Birmingham Church-140 years old

Around 1840 there were five churches in Birmingham. Only the Methodist has survived. The Methodists held their first meetings in the old log schoolhouse south of Florence Corners in 1816 or 1817. Their number grew in the township and several churches were organized from the group. On February 5, 1840, the Reverend Wesley I. Wells, preacher in charge of the Florence Township circuit, appointed a building committee to erect the Birmingham building still standing. Whether the church was organized prior to the building committee appointment, the records do not indicate but it is reasonable to assume there was a church group. On February 22, 1840, a contract was let to Hiram Arnold to construct a building which was completed April 9, 1841 at a cost of 439.37. The land was donated by Clinton and Charlotte Ennes on February 17, 1840.

The church was in the Sandusky District of the North Ohio Conference and was a charge church, meaning it was served by a circuit preacher. The circuit was revised on occasion and in 1891 it consisted of Birmingham, Axtel and Brownhelm churches with the Reverend William G. Sargent as circuit minister. He was the first Methodist minister to live in Birmingham. In 1902 the Birmingham Circuit was dissolved and Birmingham was assigned to the Florence and Berlin Heights Circuit.

The minister of this charge was the Reverend Martin Weaver, the father of Mrs. Carl [Grace] Robart, a present resident of Birmingham and member of the church. The Robarts came to Birmingham in 1935 when Carl Robart became principal of the Birmingham School.

Until 1908 the church building remained unchanged. Through private subscription the church windows with small lights were replaced by amber glass sash of three sections each. They were raised and lowered by ropes on pulleys. In 1911 the church requested and was given approval to have a local pastor and withdrew from the circuit. A Congregational student from Oberlin College Seminary, E. H. Johnson, was secured. This necessitated a parsonage and Lynds Jones donated land from his farm on which to build the parsonage. He was a professor at Oberlin College and commuted from Birmingham to Oberlin on the Greenline Interurban electric cars. The parsonage was completed in 1912, and was freed of debt by a contribution of $300. from Professor Jones. In 1913 the Ladies Aid Society began to talk about having a basement put under the church. A committee was appointed to raise $1,000. The building was raised three feet and as work advanced, so did the plans. They broadened to include a furnace, removal of the church gallery, making a prayer meeting room, a furnace and belfry. This raised final costs to $1,950. Mrs. Conrad Schisler had donated a bell to the memory of her son Conrad Jr. who died shortly after birth. The bell arrived in Vermilion on the New York Central Railroad, was hauled to Birmingham by Edwin Prince and his son, young Edwin, on a stone boat. The trip required a full day. Peter Robert- son brought a derrick from the quarry on West River Road, [now abandoned] and with the help of his sons and the Princes, hoisted the bell into the belfry. The appearance of old meeting house was changed considerably during the 1913 remodeling.

In the fall of 1947 the second remodeling project was begun under the inspiration and leadership of the Reverend William Norman who did not live to see his project completed. To help finance the project, men of the church and community planted a 22 acre field of wheat on the Truscott property at the corner of routes 113 and 60.

During this remodeling the gallery or balcony was restored and the chancel was remodeled following the design of Dr. Clarence Ward, professor of fine arts at Oberlin College. In 1956 the house built in 1912 as the parsonage and sold in 1918 was purchased for additional Sunday School space with funds provided by Francis Howe and Otto Schoepfle.

In 1957 a master plan was adopted for a Sunday School wing and a new front for the church following plans that had been drawn by Dr. Clarence Ward.

In 1962 the Sunday School wing was completed, a new heating system installed, kitchen remodeled and restrooms added. The roof on the sanctuary was replaced and the belfry had to be removed, having deteriorated beyond repair.

In January 1963 shortly before his untimely death, Francis Howe gave a gift of $10,000 towards completion of the church remodeling with the provision that the plans of Dr. Clarence Ward be followed. With a mortgage unpaid on the Sunday School addition, no action was taken on the sanctuary remodeling and construction of the new church front which Dr. Ward had designed was delayed until Otto Schoepfle offered to duplicate the gift of Francis Howe if the church would proceed with the plans. The church agreed and in 1968 Dr. Ward’s plans were given to Ronald M. Landig, registered architect of Elyria, to execute the necessary drawings and specifications to obtain state approval for the building of the new church front, sanctuary enlargement and remodeling. Much of the cost of this project was financed through the giving of memorials for new pews, lights, windows, hymnals and new furnishings. On December 21, 1969 the consecration of the sanctuary service was conducted by Bishop Francis E. Kearns, Dr. John W. Freiling, District Superintendent of the Norwalk District and the church’s pastor Robert D. Braby.

In 1966, Braby, a Presbyterian minister from Ashland, Ohio, became the church’s exclusive pastor, making the second time the Birmingham charge had withdrawn from a circuit. The last circuit was with Henrietta.

The Schisler bell was hung in the new belfry and once more was heard throughout the village. In 1975 the mortgage for the Sunday School wing was burned and the church was free of debt. In 1969, Otto Schoepfle gave the church 10 acres of land, the old Bristol house and a large barn immediately west of the church and suggested it be used as a youth center. A Community Church Center Committee was appointed which name has been shortened to 4C Committee to study the possibilities for the use of the gift. Mrs. Louis [Leota] Bettcher organized the Country Harvest of Antiques in 1970 as a community effort to raise money to finance the 4 C’s plans. This annual event has become a very successful affair and draws crowds from miles away. The Bettcher Family has been active and instrumental in the success of the program. With this gift of $30,000, plus money from the Harvest Festival of Antiques, a new Community Center was erected. Ground was broken on March 25, 1979 and the building was completed for the festival on October 6, 1979. Its cost exceeded $100,000.

The activities this center presents to our community lend much to the enrichment of Birmingham. There are children’s programs such as Saturday Circus, Summer Wonderful, reading programs for adults and children. They are musical concerts and a music adventure program, Kung Fu lessons, dance exercise, baking of pizzas, ice cream and Sunday dinners. This fall, the church will have a day care center and nursery school.

What stared out as a small meeting house on South Street in Birmingham in 1840 has turned into an exciting venture of growth and activity over these past 140 years. It has involved the lives of many people and this is what doing the Lord’s work is all about.

Dreams of the Future

by The Reverend Robert Harmon,

Minister of the Birmingham Church

Dreams have a past as well as a future. We who are now involved in Birmingham United Methodist Church and the Birmingham Youth and Community Center are dreaming of a future. But the dream was handed on to us by the willing working hands of our predecessors.

The records of 1931 indicate that non-members of the church had contributed to its renovation because "it is hoped that the building would be used in a broad way for the betterment of the community".

We have kept faith with the dream. Our church building may be used by any community organization seeking its facilities. The New Birmingham Youth and Community Center is also establishing a record of community service. In 1980 we still have dreams of the future. Here are some of our dreams:

We dream of a congregation involved in a seven day a week mission to offer Jesus Christ to all who will draw near. We dream of a Day Care and Nursery School program to help working mothers and their little children meet the challenges of life today. We dream of youth programs that will create adventure and excitement in our young people’s lives. Programs that will communicate God’s love as well as our sincere concern for one and another. We dream of study and growth opportunities for our adults. We dream of a great and strong music program in the church that will utilize a new pipe organ that will be installed with the $60,000 gift from Otto Schoepfle. We dream of care for our elderly citizens. Those who nurtured us will in turn receive our care through food programs, daily activities and services designed for their specific needs. We dream of a church of worship, of prayer and of service to all the people whom we can touch.

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Transcribed by Lowell Dunlap