and Sycamore streets. This
congregation held religious services in the Fourth ward
school house during the year 1895. In the early
part of 1896, a neat and cozy church edifice was
erected. Rev. G. Z. Mechling, the pastor,
and his estimable wife were untir-
[Page 395 -
ing workers in the vineyard of the Lord during
the building of this house of worship.
SHARON WICK'S NOTE: There is a relatively small
building on the corner of Seventh & Sycamore Sts., It is
a one story, flat roofed, rather plain building which
could have been this church. Other corners have
homes.
EMANUEL EVANGELICAL
LUTHERN CHURCH - This congregation seceded from the
Zion church. Services are held weekly in the court
house assembly room.
THE WILLIAM
DAVIDSON MEMORIAL CHAPEL was originally built on the
Whitehead lot on East Heaton street in 1883.
Afterward it was moved to the rear of lot No. 302 North
Eleventh street. John S. Reeder built the
Davidson Memorial Chapel at his own expense, and moved
it to its present location. He is a cheerful and
liberal contributor in the cause of Christianity.
Rev. Harry Campbell occupies the pulpit every
Sunday evening.
SHARON WICK's NOTE: There is a poorly kept up
house in the 302 N. 11th street location. It
appears that maybe it was at one time something more
than a family home. It is right next door to 300
11th Street.
CLICK HERE |