Mechanicsburg Baptist Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Mechanicsburg Baptist Church
|
|
Front and western side
|
|
 Location in Ohio
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | Walnut and Sandusky Sts., Mechanicsburg, Ohio |
|---|---|
| Area | Less than 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1890 |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| MPS | Mechanicsburg MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 85001888 |
| Added to NRHP | August 29, 1985 |
The Mechanicsburg Baptist Church is a historic church located in Mechanicsburg, Ohio, United States. It was first built for a Methodist group in the late 1800s. Later, a Baptist group took over the building. Today, it is recognized as an important historic site.
Contents
A Look at the Church's History
Methodist Beginnings
The first people settled in Goshen Township around 1805. The village of Mechanicsburg was officially started in 1814. In the early days, churches were rare. Traveling preachers from the Methodist Episcopal Church started small groups that met in settlers' homes.
Mechanicsburg's first church was a Methodist group formed in 1814. By the 1880s, the village had several other churches. These included Baptist, African Methodist Episcopal, and Methodist Protestant churches.
The Methodist Protestant Church in Mechanicsburg
The Methodist Protestant church in Mechanicsburg began on February 13, 1853. It started with 92 members. This group was different from the main Methodist Episcopal Church. They disagreed with how much power the church's bishops had.
Mechanicsburg was known as a safe place for people escaping slavery. Many runaway slaves passed through the town on the Underground Railroad. Because of this, some members of the local Methodist Episcopal Church who supported ending slavery decided to form a new group.
In 1858, this new group built a two-story brick church on West Sandusky Street. The local Masonic lodge helped build it. In return, they used the second story. Over time, the church grew stronger. By 1879, it had 308 members. The building was updated and made better.
By 1890, the church needed a new building. The old one was taken down, and a new one was built on the same spot. All the building costs were paid off by 1891. The church also received gifts. One person gave their home to be used as a parsonage (a home for the minister). Another person gave money to support the church's Sunday school. By 1917, the church had over 500 members.
In 1939, the Methodist Protestant Church joined back with the Methodist Episcopal Church. The two local churches in Mechanicsburg also rejoined. After this, the church building was sold to a local Baptist group.
The Baptist Connection
Baptists were among the first settlers in Champaign County. Many important people in the county were Baptists. In the early 1800s, most Baptist churches were in the countryside. So, in 1840, the Ohio Baptist Convention started to create churches in villages.
One such group started in Mechanicsburg in 1840. It was first called Goshen Baptist Church. In 1846, this church built its first building on Locust Street. It was small because they didn't have many resources. By 1864, the church had grown to 106 members.
However, after 1864, the church started to shrink. In 1872, the building was sold to build a better one, but a new one was never built. By 1883, only five members were left. These members gave the church's property to the Ohio Baptist Convention. The Baptist group that now uses the historic church building is not directly related to these earlier Baptist churches.
Church Design and Look
The Mechanicsburg Baptist Church is made of brick and sits on a strong stone foundation. It has a slate roof. The church is built in the Gothic Revival style. This style often includes pointed arches and tall windows.
The church has special features like decorations on its gabled roof. It also has fancy brickwork and a tall tower with a belfry (where bells are kept). The windows are stained-glass and have stone trims.
Inside, the church has many rooms. There are Sunday school classrooms, a kitchen, a dining area, and a basement. It also has a side chapel and a main sanctuary for worship. When it was finished, the church had a large pipe organ and a piano. It could seat about one thousand people. This was a lot, considering the whole village only had about two thousand people at the time!
A special part of the inside is a large white marble tablet. It has many names carved into it. These are the names of early Methodist Protestant members who gave a lot of money to the church. Their names were put on this stone to remember their generosity.
A Historic Landmark
In 1985, the Mechanicsburg Baptist Church was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is recognized as an important historical building. It was chosen because of its unique and important architecture.
Four other churches in Mechanicsburg were also added to the National Register at the same time. These were St. Michael's Catholic Church, Second Baptist Church, the Episcopal Church of Our Saviour, and the United Methodist Church.
Most of these churches were built around 1890. They were all good examples of the Gothic Revival style, which was popular then. All five churches were important landmarks in the village.
