The South Woodbury M.E. Church

Updated 9-11-2010

In the following sections I  am going to copy the old histories that mention the Church that was the religious and social center of the village of South Woodbury.  There will be many contradicting accounts depending the time period and who was giving the testimony.  I like A.S. Benedicts account given in this 1897 History of Peru Township. Not just because it places the beginnings of the church in my 3rd great grandparents house in 1836, but because he was there in the beginnings and not recalling from oral history. We have attempted to go back to original source materials, located in Ohio Wesleyan's Archives and Delaware County & Morrow County Historical Societies, as well as the newspapers of the day.

South Woodbury M.E. Church - Peru township, Morrow Co.Ohio

From Churches of Morrow County Ohio (located at Mt. Gilead Library Annex)1930's

This society was organized by Rev. Hill and Rev. Seymore in 1836.  They built there first building in 1840.  This building of log structure was erected on the land of Zenus Root and was also used for a school.  The first minister was a man of gigantic stature by the name of Rev. L. Gilrooth.

This structure was used until 1869, when a $4,000 structure was erected in the Northern part of the village adjoining the cemetery grounds.  A parsonage was also erected at this time.  (See article below)

  As Negroes had settled in this vicinity both before and after the Civil War.  This was very important location for underground railroad.  The church was constructed with a balcony in the rear of the auditorium which was not often open out to the front.  In this a Negro group of people held their worship at the same time the white people had theirs in the lower part of the church.

  A number of houses still stand in the community that were hideouts for run away slaves.

  Jas. Gardner, an aged Negro man who was a fugitive from the south, lived there yet in 1940.

Edward Conklin, Professor of Science at Princeton and retired moderator of the Association of Science was born in South Woodbury.  This information was acquired from Rev. Weir, an aged retired minister.

"John Doty first married Nicy Clay and during her lifetime they lived in South Woodbury where Rev. Weir now lives. “from Doty History by Effie James Russell & Judy Mosher Ebersole date unknown. (located at the Morrow County Library Genealogical Annex)  

Photo of Rev. George Weir and wife Helen (Wood) Weir and daughter. From Kathy Dean.

  The cemetery has about 250 burials.

L.H. Baskins , The History of Morrow County, Ohio 1880, p 429.

“We pass now to notice the modern buildings which have supplanted these ruder edifices. Reuben Benedict's brick house was the first of that kind in the township; the Methodist Church built in 1840, was the first church edifice, and the best in the township in its day. Although inferior to its successor, which will be described hereafter, it has many fragrant memories which are wafted continually from it. In it that great Methodist champion of discussion, John A. Power, thrusted and parried with the sword of argument, as he met at different times the champion of universal salvation. In it R. B. Gardner and Morgan Doty tuned the voices of the youth of the surrounding country and the village to melodious sounds and accents, and earned a well deserved reputation for themselves. In it a majority of the eloquent divines, whose names are mentioned in connection with the history of the village of South Woodbury, and the church located at that place, were heard.” .In the township are the villages of South Woodbury and West Liberty. South Woodbury contains one church, three stores, two wagon and blacksmiths shops, two physicians, one school and a resident minister; also an Odd Fellows' hall. The town was laid out in 1830, by Daniel Wood. The first building, a log cabin, was erected by Joseph Horr. The first frame building was erected by Andrew Schofield, as a storeroom. The first hotel was erected by Shadrack Hubbell and Eli Johnson, during the year 1832-33. The merchants have been Shadrack Hubbell, Aaron Chapman, George W. Clarke, David White, Andrew Buck, Stephen Morehouse, Rev. William Waters, J. B. Benson, Levi Starr, R. Wood and D. S. Osborne. The first church was organized in 1836, by the Methodists, and in 1840 the first church building was erected. In 1869, a new and more commodious church edifice was erected at a cost of $4,000, having in connection with it a fine parsonage. In the village and vicinity there is also a colored church organization. The next best public building is Odd Fellows' Hall, erected in 1871. The society has twenty members. Ever since the formation of the village, the Woods have had a wagon-shop in operation there. In the village the following persons have figured as blacksmiths, viz., Almerin Benson, Joseph West, D. Rigden, Gillett, Henry C. Davidson, Sidney Wallace, T. Gardner, Norton Chapman and Guy Gardner. And we note the following Doctors, to wit: Patee, Sapp, Breese, Pennock, Swingley, Conklin, Mills, Wilson, Shaw and Immo. The hotel-keepers have been Solomon Westbrook, William Westbrook, R. Benedict, and Philemon Conklin. The coopers were S. Doty and Rufus Pierce. The ministers have been Hill, Seymour, Allen, Burgess, Conant, Blampede, Plummer, Mitchell, Ketchum, Wheeler, Brandyberry, Ayers, Craven, Seymour, Waddell, Webster, Jones, Bell, Lawrence, Chilson, Heustes; Close, Baldwin, Conley and Yourtes. The saddlers have been Lyon, Patterson and Smith. The shoemakers, Clay, Hill, Peasley, Thomas, Rigby, Carpenter and Wall. The post office called Bennington was first kept on the Eagar farm, by Alexander Eagar, who was succeeded by Jacob Vandeventer ; he by Nathan Randolph, who kept it for many years on the Randolph farm, and transferred it to South Woodbury, where his successors have been George N. Clarke, Isaac Gooden and Richard Wood. The first mail carried from Delaware to Woodbury on contract, was by Shadrack Hubbell, and in this the Hon. J. Randolph Hubbell acted in the capacity of post-boy. The first child born in the village was Celestia Horr. The first person buried in the village cemetery was Mrs. Rachel Buck; next was her daughter. In this village is a resident member of the Starr family, boasting a connection of 1,794 families, and aggregating 6,766 persons, all the lineal descendants of Dr. Comfort Starr, who died at Boston, Mass., in 1659. The population of the village is 100 inhabitants."   In Baskins 1880 History of Morrow county on page 439... speaking of the Peru twnsp. cemeteries, ...""
The burial ground of the Friends was the first, the West Liberty graveyard the next in order, the Morehouse graveyard the third, and the village cemetery the forth; making four in the township at large, all of which, in the words of Gray, it may be said : 

