Mount Tabor Methodist Episcopal Church (West Liberty, Ohio)
Encyclopedia
The Mount Tabor Methodist Episcopal Church is a historic church building located along State Route 245 near West Liberty
in Salem Township
, Champaign County
, Ohio
, United States
. Built in 1881 in the Gothic Revival
style of architecture, it served a congregation formed in the 1810s. This congregation of the Methodist Episcopal Church
worshipped in at least three different buildings before its closure.
s were held at the church; Among those who attended these meetings was Simon Kenton
, who seems to have been present for a meeting in 1820. In attendance for an 1818 meeting was John W. Ogden, then a six-year-old boy; reminiscing sixty years later, he wrote:
, they relocated to Salem Township in 1814. When the first church building was erected in 1816, Nathaniel and his four sons contributed greatly to the construction effort, and they were equally generous in the later construction of two successive brick structures at the site. Built in 1881, the final structure was a Gothic Revival
church built primarily of brick on a stone foundation, topped with a slate
roof, and ornamented with wooden elements. Like many other committed members of the church, this family — parents, all four sons, and all five daughters — is all buried at the adjacent cemetery.
is that of a child who died in 1811; at that time, there were no plans to use the ground for religious purposes. Individuals from many generations since have been buried in the cemetery: among the graves are those of veterans of the American Revolutionary War
through World War II
. Among the grave markers
are three fashioned from cast zinc
; these are highly distinctive, for zinc markers were only manufactured for a few years near the end of the nineteenth century.
, due primarily to their architectural significance. This designation is unusual, for both religious properties and cemeteries must pass higher standards than most other properties to be eligible for inclusion on the National Register.
West Liberty, Ohio
West Liberty is a village in Logan County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,813 at the 2000 census.-Geography:West Liberty is located at ....
in Salem Township
Salem Township, Champaign County, Ohio
Salem Township is one of the twelve townships of Champaign County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 2,307 people in the township, 2,296 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...
, Champaign County
Champaign County, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 38,890 people, 14,952 households, and 10,870 families residing in the county. The population density was 91 people per square mile . There were 15,890 housing units at an average density of 37 per square mile...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Built in 1881 in the Gothic Revival
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
style of architecture, it served a congregation formed in the 1810s. This congregation of the Methodist Episcopal Church
Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church, sometimes referred to as the M.E. Church, was a development of the first expression of Methodism in the United States. It officially began at the Baltimore Christmas Conference in 1784, with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as the first bishops. Through a series of...
worshipped in at least three different buildings before its closure.
Organic history
Methodism was established in Salem Township in 1814, and the congregation's first church building, a log structure, was constructed in 1816. Beginning in that year and continuing for several more years, significant camp meetingCamp meeting
The camp meeting is a form of Protestant Christian religious service originating in Britain and once common in some parts of the United States, wherein people would travel from a large area to a particular site to camp out, listen to itinerant preachers, and pray...
s were held at the church; Among those who attended these meetings was Simon Kenton
Simon Kenton
Simon Kenton was a famous United States frontiersman and friend of Daniel Boone, Simon Girty, Spencer Records and Isaac Shelby.-Family and early life:Simon Kenton was alive even before Ohio was a state...
, who seems to have been present for a meeting in 1820. In attendance for an 1818 meeting was John W. Ogden, then a six-year-old boy; reminiscing sixty years later, he wrote:
Architectural history
Among the leading members of Mount Tabor church in its earliest years was the family of Nathaniel and Ann Hunter; natives of Greenbrier County, VirginiaGreenbrier County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 34,453 people, 14,571 households, and 9,922 families residing in the county. The population density was 34 people per square mile . There were 17,644 housing units at an average density of 17 per square mile...
, they relocated to Salem Township in 1814. When the first church building was erected in 1816, Nathaniel and his four sons contributed greatly to the construction effort, and they were equally generous in the later construction of two successive brick structures at the site. Built in 1881, the final structure was a Gothic Revival
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
church built primarily of brick on a stone foundation, topped with a slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
roof, and ornamented with wooden elements. Like many other committed members of the church, this family — parents, all four sons, and all five daughters — is all buried at the adjacent cemetery.
Cemetery
From the Mount Tabor society's earliest years, members buried their dead near the site of the present church. The earliest recorded burial on the site of the church's cemeteryCemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
is that of a child who died in 1811; at that time, there were no plans to use the ground for religious purposes. Individuals from many generations since have been buried in the cemetery: among the graves are those of veterans of the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
through World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Among the grave markers
Headstone
A headstone, tombstone, or gravestone is a marker, usually stone, that is placed over a grave. In most cases they have the deceased's name, date of birth, and date of death inscribed on them, along with a personal message, or prayer.- Use :...
are three fashioned from cast zinc
Zinc
Zinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
; these are highly distinctive, for zinc markers were only manufactured for a few years near the end of the nineteenth century.
Recognition
In 1995, the Mount Tabor Methodist Episcopal Church, its cemetery, and an associated hitching lot were listed together on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
, due primarily to their architectural significance. This designation is unusual, for both religious properties and cemeteries must pass higher standards than most other properties to be eligible for inclusion on the National Register.