Canaan United Methodist Church

Canaan United Methodist Church
Creston Canaan United Methodist Church
Location	166 South Main Street, Creston, Ohio
Country	United States
Denomination	United Methodist
History
Founded	1850
Architecture
Status	Active
Completed	1874 (Current building rebuilt)
Demolished	1874 (Original building destroyed by Fire)

Locations

• 166 South Main St., Creston, Ohio 44217 - current
• Canaan Center, Ohio 44217 - previous

Comprehensive History

On March 14, 1850, the trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church bought lot #31 lying in the town of Windsor (now Canaan Center), township of Canaan, county of Wayne, from Abigail Rice. It was purchased for the purpose of erecting a church. This church stood until around 1874 when it was destroyed by fire. A new church was built in 1874. It still stands with minor alterations. In 1900 the ceiling was lowered to its present level. The most drastic change to the exterior came about 1949 when the old steeple had to be removed. The belfry was repaired and the bell rang once more. It was the same bell that had been installed in 1874. In 1954 the sanctuary was renovated and further improvements to the interior were made in 1968. Since then stained glass windows, an organ, new chandeliers, carpet, and an entrance ramp have been added. Construction for the basement started in 1970 and was completed in 1972. The building committee was Harley Hoisington, Mrs. Charles Hookway, Ford Kintner, Fred Hookway, and Rev. Roy Kelsey. Church services were held in the Grange Hall while the basement was under construction. The church has been on a two-church charge and has shared pastors with Creston, Burbank, and now Creston again. The present minister (as of 1987) is Rev. John Gross and membership is composed primarily of families of the immediate community. It is believed that at some time after 1987 Canaan United Methodist Church merged with Creston United Methodist Church and became known as the Creston Canaan United Methodist Church. This church is located at 166 S. Main St., Creston. Sources found for this church include Church Histories of Wayne County Ohio, Wipert, p. 78, History of Wayne County, Ohio, B.F. Bowen & Co.,1910, Vol. 1, p. 270 and Beginnings of Wayne County in 1812, Richard Smith (compiler), page 37. The website listed for this church was crestoncanaanumc.com.

Timeline

• March 14, 1850 - The Methodist Episcopal Church trustees bought land to build a church in the town of Windsor (Canaan Center), Canaan Township, County of Wayne Ohio.
• 1850 - The first church was built on the site
• 1874 - First church building destroyed by fire and a new church building was erected
• 1900 - The ceiling of the church was lowered to its present level
• 1949 - The old church steeple was removed, the belfry repaired, and the bell from 1874 was reinstalled and rung again
• 1954 - The sanctuary of the church was renovated
• 1968 - Further improvements to the interior of the church were added
• 1969-1970 (?) - Added since that time were stained glass windows, an organ, new chandeliers, new carpet, and an entrance ramp
• 1970 - Construction on the church basement was started
• 1972 - The work on the basement of the church was completed
• Sometime after 1987 - Canaan United Methodist Church merged with Creston United Methodist Church to form the Creston Canaan United Methodist Church.

What Links Here

• Wayne County, Ohio Churches (Table) ‎ (← links)