New Foundations

      In 1864, land was purchased from Hudson Watt at the cost of $400 to build a new Church on the the corner of Wayne and West Sts., located just beyond the Lima town limits. It is upon this ground our Church still stands today. 

      In March 1866, eighteen families pledged $900 to erect the sanctuary:  Heinrich Betz, John Gebhardt, Rev. W.H. Fenneman (our 2nd Pastor), Adam Zimmerman, Peter Schnug, Friedrich Schnug, William Snook, Wilhelm Schnug, Fred Herold, Johannes Weber, Friedrich Rothe, Christian Rothe, Heinrich Pfleger, C. Neubrecht, Johannes Neubrecht, John Frail, Geo. Getz, and Adam Schick.                     

     On August 26, 1866, the cornerstone was laid with impressive ceremonies as reported in The Lima Democrat newspaper:

 "On Sunday afternoon last in the presence of a large number of our citizens, the   cornerstone of the German Reformed Church of Lima was laid. The services on the occasion were of the most solemn and imposing character and very appropriate. Discourses were delivered in both the German and English languages." (August 29, 1866)             

                                                                                                                                 

 

     The Church was a plain 36 x 50ft. brick rectangular structure, seating about 200 people. The windows were not stained glass. Primitive on the inside, with a wood floor and crude benches. There was an aisle on each side of the small auditorium with a broad section of pews in the center. Very short pews were placed alongside the walls. It was customary for the men to sit on the east side of the church, and the women on the west side. Eventually the families would sit together. Two wood burning stoves provided heat, and oil lamps suspended from the ceiling provided dim lighting. There was no organ or musical instruments. Often a beautiful rosewood melodeon owned by Mrs. Anna Herold Zimmerman and Mrs. Margaret Herold Sullivan would be transported to and from church for special services and Holy Days. There were no offering plates. But instead, "Klingelbeutals" or black velvet "jingle bags" were attached to an 8ft. long stick used by the Deacons to collect the tithes, reaching across the people in the pews. Sometimes these sticks were used to gently tap the sleepyheads nodding off during service!

     The final cost of the building project was $3000. The Ladies Aid Society was organized on January 3, 1867, for the purpose of raising money to pay off the debt, which they did successfully.

     The small simple structure was dedicated on May 10, 1867. 

     And with the new building, came about 85 total Church members.