Wilsonville in Clackamas County, Oregon — The American West (Northwest)
The “Old Church”
Designed in the Gothic Revival style, the church was built for $3,500 on farmland valued at $500 that was donated by a member of the congregation. Its height of 53 feet at the steeple top made it the tallest building in Wilsonville for decades.
Services were held under the light of oil lamps until 1928 when electricity was added. The bell in the belfry tolled to call the congregation together for Sunday worship and other events. Ice cream socials were popular as were oyster soup suppers, taffy pulls, pot luck dinners and annual Christmas pageants.
In 1992, the congregation moved to a new building on east Wilsonville Road. The beloved Old Church was briefly occupied by a different congregation, then sat abandoned for years. The church and surrounding properties were sold to the Fred Meyer Co. in 1996, and residents called for its preservation. McMenamins Pubs & Breweries then restored the building and it reopened to the public in August 2011, almost 100 years to the day of the church’s dedication.
Erected by Wilsonville-Boones Ferry Historical Society.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Churches & Religion. A significant historical month for this entry is August 2011.
Location. 45° 18.043′ N, 122° 46.398′ W. Marker is in Wilsonville, Oregon, in Clackamas County. Marker is on SW Boones Ferry Rd, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Wilsonville OR 97070, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Site of the Train Depot (approx. 0.2 miles away); Drug Store and Lodge Hall (approx. 0.2 miles away); Norris Young Machine Shop (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Cottage Hotel (approx. 0.2 miles away); Wilsonville Baseball (approx. 0.3 miles away); Site of Bill Flynn’s Saloon (approx. 0.4 miles away); Boone’s Landing (approx. half a mile away); Tauchman House (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Wilsonville.
Also see . . . Wilsonville History in Photos. (Submitted on December 8, 2018, by Douglass Halvorsen of Klamath Falls, Oregon.)
Credits. This page was last revised on December 9, 2018. It was originally submitted on December 8, 2018, by Douglass Halvorsen of Klamath Falls, Oregon. This page has been viewed 249 times since then and 57 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 8, 2018, by Douglass Halvorsen of Klamath Falls, Oregon. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.