First Presbyterian Church of West Union photograph   Save
Wonderful World of Ohio
Description: This color photograph is a close-up of the cornerstone of the historic First Presbyterian Church in West Union, Ohio, ca. 1965-1970. The text reads: “First Presbyterian Church / organized 1800 / erected 1810.” Possibly made of granite, the cornerstone contrasts sharply with the warm-toned stone wall that encases it. The congregation was organized circa 1800 on Thomas Kirker's land on Eagle Creek, about three miles from West Union. Kirker, Ohio's second governor, was influential in organizing the congregation and raising funds for the building’s construction. Stonemason Thomas Metcalfe, Kentucky governor from 1828-1832, was awarded the contract to build the walls for $250; total construction cost was $500. Before the American Civil War, the First Presbyterian Church's ministers and congregation played an active role in the abolitionist movement, including assisting fugitive slaves. During the Civil War, the church also briefly served as a barracks for the Seventieth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, a regiment of recruits from Adams County and eastern Brown County. The church was added to National Register of Historic Places in 1976. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL06961
Subjects: Church buildings--Ohio; Historic buildings--Ohio; Cornerstones; National Register of Historic Places; West Union (Ohio); Adams County (Ohio)
Places: West Union (Ohio); Adams County (Ohio)