Madison Township, Pickaway County, OH

Church History & Records

 

St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church.--In the early years of the settlement of Madison township, the members of the Lutheran denomination who wished to attend religious services had to go to the adjoining county of Fairfield. They therefore, in 1834, petitioned the Synod of Ohio at Miamisburg for a minister and a separate organization. Their petition was granted and Rev. Joseph A. Roof was licensed as their first minister. On June 29, 1834, the first service was held at the house of Mrs. Mary Magdalene Hoover. The church was formally organized on August 3rd, with Solomon Teegardin and John Brintlinger being chosen as elders and Elias Hoover and Jacob Lilly, as deacons. They were installed into the duties of their respective offices the same day. For some months services were held in school-houses. Finally, at a meeting held on December 3, 1834, the question of purchasing a lot and building a church edifice was considered. A subscription was raised and a lot purchased on section 23, where a church building was erected the following year. By the terms of this subscription, this church was to be the joint property of the Evangelical Lutheran and German Reformed churches. The building was not completed until 1838, though services were held in it from 1835. Mr. Roof continued as pastor until 1855, when he resigned; he was again called to the pastorate in 1860. The present brick church was built in 1864 at a cost of $4,000, being erected and owned wholly by St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church. It has a seating capacity of 300. In 1872 a seven-room brick parsonage was erected at a cost of $1,500. In 1869 Rev. E. L. S. Tressel was called to the pastorate ; he was succeeded in turn by the following: Revs. W. H. Brown, B. S. Schillinger, D. E. Snapp, G. T. Cooperrider and F. B. Hax, who is pastor at the present time. The church has a membership of 165 members. This is considered a wealthy congregation. In addition to the church property, consisting of the church and parsonage and various improvements, the church also owns a farm of 80 acres, that was willed to it by Solomon Teegardin about 1875. The Sunday-school, of which D. L. Hines is superintendent, has a membership of about 150. The official board of the church is constituted as follows: Trustees--J. A. Baum, C. B. Teegardin, G. D. Griffith, D. A. Runkle and E. Berger; deacons--H. M. Runkle, Clarence Noecker and Arthur Coon ; elders--Joshua Glick and Lewis Baum; treasurer, J. L. Hoover; secretary, Ira Fisher.

Trinity Lutheran Church was organized in 1856, in which year a frame church was erected in the southeastern corner. of section 25 on land given for the purpose by Jacob Brobst. The first members were Peter Brobst and family, Jacob Brobst and family, David Brobst and family, Conrad Salt and family, Samuel Smith and family, David Hall and family, Reuben Smith and family and others. The first minister employed was Rev. Peter Eirich. There is no pastor at the present time. Rev. O. E. Weber, of Lithopolis, recently ' served the church.

A Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in this township about 1844 by Rev. Isaac Hunter, who was a circuit preacher. It was called the Pleasant Grove Church and was included in the Lithopolis Circuit. The church building was erected in 1850 and services were held in it until 1869 or 1870, when the building was sold to the township trustees for use as a schoolhouse. No services of this denomination are now held, in the township.

Madison Presbyterian Church.--In the winter of 1895, following the suggestion of a number of residents of the township that a Presbyterian Church be built here,' a subscription paper was circulated with the result that $1,658. was secured from various sources. On Sunday, April 13, 1896, a meeting was held at the St. Paul High School, where Rev. J. P. Stratton, of Circleville, explained the necessary steps to be taken preliminary to organization. At the, Columbus Presbytery, held the week following at Plain City, Dr. Stratton and Rev. J. A. Ewalt, pastor of the Presbyterian Church at London, were delegated to the work of effecting the organization. They met at the residence of Miss Kate H. Decker, Monday evening April 27th, and partially effected the organization, which was completed on May 24th, when 33 persons were received as members. The first officials selected were as follows : Trustees--T. M. Garner, W. S. Moore, Benjamin Myers, George R. Miller and Clifton H. Decker; elders--Hon. W. T. Conklin, John, W. Teegardin and C. U. Rose; building committee--John W. Teegardin, E. O. Teegardin, Bennett Myers and S. B. Alspaugh. The name: "Madison Presbyterian Church" was adopted. On May 3rd a Sunday-school was organized at the schoolhouse in District. No. 2, where it continued to be held regularly, until the completion of the church edifice. Religious services were also held in this schoolhouse on alternate Sundays during the summer of 1896,. Rev. J. W. Barnes, of Westerville, Ohio, preaching here during his summer vacation. The site selected for the church was at the cross-roads opposite the election house, part of the ground being donated by G. P. Alspaugh. The contract price for the work, $2,051, was made on the condition that the hauling of material should be done by members of the congregation: Work upon the building was begun. in July, and it was completed in December,. 1896. The total cost of the building, including the furnace; furniture, .etc., was $2,356.40.. It was dedicated on December 13, 1896, by Rev. W. S. Eagleson, of Columbus, Ohio, assisted by Rev. T. B. Atkins, of Lithopolis and Rev. C. W. Hemstead, of Commercial Point. The church building is a commodious, well built structure, excellently adapted for church purposes. The interior finishing is in oak; the windows are Gothic, glazed with stained glass. The auditorium is furnished with chairs, placed in circular form, instead of the customary pews. The present membership of the church is 85. Rev. Howard M. Welsh is the present pastor. The Sunday-school has a membership of about l00.

Source: HISTORY OF PICKAWAY COUNTY, OHIO AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS, EDITED AND COMPILED BY HON. AARON R. VAN CLEAF.  CIRCLEVILLE, OHIO