Saint John's Evangelical Church and [German] Cemetery

Now located on Fourth Street in Lowell, Ohio.

The inscription on the plaque reads: "German Immigrants founded The German United Evangelical Church. In 1852 the Church Trustees purchased land from Perez Buell "for Grave Yard of the aforesaid Church". Known burials from 1852-1933. In 1929 the Cemetery was transferred to the Trustees of Adams Twp. The first Church (completion delayed by Civil War) was on Walnut St. and was destroyed by the 1913 Flood. The present Church on 4th St. had its name changed in 1959 to St. John's United Church of Christ. This marker is a memorial to preserve the names of those interred here—many of their descendants are still members of this Church."

Founding of the church

The earliest members attended the First Evangelical and Reformed Church of Muskingum Township. Later they met at the Methodist Church on Third Street in Lowell while still affiliated with the Muskingum Township congregation. Then in 1858 the German Evangelical Protestant St. John's church was formed. Friedrich Juergens let the church from 1858-1867, and a score of other ministers served from 1838 to 1983. During Juergen's pastorate, a brick building was begun on Walnut Street, and dedicated in 1865. The first constitution was adopted in 1860. A membership of 60 was registered in 1881. A spire topped by a crowing rooster was added in the 1890s. Services continued in German until 1900, when the Rev. Otto W. Breuhaus introduced an evening service in English.

The church building was severely damaged in the 1913 flood and abandoned. The current building on Fourth Street was dedicated in 1916, complete with a furnace and a reed organ. The history of this church's affiliations in the 20th Century is similar to the evolution of quite a few of these German-American churches. In 1905 they became affiliated with the German Evangelical Synod of North America, which became part of the Evangelical and Refomed Church in 1934. In 1957 the United Church of Christ was fomed from the merger of the Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Congregational Christian Church. According to one website, the church is currently listed as nondenominational.

References

• Becker, Heinrich, "Von den bergessenen Töchtern und Söhnen Dittweilers," in Wir "Diewiller Waffele:" Geschichten aus un um Dittweiler zum 675. Jubiläum der Erwähnung 1316 und 12. Kreisheimattag
• Becker, Heinrich, "About the Forgotten Daughters and Sons of Dittweiler,"
  translated by Jim Andris
• German-American Communities, Churches, Cemeteries, Records and other Sources Washington County and Adjoining Townships in Noble and Monroe Counties, Ohio, information compled by Millie Covey Fry of Marietta, Oh, December 30, 2001; December 4-7, 2006, January 30, 2007. Information provided by Donna Betts, Kurt Ludwig, Catherine Sams, Ernest Thode, and Dean Zimmer.
• Matt, Barbara Gerhart, translations of the Berg Church Records of Daniel Hirsch.
• Nikolaus, Walter, Daniel Hirsch: Lehrer—Revolutionär—Pfarrer: 1848; Freiheit und Einheit Deutschland un Europa, unpublished manuscript.
• Portions of an email from Ernest Thode to others on the Historical Background of St. Paul's and St. Lukes.
• Zenglein, Dieter, with collaboration from Walter Nokolaus and Heinrich Becker, To the Banks of the Ohio: An Essay on Emigration of People from the Kohlbach ("Coal Creek") Valley to America Especially Washington County, Ohio, in the 19th Century. tr. by Ernest Thode, 1988. (This work contains the following subsections: 1) Introduction, 2) Johann Theobald Schramm and Jacob Berg of Altenkirchen, Two Pioneers of the Kohlbach Valley in the New World, 3) The Great Emigration Wave from the Kohlbach Valley to Ohio in the 19th Century, 4) Daniel Hirsch, Teacher, Pastor, and Democrat: Fate of a Forgotten '48er, 5) The West Palatine Emigrant Community in Washington County, Ohio, and 6) Church Book of the First Evangelical Protestant Congregation in Fearing Township, Washington County, Ohio, begun in 1856 by Daniel Hirsch, formerly teacher in (D-6791) Altenkirchen, and continued until 1914

Names on the plaque shown above are: