Welsh-American Heritage Museum / 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 community’s 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 building’s 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
this page online
Erected 2018 by Welsh-American Heritage Museum, Inc., Community Foundation in Wales Global Giving Campaign, Madog Center for Welsh Studies and The Ohio History Connection. (Marker Number 10-40.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Churches & Religion • Education. 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. Marker 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.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 11 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Oak Hill's Finest Servicemen (approx. 0.2 miles away); Roland T. Crace Jr (approx. ¼ mile away); Sergeant Donald R. Long (approx. ¼ mile away); Olive Furnace (approx. 9.8 miles away); Historic Mt. Olive Charcoal Iron Furnace (approx. 9.8 miles away); A Row Of Shade Trees (approx. 10.2 miles away); University of Rio Grande (approx. 10.2 miles away); Original Foundation Stone of Atwood Inn (approx. 10.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Oak Hill.
Also see . . . Welsh Ohioans. Article in Ohio History Central. “In 1839, a second sizable Welsh migration began to arrive in Ohio. Several hundred Welsh migrants settled in Jackson and Gallia Counties, especially in the communities of Tyn Rho, Oakhill, Centerpoint, Bethel, Nebo, and Horeb. These Welsh men and women joined an earlier group of migrants that had arrived in the area in 1818. That year, six Welsh families settled on the border of Gallia and Jackson Counties. Together the earlier and the newer arrivals established several Welsh churches, and still today, interested persons can see at least eleven Welsh cemeteries in the region. Most of the Welsh residents in this part of Ohio became farmers or miners or they helped construct the state's roads, canals, and railroads.” (Submitted on April 19, 2019.)
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 January 28, 2021. It was originally submitted on April 19, 2019, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 374 times since then and 61 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.
