From:
HISTORY OF PICKAWAY COUNTY, OHIO AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS
EDITED AND COMPILED BY HON. AARON R. VAN CLEAF, CIRCLEVILLE, OHIO
PUBLISHED BY BIOGRAPHICAL PUBLISHING COMPANY
GEORGE RICHMOND, PRES.; C. R. ARNOLD, SEC'Y AND TREAS.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 1906
The First Presbyterian congregation in Circleville was organized in 1822 with 20 members and two elders, Jacob Hughes and Benjamin Cox, and on September 13th of that year William Burton was enrolled as pastor. Previous to this time pastors of the Pickaway church of Ross County had held services occasionally for Circleville Presbyterians in the Court House. In 1828 the congregation was incorporated- by act of the General Assembly of Ohio as the "First Presbyterian Church of Circleville."
Lots 109 and 110 were procured of Andrew Huston and deeded by him to Dr. J. B. Finley and Dr. William N. Luckey, trustees, as the site of the Presbyterian Church, in consideration of $100. Here was erected a plain one-story brick edifice, seating 250 worshipers. In the winter of 1830-31 a remarkable revival was held, in which 56 members were added to the church, bringing the number of communicants to 110.
Mr. Burton's pastorate continued until the spring of 1835, when he resigned to accept a charge at Piketon. In May of the following year Rev. Franklin Putnam was called and he remained until March, 1842.
During the pastorate of Mr. Putnam occurred the division of the American Presbyterian Church into the Old School and the New School branches. In the vote taken by the Circleville church, 48 favored the New School, while 9 favored the Old School. The latter withdrew and organized the Central Presbyterian Church, which maintained a separate existence until 1883, when the churches were reunited.
For a time the meetings of the new Central Church were held in the old brick Academy building. Rev. George Wells was called as pastor and during this period the services for several years were held on alternate Sundays in the Lutheran Church. Later a small frame church was erected on the ground now occupied by the Odd Fellows' Block on Main street. This, however, did not long serve the purposes of the congregation. James McCoy donated a lot on Main street and on this a large brick edifice, costing $6,000, was erected. The dedication took place in June, 1854. In 1869 the building was enlarged and in 1873 was again extensively improved.
After the death of Rev. George Wells, Mr McKennon became pastor of the Central Church and served a short time. Rev. Milton A. Sackett was next called; he removed shortly afterward and was succeeded by Rev. George L. Kalb, who held the pastorate for 10 years. In the fall of 1864 Rev. William Mac Milian began a pastorate of 13 years. After Mr. MacMillan's resignation, Rev. William Carson presided until the union of the two Presbyterian churches was consummated, in 1883. Then the Central Church building was purchased by the Baptist congregation, in whose possession is still remains.
In 1842 Mr. Putnam, the pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, resigned his charge because of ill health. On March 1, 1844, a call was extended to Dr. James Rowland, who held his charge until his death, in 1854. During the last year of his ministry a large and handsome brick church was begun on the site of the former edifice. Before its completion the death of Mr. Rowland. occurred and the first service, held in the basement of the building, was the funeral service of the pastor. His remains were buried under the belfry and a memorial tablet erected in the entrance to the church. During the erection of the building, services were held in the old Seminary, at the corner of Court and Mound streets, now the property of Mrs. William Renick.
Rev. P. M. Bartlett, later president of the University of Tennessee, was pastor from January 29, 1853, until April, 1857. He was followed by Rev. Henry Calhoun, formerly of Coshocton, Ohio. The first year of his pastorate was noteworthy in that 30 persons were added to the church at the spring communion. He resigned December 20, 1865.
From June 2, 1867, until April, 1872, Rev. H. R. Hoisington was pastor. In 187o the Old School and the New School branches of the church were reunited, but the union failed in Circleville owing to the refusal of the Central Church to accept the resignation of their pastor. In June, 1873, Rev. S. H. McMullen, formerly professor of Greek in Miami University and professor of church history in the theological seminary at Danville, Kentucky, was installed as pastor. He held the position until 1883, when the pastors of the two churches resigned' in order to open the way to the amalgamation of the two churches.
In congregational meetings, officers for the united church were chosen. On March 21, 1883, these met for the purpose of organization, with Rev. James P. Stratton, D. D., of Crawfordsville, Indiana, the pastor elect, acting as moderator. The members of the session of the united church were Otis Ballard, Adam McCrea, Joseph Wallace, Henry A. Jackson and M. H. Lewis. The first sermon by the new pastor was on Sunday, April 22, 1883. The pastorate continued until January 3, 1897, when Dr. Stratton, his resignation having been accepted, left to accept the charge of a church at Tiffin, Ohio. His retirement from the ministry took place last year.
On April 27, 1897, Rev. F. L. Bullard, then pastor of a Dayton church, received a call from the congregation. He entered upon the duties of his office in the following May and continued as pastor until his resignation was accepted in 1902. During his pastorate, the old church was torn down and a handsome pressed-brick structure erected in its place. The auditorium of the new building seats 600 worshipers and contains several fine memorial windows. The cost of the church was about $30,000. The body of Dr. Rowland was disinterred
and then buried under the tower of the new church.
In November, 1902, Rev. David S. Tappan, D. D., formerly president of Miami University, received a call from the congregation.
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