Welsh-American Heritage Museum
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Old Welsh Congregational Church
Welsh-American Heritage Museum. In 1972 a group of Welsh-Americans chartered the Welsh-American Heritage Museum to preserve Welsh history and culture, and to preserve the Welsh Congregational Church. The old brick church was where songs of praises rang, as the Welsh gathered and sang beloved hymns of their homeland in four-part harmony. The church is a link in a long, unbroken chain of memories and still serves the community as a center of Welsh-American activities and a keeper of the communitys heritage. The red dragon and daffodil are symbols of Wales.
Old Welsh Congregational Church. This Greek Revival-style brick church, built in 1868, was the second home of the Oak Hill Congregational Church, established in 1841. The primary builders were Isaac Parry and Thomas Herbert. The buildings prominent double doors allowed for the Welsh tradition of men entering the church through one door and women and children through the other door. By 1890 the church had grown to 175 members and services were in Welsh, but membership decreased as use of the language in the area declined. After 94 years of service, the Welsh Congregational Church closed in 1962.
Erected 2018
this page online
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education • Religion & Religious Structures. In addition, it is included in the Ohio Historical Society / The Ohio History Connection series list. A significant day of the year for for this entry is May 31.
Location. 38° 53.757′ N, 82° 34.143′ W. Marker is in Oak Hill, Ohio, in Jackson County. It is on East Main Street west of East Cross Street, on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 214 E Main St, Oak Hill OH 45656, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Southern Ohio Hill Country. It is also in the American Midwest, in Appalachia, and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, the territory of the Mississippian
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: The Oak Hill Community Hospital (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Central Memorial Park (about 500 feet away); The World's Largest Acorn (about 500 feet away); James W. McDaniel (about 600 feet away); Oak Hill's Finest Servicemen (approx. 0.2 miles away); Roland T. Crace Jr (approx. Ό mile away); Sergeant Donald R. Long (approx. Ό mile away); Union Baptist Church (approx. 5.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Oak Hill.
Also see . . . Welsh-American Heritage Museum. Wikipedia entry (Submitted on September 12, 2024, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
The dark metal plaque between the doors reads, “Welsh American Heritage Museum, 1971. Founders of the Museum: Rev. James A. M. Hanna Th. M., minister, Oak Hill and Horeb Presbyterian Churches; Mildred Jenkins Bangert, President, W.A.H.M.S. and Cardiff Club. Gloria in Exelsis Deo Laborare Est Orare. Welsh Congregational Church, Erected 1868, Organized 1841. 4 July 1776 — 4 July 1976.”
The white stone tablet between the doors is in Welsh and is a memorial dedication to the Reverend William Parry, native of Wales, who died in Granville, Ohio, in 1875.
Credits. This page was last revised on September 12, 2024. It was originally submitted on April 19, 2019, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 884 times since then and 87 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on April 19, 2019, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. 2. submitted on January 28, 2021, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. 3. submitted on April 19, 2019, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. 4, 5. submitted on January 28, 2021, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio.
