Our Historic Religious Buildings

Our Historic Religious Buildings. . Before places of worship existed in Upper Arlington, early residents traveled to Grandview, Perry Township- even to Columbus by streetcar- to attend worship. It took several years before a truly local option was available., Riverside United Methodist The oldest church in UA , In 1842, at the current corner of Lane Avenue and Tremont Road, Kellogg Chapel- named for a Methodist circuit rider- was established in a log barn. This temporary church relocated in 1849 to a stone chapel at what is now Riverside Drive and Lane Avenue. That building was damaged by explosions at the nearby rock quarry. A new site was purchased on Zollinger and Kioka, and quarry owners donated stone for a new structure, completed in 1917., The congregation has had different names- Kellogg Chapel, Marble Cliff Methodist Episcopal and Riverside United Methodist Church- but its current church building did not fall within city limits until the land was annexed in 1954. Constructed in 1917, it is the oldest church in Upper Arlington., St. Agatha Church The first church in UA , In 1938, the Diocese of Columbus purchased 19 acres in Perry Township, just north of what was then Upper Arlington. St. Agatha church, school, convent, and rectory were dedicated in December 1940, originally serving about 17 families., When the land between Northam and Zollinger was annexed by Upper Arlington in 1948, St. Agatha became the first church to exist within the city. The present facility was dedicated in 1962, to accommodate an increase in attendance, and has since undergone more renovations and additions., Holy Trinity Lutheran Church: The First Church Built in UA , The Lutheran Church applied to the village of Upper Arlington for a building permit in 1940. Their proposal was rejected. The case was reviewed by the Supreme Court of Ohio, which ruled against Upper Arlington in 1942 stating the policy not to allow a church in the residential area while sites were available in the business district was not valid and violated property rights. Officials were ordered to grant a permit allowing construction of the church however it was not built until 1950 due to a post-world war two shortage of building materials. Although by then St. Agatha was the first church within city boundaries due to annexation, Holy Trinity was the first church constructed in the city., First Community Church , Although this church is not within city limits, it provided spiritual leadership to early residents before any church existed in Upper Arlington. This influence remains firmly in place today. First Community Church was founded in 1926, when the Grandview Heights Congregational Church voted to become a nondenominational church. UA residents have since enjoyed offerings beyond worship, including youth programming, a spiritual retreat at Camp Akita, the nation's first singles group, and First Community Village (FCV)- a senior living complex. FCV, which is in Upper Arlington, was built in the early 1960s on the remaining portion of the Miller family's farm, a fitting tribute to the community it serves.