A HISTORY OF THE BRECKSVILLE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
The Brecksville United Church of Christ sits on the Public Square in the center of Brecksville, Ohio. Brecksville is a community located in the northeastern Ohio region that was the Western Reserve of Connecticut during the colonial days. Many early settlers of Brecksville came from New England. In the summer of 1816, Rev. William Hanford, employed by the Connecticut Missionary Society, began preaching in Brecksville once every four weeks, his congregation coming from five nearby townships: Boston, Independence, Royalton, Richfield and Brecksville.
In July, 1816, he organized the First Congregational Church of Brecksville. This meeting was held at Esquire Bradford's house near the town square and was organized with thirteen members. However, this fledgling church, under the Plan of Union between the Congregationalists and the Presbyterians in Connecticut to avoid duplication of parishes, adopted the regulations of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Churches of America for the "promotion of union and harmony among the churches of the new settlements".
The first place of worship was an ordinary log house built on Deacon Hannum's farm. The first Sunday School was conducted by John Waite in the log school house in the summer of 1827. In 1831, a frame house was built, costing with benches and stove $187.50; this was later purchased by the Connecticut Missionary Society and moved to the south side of the cemetery in 1834. Rev. Newton Barrett was the first ordained minister, installed in 1840. In 1843, the house burned down. A new church building was built on our present site, the cost being less than $3,000. It was erected by Col. Porter from Hudson. On the day of the raising there was a big celebration with dinner and the boys gathered in back of the Stage Coach Inn and shot off a cannon in honor of the event.
On January 5, 1889, the church returned to its Congregational roots, and was received into the fellowship at the conference held at Dover, Ohio, in October, 1889.
The 1840's building was used unchanged until 1945 when the Pilgrim Hall and the kitchen were installed under the sanctuary. In 1953, the Christian Education wing was added. In 1962, the church became affiliated with the United Church of Christ, which had been formed by a consolidation of the Congregational Christian Church and the Evangelical and Reformed Church. On Nov. 20, 1965, a fire set as a diversion during several nearby robberies, destroyed the sanctuary, but the Christian Education wing was saved. While the church owned vacant property on Brecksville Road, the decision was made to rebuild on the present, historical site, however. The new sanctuary incorporated the simple beauty that reflects the New England Congregational roots of the church.
While the Brecksville United Church of Christ continues to savor its historical past, we look forward to the future. With the continuing growth of our church and of our community, with a new, welcoming entrance. This faces onto our south parking area with improved availability of convenient parking. Easier accessibility is now provided with an elevator and new handicapped washrooms. Our plans for the future will utilize these new facilities as we reach out with a warm welcome to everyone and with a friendly outreach to the broader local and world-wide communities. We believe that this is our imperative as Christians.
