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Religious Records Research at the Archives & Library of the Ohio History Connection

Congregational

Congregationalists arrived in the Northwest Territory in the late 1700s. In 1809, they constructed the first frame church in Ohio at Marietta. Most Ohio Congregationalists originally settled in the Connecticut Western Reserve. By the 1820s, a majority of major Ohio towns and cities, including Columbus and Cincinnati, had Congregationalist churches. The Congregationalists also established numerous communities in the state, including Berea, Oberlin, and Tallmadge. Ohio's Congregationalists were early advocates of higher education, establishing Marietta College in 1835 and Defiance College in 1850. The Congregational and the Evangelical and Reformed Church merged together to form the United Church of Christ (UCC) in Cleveland in 1957. The Church moved its headquarters from New York to Cleveland in 1990

Below are lists of select archival and library materials related to the Congregational Church, available for research at the Ohio History Connection Archives & Library. Review the catalog links below, or explore our Online Collections Catalog using a specific church name or related search terms for more information [example search terms: "Congregational churches -- Ohio", "Congregational Church"].

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