In 1856, a group of 60 left St. John’s Church to create a Presbyterian Church. Many of the early pioneers from Virginia, New York and Pennsylvania brought with them a strong tendency toward Presbyterianism. They desired their own denomination with weekly services in English. The new congregation was known as the First Presbyterian Church in Grove City. They first met in a wood plank building near the railroad tracks. Both Presbyterian and Methodist used the building. Services were interrupted by the trains which also spooked horses. That building was purchased by Adam Grant who turned it into an auditorium. (Grant’s auditorium pictured).

The first organized religious group to build their own house of worship was St. Johannis Kirche [St. John’s Lutheran Church]. Lutherans began meeting at the Highland Meeting House as a congregation in 1849. In 1853, they built a church, which is still standing at the northwest corner of Columbus Street and Arbutus Avenue. Most Lutherans spoke their native language but services were also held in English. Some of the English speaking Lutherans left and formed St. Paul’s Lutheran Church at the intersection of Columbus Street and Dudley. When St. Paul’s ceased to exist after five years, the property was purchased by St. John’s congregation where they built their current structure.

The first ordained minister in Grove City was the Rev. R. K. Davis, a friend of William F. Breck [pictured], the founder of Grove City. Davis was described as a Presbyterian clergyman but an 1880 Ohio history states Davis was a Protestant Methodist. He conducted services at the Highland Meeting House which was built in 1846, the same year Breck moved here from Carroll, Ohio.

Methodist and Presbyterian circuit riders road horses, mules and sometimes walked to rural communities to preach. Methodist circuit riders were in Central Ohio as early as 1796, seven years before Ohio became a state.

Over the next few weeks, we will be tracing the history of Grove City’s three major denominations which had their start at the old Highland Road Meeting House. If you can share any related stories they would be appreciated. Please email correspondence to SWFCHSohio@gmail.com. The Universalists and New Lights were the first religious groups to conduct organized religious services in Jackson Township as early as 1828. That was 18 years before the Highland Meeting House was built. Those early services were held in homes.