Date
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Event
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Source
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1784
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Coke
& Asbury create an Episcopal form of government for Methodism at the
Christmas Conference in Baltimore
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From One Hundred Years of Methodism R. T. Stevenson (Ohio
Wesleyan University) 1898
|
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1798 (Aug 1st)
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John
Kobler (The first Itinerant preacher sent by Baltimore Conference)
crosses the Ohio river near the mouth of the Little Miami river at the village
of Columbia and drops to his knees to ask God’s blessing on bringing His
word to the Ohio Territory.
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From One Hundred Years of Methodism R. T. Stevenson (Ohio
Wesleyan University) 1898
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1800
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Ohio has population of 42,000
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From One Hundred Years of Methodism R. T. Stevenson (Ohio
Wesleyan University) 1898
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1803 (Mar 1st)
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Ohio becomes 17th State of the Union.
Greene, Montgomery, and Warren counties are established.
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1804
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Mad River Circuit Formed. Covered area of the current
counties of Champaign, Clark, Miami, Greene, Montgomery, Warren and
Clinton.
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1807 (May 23rd)
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Third Quarterly Meeting of the Circuit.
Records do not indicate any church buildings exist at this time.
The Sardis Society (The Congregation that
eventually forms the Methodist Episcopal Church of Spring Valley)
likely had a meetinghouse on what in 1950 was the Wm., and Susan Craig
farm (1.5 miles from Village).
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This fact is not definitely established by available
church records, but is based on family legend, coupled with the tangible
evidence that on the reputed site may still be found portions of an old
foundation.
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1807 - 1808
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Thomas Milligan and William Mitchel serve as traveling
Preachers on the circuit
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1811 (Jan 19th)
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Union Circuit is formed with following Charges:
Union
Bellbrook
Centerville
Sardis Society (Becomes
Methodist Episcopal
Church of Spring Valley)
White Chapel
Mt. Holly
Rehoboth
|
|
|
1817
|
William Davis family settles in Spring Valley Township.
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Dill’s Green County History (1881) page 854
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1820
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William Davis & Thomas McCool (both local preachers)
organize the Sardis Society.
This congregation will go on to form the Spring Valley Episcopal
Methodist Church. The Sardis
Society met for worship at the home of William Davis. The home was located just east of the area upon which now
stands the Old Spring Valley School House on Spring Valley Paintersville
Road.
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Dill’s Green County History (1881) page 854
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1828
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The Sardis Society constructs a log house on the Davis
farm in which it holds it’s services until it eventually moves into
Spring Valley to a building located on the site of our present church.
|
Dill’s Green County History (1881) page 854
|
|
1839
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Wesley & Whitefield revivals begin in The U.S.A.
|
From One Hundred Years of Methodism R.T. Stevenson (Ohio
Wesleyan University) 1898
|
|
1842
|
Village of Spring Valley is platted and incorporated by
Edward and Moses Walton.
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1848
|
At the first Quarterly Conference of the year for the
Union Circuit held at New Burlington; a building committee is formed to
obtain a building site in Spring Valley and obtain subscriptions to build
a church. William Davis was
named chairman. The purpose
being for the Sardis Society to move to this location.
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|
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1850 (Feb)
|
Building lot purchased from Mr. & Mrs. Edmund Boots
for $25.00.
|
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1850 (3rd Quarterly Conference)
|
Methodist Episcopal Church of Spring Valley reports
that $700.00 has been raised and a building contract for $840.00 was made
with Messrs. Merritt & Collett.
The church had 60 members at this time.
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1851 (Aug 2nd)
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The Building was reported in use with a debt of $250.00
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1855 (2nd quarterly Conference)
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Debt on building was reported as $123.00
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1855 (Oct 13th)
|
The first quarterly conference for the circuit was held at
the Spring Valley Church.
Debt is retired and building is free & clear)
Spring Valley reports 48 members (Church was formed in
1850 with 33 members)
The Union Circuit has a total of 427 members in 7 Churches
being served by 2 pastors.
Spring Valley’s apportionment for Ministerial support
was $111.00
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1857
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Ministers are replaced with two new Pastors
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1858
|
About this time frame Sunday School was started in the
Circuit.
It was not flourishing as indicated by the following
quarterly conference report by Rev. Newson.