" Beneath those rugged elms and yew trees shade,

Where heaves the turf in many a moldering heap,

Each in his narrow cell forever laid,

The rude forefathers of the hamlet sleep."

A.S. Benedict, The History of Peru Township Morrow County Ohio 1897, page 38.

The first religious society formed was Methodist, in the year 1836. They usually held meetings, for the first few years, in Ira Clay's dwelling house, which stood on the south east corner of Main and Elm streets, on the lot now owned and occupied by D.S. Osborn. The prominent members of this society at the time were: Jacob Vanduser and wife, Robert Gardner and family, Ira Clay and wife, Andrew Buck and family, Gideon Benedict and wife, Marcus Gardner and family , Elijah Baldwin and wife, David James and family, Hiram Allen and wife and Stephen Morehouse and wife. The first ministers were Hiram Allen, Zephaniah Bell, Samuel Allen, James Wheeler and ---Gilrooth. " 

Article on the 1869 building of new Church. from Jennifer Williams
Church Record for building of Parsonage 1869. from O.W.U.
Example of  Methodist donation listing for 1864. Also showing Kilbourne (Eden)      Link to Members	Link to Cemetery Records
1945 Closing of Church as seen on front cover (only know picture as of 2006) two articles
1901 Parsonage Transfer (from Jennifer Williams)
From Harry Van Squires.  1909	In mother's old stuff she has a South Woodbury column out of a newspaper (unknown) no date info except someone penciled in 1909. It talks about the Sabbath school re-organized on Monday night of last week for the coming year (I have to assume this is about the South Woodbury  Methodist Church). Supt., F. S. Osborn;  Asst. Supt., W. H. Brown;  Sec. Foster Mosher;  Asst. Sec. Nellie Sparks;  Organist, Edna Groscost;  Asst., Ruth Gardner; Chotister, Ella Gardner;  Assistant, Gladys Landon; Librarian Carl Mosher: Asst., Stella James.    So we know they had an organ, a choir, and a sunday school in 1909.  Whether the Epworth League (had to do with youth Sunday School) came into the church  is as yet unknown at least on my part. I'm not sure if library referes to the church's history, of if they had books there, that this person took care of, for example the Bibles, Hymnals, other song material, sheet music, etc.    Other items in this include a taffy pull at home of Mrs. Laura Gregory on Saturday evening.    Fred and Ed Russell visited their brother Ralph near Climax.  A Rev. S. H. Baldwin  is mentioned visiting Mt. Gilead on business, so was he the pastor in 1909?    The Church had two stoves to heat it and a large Balcony which was used for IOOF Lodge meetings prior to the building of the lodge across the road. After the Church closed in 1945 it was disassembled and the wood was used to re-build the recently burned ME Church in Fulton.  It is said the pulpit and two chairs were taken taken to the Fulton Church.
Link to a listing of people of other then the white race 1880-1900 that lived in Peru township
Fulton Methodist Church before the fire and I.O.O.F Lodge from Jennifer Williams Fulton ME Church Article from Alta Carver
Update: In the Summer of 2010 The Fulton ME Church closed.  Thanks to Jennifer Williams the pulpit and chairs have been saved.  Right are photos of the pulpit and chairs that are from the the Fulton ME Church and believed to be from the old South Woodbury Church.  They are probably from the 1869-70 construction of the second South Woodbury Church. Me sitting in Chair Aug. 7, 2010.  Taken by Edwin and Ester Westbrook.