Saint Mark's United Methodist Church
Belpre, Ohio
History Period
1789-1820
1821-1866
1867-1937
1938-1973
1974-2003
Parsonages
Lewis Chapel 1867 - 1937
Lewis Chapel was built at a cost of $6,500. An organ was purchased for $350. The church was dedicated by Dr. Reed of Cincinnati on February 24,1867. In the winter of 1869, the B&O Railroad paid $700 to the church for running within 100 feet of the building. This sum paid off the remainder of the debt, including the organ. The Ladies Social Circle provided blinds for the church and saw that the walls were tinted. The men enclosed the grounds with a picket fence.
In 1894, the church was remodeled. The gallery was removed, the entrance door and steeple relocated and the large vestibule divided into three areas. One room was for the primary children, the other had a sliding door to make two classrooms or more room for overflow crowds as the church was used for high school graduations until 1929. A furnace and gas lighting were installed at this time.
Again in 1909, more changes were made. The basement was enlarged, the floor cemented, steps and walks laid. A section of the basement served as a kitchen enabling the ladies to begin the serving of many dinners. In the fall, apple butter was stirred in the small back yard, and the kettles carried down the mossy steps to the kitchen. Mrs. Alice Nicholas luckily escaped injury when she slipped on the steps, spilling the kettle of hot apple butter into the kitchen.
Lewis Chapel survived several floods and two strikes by lightning. One bolt broke the original bell. A replacement was made later and serves in our church today.
50"' Year Celebration Lewis Chapel 1917
Seated: Name unknown, Russell O'Neal, Name unknown
Standing Left to Right: Lila Price (?), Mr. John Dana,
Mrs. John Dana, Mrs. John O'Neal, Mr. John O'Neal,
Mrs. Carver Brown, Mrs. Lewis Finch, Name Unknown