"A part of the schools on the circuit have been suspended during
the winter season, and the rest are not in as flourishing a condition as
could be desired. The schools at Centerville and Bellbrook are doing the
best at present, but they are not as numerously attended, as they should
be. I find the same dificulty existing in this circuit that exists
everywhere - a want of good and permanent teachers. Now this ought not so
to be. Our older members do not take that interest in the institution they
should. They too seldom visit the schools and bless them with their
advice."
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1882 - 1905
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Apparently all records for the circuit have been lost for
this period. There is a book
with the records of the Spring Valley Church’s Board of Trustees.
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|
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1891 (Oct 15th)
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Isaac Evans (Executor of Rebecca Evans estate) presents
the church with a $1,000.00 Gift designated for building in Spring Valley
a place for public worship.
The board invested the gift for an interest rate of 5%.
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|
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1903 (Apr)
|
Charge purchases lot 73 on the NW corner of Elm & Vine
street to be used as a location for a Parsonage. (deeded to trustees of
Union M.E. Church)
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|
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1906 (Feb 24th)
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Trustees report that building fund now $1,850.00.
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1906 (Mar 3rd)
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Building Committee appointed and authorized to sell the
existing church building with the provision it had to be moved within 10
days of the sale.
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1906 (Mar 26th)
|
Building Committee authorized to secure a loan of
$2,500.00 from Citizens Bank of Waynesville to supplement the building
fund.
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1906 (Apr 30th)
|
Bid for building new church was accepted from Frank Hamm.
The cost would be $4,796.00. This
amount did not include any interior furnishings.
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1906 (May 6th)
|
Last Service is held in original church building.
The congregation worshipped in the Methodist Protestant
Church, which stood on the site of the current (1950) home of Dr. A. N.
Vandeman.
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1906 (Jun 18th)
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Original building removed by new owner.
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1906 (Jun 26th)
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Ground Breaking for new church building
|
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1906 (Aug 25th)
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Cornerstone Laid
|
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1907 (Jan 31st)
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The last living member of the
Congregation that formed the
Spring Valley Charge dies. Thus
none of the founding members lived to see the church building completed.
|
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1907 (Jun 2nd)
|
First service held in new Church building.
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1907 (Jun10th)
|
Treasurer reports a total of $6,127.42 was raised
($2,003.42 of it in pledges all but $360.50 of which had been received).
|
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1907 (Jul 7th)
|
Dedication service for new building is held.
|
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1907 (Aug 21st)
|
Building Committee reports that the total cost of church
excluding donated stained glass windows was $8,751.06.
Of that amount $3,016.04 was still unpaid.
|
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1910 (Jan 30th)
|
Mortgage on church building is burned.
|
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1948
|
Lulu Sollars donates $1,000 for the purchase of a
parsonage.
|
Marylee Sutton’s notes from Church gift records
|
|
1950 (Feb 5th)
|
Church’s first Santuary
organ played at a service for it’s dedication (Church’s first
organist was Marylee Sutton)
|
|
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1950
|
Nora Houston donates $2,000 and her brother Ralph Houston
devised to the church adjacent property to the north of building.
This building currently houses Spring Valley Community
Library.
|
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1955 (Jun)
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Cornerstone of $40,000 Annex laid.
|
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1956 (Dec 16th)
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Annex dedicated
|
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1958 (Jun)
|
Church is made a Station.
|
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1963 (Apr)
|
Lot 73 traded by Union Church for property owned by George
Smith at top of Main Street Hill to be used as a Parsonage by Spring
Valley Minister
|
|
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1963 (Jul/Aug)
|
Church began serving “home cooked” meals at the Greene
County Fair. This would become know as the “Fair Project”.
|
|
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1966 (Feb)
|
Church membership reported as 346.
|
|
|
1969 (May 22nd)
|
$5,000 given by the estate of Miss Bessie Fitch to be used
for the purchase of a parsonage.
|
Marylee Sutton’s notes from Church gift records
|
|
1974
|
Arrangements made to sell current parsonage for $23,000
and begin construction on current parsonage.
$5,000 from Bessie Fitch will
$1,000 from George H. Smith will
$5,500 from Fair Project
Land Donated by Harvey & Evelyn Huff
Estimated value at completion $65,000
|
|
|
1975 (Nov)
|
Current parsonage and 40 car parking lot completed &
dedicated
|
|
|
1990 (Oct)
|
Historical Recipes Book created to celebrate 140th
anniversary of Church
|
|
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1991 (Oct 27th)
|
New organ dedication concert held.
|
|
|
1999 (Jul/Aug)
|
Last Greene County Fair “home cooked” meals
project
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