St. John's United Church of Christ

Church History

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Reflecting God's Love In the World

Early Church History

     The orgin of St. John's Church leads back to the year 1835.  The records of that time are meager, but such that are available relate  that religious services were held by the German pioneers of Wheeling in a frame building located on Main Street.  These services, no dought, were held at irregular intervals upon occasions when German pastors made the round of their circuits.  However, when in the year 1835, Rev. Andreas Schwartz became the first resident pastor, a congregation was organized, services were held regulary, and the place of meeting was changed from the building on Main Street to the old Ohio County Court House, then located on Tenth Street oppsite the present Market House.

     As the membership increased, the desire which had existed for some time amoung the members of the congregation to build a church, could be realized.  In the year 1836 property was acquired on Eighteenth Street, and a church was erected the same year ( see picture above, and click to enlarge ) on the site now occupied by the Eighteenth Street chapel of the First Presbyterian Church.  The corner stone of this first church bears the inscription " Erste Duetsche Lutherische in Wheeling, 1836" ( First German Lutheran Church in Wheeling, 1836 ).  This corner stone is still the cherished possession of St. John's Church, and is laid in the east wall of the present church.

     The congregation continued to worship in the church on Eighteenth Street, in East Wheeling, until about 1870.  At that time a group of German speaking people who had formed a small church organization of their own united with the older organization in East Wheeling.  When this merger took place the name of the church was changed to St. John's Evangelical Protestant Church.  Due to the rapid growth of the congregation which followed the merger, a larger building soon became neccessary.  A central location for a new church was sought and such a place was found on the corner of Market and Seventeenth Streets, were the B&O railroad station (The West Virginia Northern Community College ) is now located.  ( See picture below, and click to enlarge ).

This church served as a place of prayer and worship for St. John's people until 1906. In that year the B&O purchashed the property on which the church stood, together with the adjoining property as a location for its new station.  Once more St. John's had to look for a new location.  Property was purchased on the corner of Twenty-second and Chapline Streets.  Contracts were let, building was immediately begun, and on the 26th of May, 1907, the building had so far progressed that the corner stone could be laid, and on September 20, 1908, the beautiful, dignified and commodious building, our present church, was dedicated to the service of and glory of God. ( See picture below, click to enlarge ).

     No early history of St. John's Church would be complete without special mention of the signal ministry of Rev. W.G. Ulfert, Ph.D., whose pastorate extented over a period of 39 years, from 1884 to 1923.   Under his wise and energetic leadership the congregation grew in numbers and influence as never before.  It was during his ministry that our present stately church was built.  His memory will always be cherished by St. John's people, and his influence is still felt in the life of our church today.

The history of the 1908 church, our present church is recorded on the following page.

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