445 N. Bever St., Wooster, Ohio
The brick church building located at 445 N. Bever St., the southeast corner of N. Bever St. and Derr Ave., was built in 1868 by the congregation of the United Presbyterian Church of Wooster, Ohio at a cost of $14,000 on land valued at $2,000 that was donated to the church by Ephraim Quinby Jr. and his wife, Catherine Quinby. After the merger of the United Presbyterian Church of North America with The Presbyterian Church in the United States of America in 1958 the Wooster Presbytery, which included two others in Wooster, Westminister Presbyterian Church and the First Presbyterian Church, decided along with the few remaining members of The Bever Street United Presbyterian Church, Inc. in 1962 to disband the church. In November of 1962 the church building and property was sold to the Ohio Conference Association of Seventh Day Adventist Church which continues to operate at this location.
The building's facade is adorned with decorative brickwork and stone accents. A central bell tower covered with a mansard-type roof dominates the facade and is recessed into a shorter gabled section of the building. A tall spire steeple once topped the tower but was removed long ago.
Wayne County Recorder Property Transfers
- 1816: 1816: William Henry, Joseph H. Larwill, Abigail Larwill To John Bever Vol. 1 p.100 $1
- 1837: Last will and testament of John Bever deceased gave to daughter Mirtilla (Bever) Bowman married to James L. Bowman land containing 68 acres.
- 1857:
- Mirtilla Bowman To Jacob B. McKennan Trust Deed Vol. 50 p.242-244
- J.B. McKennan's Addition to the Town of Wooster: Plat of 30 outlots numbered 149-178 dated November 7, 1857.
- 1862: Jacob B. McKennan To Ephriam Quinby Jr. Vol. 54 p.327 Old Lot No.s 150, 151, 152, 155, 156, 159, 171
- 1869: Ephriam Quinby Jr., Catherine Quinby To Trustees United Presbyterian Church Vol. 72 p.159 part of Lot 171 valued at $2,000 but given to Church*
* Note: The deed describes how church was erected on the land in 1868 and that the Quinby's donated the land to the Church. Trustees listed on the deed were Samuel Wilson, Christian Weirich, Samuel McKee, James T. Stitt, and Robert Wallace.
- 1911: Trustees of United Presbyterian Church To The City of Wooster Vol. 163 p.554 (after 1870 renumbering) north 40ft part of Lot 1359 to use for a roadway that became Derr Avenue
- 1961: Articles of Incorporation for The Bever Street United Presbyterian Church, Inc., a non-profit organization Vol. 375 p.292
- 1962: The United Presbyterian Church of Wooster, Ohio To The Bever Street United Presbyterian Church, Inc. Vol. 390 p.279-280 Lot 1359 $1
- 1962: The Bever Street United Presbyterian Church, Inc. To Ohio Conference Association of Seventh Day Adventist Church Vol. 390 p.281 Lot 1359 $21,500
Newspaper Articles
- Church History see Wayne County Democrat 1883-AUG-29 p.3