A Town Of Worship

A Town Of Worship. . , Since the first days of Ford City the town has always been a strong religious community. Churches, often based on ethnicity, sprung up rapidly. And, through the generosity of John B. Ford and the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company, the congregations were able to build on gifted land. Almost all denominations, Protestant and Catholic were represented in town., It is interesting to note that Fourth Avenue seemed to be the "Avenue of Worship". At one time, there were seven active churches there., The population of Ford City has since, decreased and church consolidations have taken place. But, in spite of that, a strong religious community still exists., (Captions):, The most majestic building in Ford City is the former St. Mary Roman Catholic Church. Located at the corner of Fourth Avenue and Eighth Street, its bell towers are the highest structure in town. The cornerstone was laid in 1912 with dedication taking place in 1915. Today, the church is known as Christ, Prince of Peace. The name change is the result of church consolidation with the former Holy Trinity and St. Francis churches in 2002., St. Francis DePaul was the Polish church in Ford City. It was located at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Eighth Street. Built in 1900 and remodeled in 1904, the church was razed and consolidated into the Christ, Prince of Peace Parish in 2002. Today, The St. Francis Meditation Garden takes its place., Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church served the Slovak Catholic Community. Completed in 1905, it remained an active parish until 1965 when the new Holy Trinity Church was built at the corner of Sixth Avenue and Tenth Street. The new, modern church was closed in 2002 and consolidated into the Christ, Prince of Peace Parish. This structure still stands and is privately owned., St. Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church, originally known as St. Nicholas Church, was dedicated in 1913. Renamed St. Mary in 1930, it is located at the corner of Sixth Avenue and Ninth Street. It is still a place of worship for those Catholics of the Byzantine Rite., The First Baptist Church laid its cornerstone on May 7, 1911. It was located where the present day Public Library stands at Fourth Avenue and Twelfth Street The church was destroyed by fire in 1974, and subsequently rebuilt in Manor Township., St. John Lutheran Church came into being in 1888 shortly after John B. Ford began to bring people from Germany to work in the glass plant. This building replaced the original wooden structure in 1927. It is located at the corner of Fourth Avenue and Eleventh Street., The First Presbyterian Church was dedicated on June 20, 1893 and is located on a raised mound at the corner of Fourth Avenue and Tenth Street. The Church was built with stone quarried in the Ford City area. During the years, it has gone through a number of name changes. Presently it is named the First Church of Ford City., The African American community was well represented with places of worship. The Macedonia (Second) Baptist Church( left) and the Phililips Chapel Methodist Church (right) had their beginnings in 1921 and 1918. Both on Fourth Avenue, they were only two blocks apart with the Second Baptist at Fourth Street and the Phillips Chapel at Sixth Street. The Phillips Chapel has since been closed and is now a private residence. The Second Baptist still conducts services., The Ford Memorial Methodist Church was built on the site that St. Mark Episcopal Church stood. This structure was built in 1924 when the congregation moved from Third Avenue to its present location of Fourth Avenue and O'Connor Street., The New Life Center Assembly of God Church occupies the former Roxy Theater at 412 Ninth Street. Worship services began in 1979., Photos are courtesy of Bill Oleksak and Larry Vorpe