First Congregational Church of Twinsburg's 190th Anniversary Celebration

A Twinsburg landmark will celebrate our 190th Anniversary this August.  Nestled on the west side of the Square in the center of town, First Congregational Church of Twinsburg is a familiar site to those who call Twinsburg home.  The congregation is inviting the community to help join in our year long celebration which kicks off August 18 both at the church and on the square.

August 18 from 3:00 pm -7:00 pm visitors can enjoy food and fun as the Western Reserve Community Jazz band serenades listeners on the bandstand.  Square dancing demonstrations and opportunities for participation will take place on Church Street.  Highlights of the afternoon include an old fashioned Cake Walk, where you could take home a cake lovingly baked by the Women’s Fellowship of FCC.  Visitors can also participate in a pie eating contest, 3 Legged Race or Watermelon Seed Spitting Contest. A Vacation Bible School table will also be set up to slow down life a bit and take a step back to the 1800's.  Please join us for old time games, fun and hands-on crafts and activities.   Children Preschool age through 6th Grade are welcome. 

On the square, members of the church will have games set up for children and adults alike.    Come try your hand at the Penny Toss, Fishing for Prizes, Put the Steeple on the Church or the Clothes Pin Drop.  Roasted corn, hot dogs, cotton candy, popcorn, snow cones, and beverages will be available for sale on the church’s side lawn. 

Take an opportunity to tour the church and learn about it’s history with a slide show presented by local historian, Lea Bissell.

Today, the church is known as a familiar sight near the square, but the church’s history in the community dates to the first settlers of Twinsburg.  After the settling of Twinsburg in 1817, First Congregational Church began on August 23, 1822.

For the first few years, members met in private homes or in the upper part of the grist mill at the corner of Old Mill Rd and Ravenna Rd. In 1822, approximately 13 members began meeting in a log school house that had been constructed on the public square.

The log building was used until 1848, when the original part of the church building was built. Charles F. Crouse fashioned the cross that currently hangs at the front of the sanctuary from the rude timbers of the original log church when it was torn down some years ago.

One of the first ministers of the church was a Yale graduate, Reverend Samuel Bissell, called in 1828. For many years he served the youth of the community by conducting the Bissell Institute. Samuel L. Bissell elementary was named after him, and continues his legacy of education.

The church is an authentic example of the Western Reserve style of architecture, modeled after the classic New England churches of the day, and whose design was brought from Connecticut by the early Twinsburg settlers.

Built in 1848 at a cost of $3,300, it was dedicated in November of that same year. The cost of the building was paid for by “selling pews” to its members—a common practice at that time.  The pews sold for about $33 with forward pews catching a loftier price. Members purchasing pews included many of the first settlers of Twinsburg.  The pews were subsequently “claimed” for worship services by those families. This often caused a stir when visitors came and unknowingly sat in a family’s pew. Many of the same families still “claim” certain pews today.

This original part of the church has been recognized as an historic building worthy of preservation; a plaque at the back of the sanctuary details the plans on file with the Library of Congress.

Several renovations have altered the original building, but it’s historical frame is still intact.  The sanctuary was renovated in the 1950’s and an educational wing, including a large kitchen and fellowship hall in the basement, was completed in 1955 at a cost of $50,000. The addition made it possible to include a choir loft, and provided room for possible expansion of seating capacity in the Sanctuary.

The upper tier of the church steeple was removed and rebuilt in 1970.

A large medallion adorns the ceiling of the sanctuary.  In 1986 a parishioner one Sunday noticed plaster falling in flakes from the ceiling. Upon inspection, a break in the main beam of the church roof was discovered.  The beam had pushed down onto the medallion causing the flaking. The medallion was removed and repairs were made by the Arsena Company, who also restored the Palace Theater in Cleveland. Forest City Erectors in Twinsburg, put support beams in during the repair, and designed and built the metal saddle to shore up the broken beam. The church is checked periodically by an architectural team to ensure the preservation and integrity of the building.

The church’s current membership totals approximately 200 people.  Sunday services throughout the summer are weekly at 8:30 and 10:00 am.  The congregation invites all to come and worship and be a part of this exciting, year-long church anniversary celebration. 

Schedule of Events:

3-4 pm - Western Reserve Jazz Band

3-7pm - Tours of the Church and slideshow presentation on the half hour

4-6 pm - Bean Bag Toss, Put the Steeple on the Church, Clothes Pin Drop, Penny Toss,  Old Time Picture Taking

4:15 pm - Children’s Cupcake Walk

4:30 pm - Square Dancing Demonstrations

4:45 pm - Pie Eating Contest

5:00 pm - 3 Legged Race (Children and Adults) 

5:15 pm - Square Dancing Demonstrations

5:30 pm - Seed Spitting Contest (Children and Adults) 

5:45 pm - Adult Cake Walk

6-7 pm - Square Dancing