This first group of pictures are ones that cover the celebration on August 18th 2012. The next group will be of the Members and families of the Congregation.

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50 year Members

Members and Families of First Congregational Church of Twinsburg

Coming Soon

A Twinsburg landmark celebrated it’s 190th Anniversary in August.  Nestled on the west side of the Square in the center of town, First Congregational Church of Twinsburg is a familiar site to those who call Twinsburg home.  It’s congregation invited the community to help join in their year long celebration which kicked off August 18 both at the church and on the square.

On August 18 from 3:00 pm -7:00 pm visitors enjoyed food and fun. Square dancing demonstrations and opportunities for participation took place on Church Street.  Highlights of the afternoon included an old fashioned Cake Walk, where you could take home a cake lovingly baked by the Women’s Fellowship of FCC.  Visitors also participate in a pie eating contest, 3 Legged Race or Watermelon Seed Spitting Contest.

On the square, members of the church had games set up for children and adults alike. Penny Toss, Fishing for Prizes, Put the Steeple on the Church or the Clothes Pin Drop were some of the games being played.  Roasted corn, hot dogs, cotton candy, popcorn, snow cones, and beverages were available for sale on the church’s side lawn. 

Tours of the church and learn about it’s history with a slide show were presented by local historian, Lea Bissell.

Today, the church is known as a familiar sight near the square, but the church’s history in the community  dates to the first settlers of Twinsburg.  After the settling of Twinsburg in 1817, First Congregational Church began on August 23, 1822.

For the first few years, members met in private homes or in the upper part of the grist mill at the corner of Old Mill Rd and Ravenna Rd. In 1822, approximately 13 members began meeting in a log school house that had been constructed on the public square.

 The log building was used until 1848, when the original part of the church building was built. Charles F. Crouse fashioned the cross which currently hangs at the front of the sanctuary from the rude timbers of the original log church when it was torn down some years ago.

 One of the first ministers of the church was a Yale graduate, Reverend Samuel Bissell, called in 1828. For many years he served the youth of the community by conducting the Bissell Institute. Samuel L. Bissell elementary was named after him, and continues his legacy of education.

 The church is an authentic example of the Western Reserve style of architecture, modeled after the classic New England churches of the day, and whose design was brought from Connecticut by the early Twinsburg settlers.

 Built in 1848 at a cost of $3,300, it was dedicated in November of that same year. The cost of the building was paid for by “selling pews” to its members—a common practice at that time.  The pews sold for about $33 with forward pews catching a loftier price. Members purchasing pews included included many of the first settlers of Twinsburg.  The pews were subsequently “claimed” for worship services by those families. This often caused a stir when visitors came and unknowingly sat in a family’s pew. Many of the same families still “claim” certain pews today.

 This original part of the church has been recognized as an historic building worthy of preservation; a plaque at the back of the sanctuary details the plans on file with the Library of Congress.

 Several renovations have altered the original building, but it’s historical frame is still intact.  The sanctuary was renovated in the 1950’s and an educational wing, including a large kitchen and fellowship hall in the basement, was completed in 1955 at a cost of $50,000. The addition made it possible to include a choir loft, and provided room for possible expansion of seating capacity in the Sanctuary.

 The upper tier of the church steeple was removed and rebuilt in 1970.

 A large medallion adorns the ceiling of the sanctuary.  In 1986 a parishioner one Sunday noticed plaster falling in flakes from the ceiling. Upon inspection, a break in the main beam of the church roof was discovered.  The beam had pushed down onto the medallion causing the flaking. The medallion was removed and repairs were made by the Arsena Company, who also restored the Palace Theater in Cleveland. Forest City Erectors in Twinsburg, put support beams in during the repair, and designed and built the metal saddle to shore up the broken beam. The church is checked periodically by an architectural team to ensure the preservation and integrity of the building.

 The church’s current membership totals approximately 450 people.  Sunday services throughout the summer are weekly at 8:30 and 10:00.  The congregation invites all to come and worship and be a part of this exciting, year long church anniversary celebration.   

First Congregational Church of Twinsburg

190^th Birthday Celebration

Schedule of Events: