A Little piece of Paradise… College Hill, Ohio - SELFCRAFT

structure of the new building was completed, and the men of the congregation finished the interior,including the chancel and the balcony areas in the sanctuary, the floor tile and the ceiling throughout thebasement level, and the installation of electrical fixtures throughout the building. In June of 1959 theChurch School classes began meeting in the new building. On October 18 of that year the first worshipservice was held in the new sanctuary, following which the old, wood-frame building was razed andremoved from the lot. In 1964, with funds bequeathed for this purpose by the late Rose Graeba, thebuilding was finally completed, the final step being the placing of the spire and cross on June 23.The church building on Marlowe Avenue was dedicated on June 28, 1964, for a congregation of over200.One of the best loved ministers was Rev. William G. ‘Daddy’ Loucks, who tended the congregationfrom 1925 until 1948.Charles H. Ault 12 was there building the first church in 1911. He recalled that the lumber andnecessary tools were available and that with the help of the Carpenters Union, who would teach and aid inthe building’s assembly, they were able to get the basic building - roof, exterior walls, floor joists - allconstructed in one day. Being a hot July 4 in 1911, the women of the congregation fed the workers andgave them plenty to drink. He recalled the names of several of the congregation of workers: RichardRoller, Jack Chadwick Sr. and Jr., William and George Witt, Fred W. Hoover, and Walter Askew. Mr.Ault was born in 1877 and also recalled for the 1966 newspaper interview; He can remember the daywhen the ‘Battle of Manila Bay’ was recreated for Cincinnati folks, and the spectators were charged 2cents each to view the proceedings on the Ohio River from the bridges.In the congregation are Bertha Steinbeck (Mrs. John Keller) whose daughter, grand-daughter, andgreat-grandson and great-granddaughter are present members. Bertha’s great-grandson, who was once amember, was Jim Markwell, a United States Army Ranger and the first U. S. casualty of the PanamaInvasion.”First United Church of Christ 13Starting in 1855 as the German Lutheran congregation of Cumminsville, the sixteen members soughta place where they could meet and worship. Poor roads suppressed attendance and growth of thecongregation, so a Cumminsville location was preferred. Ephraim Knowton rented to them Knowlton’sHall, in the building known as Knowlton’s Block. Knowlton and his son Sidney were friendly towardGermans and rented the society space for a small price. In addition to a church, a school was necessarybecause German was not being taught in the public schools. Each member donated a dollar to establishsuch a school where the children would be taught in their native language. But first they needed a churchthat could double as a school. On March 17, 1856 Jacob Hoffner, who generously supported severalcauses, donated a lot on Apple Street. The cornerstone of the church was laid October 26, 1856. Thechurch we remember on Hoffner Street in Northside was completed in 1894, now named the GermanEvangelical Church. The spire became a landmark on the Northside horizon.In 1993 a tornado-like wind blew across Cincinnati, lifting and reversing the 197-foot spire so that itcrashed through the church point down to the basement. Such damage was done to the rest of the buildingthat the church was demolished and a different site was sought. The church had acquired some yearsearlier the land of the old A. D. E. Tweed estate on Belmont Avenue, so this is where the new church wasbuilt. The church (now the First United Church of Christ) was completed in 1995. Items from the formerchurch were saved and incorporated into the new building: the old cornerstone, stained glass windows,the 1912 baptismal font, Bibles and the inscribed lintel stone above the original church door.St. George Serbian Eastern Orthodox Church12 College Hill Centennial, Porter Printing, Thursday June 23, 196613 Source: Souvenir History of Cumminsville, 1911.Cincinnati Enquirer, Church rejoices with new building, June 26, 1995 and Church’s faith tested, Sept. 23, 1995.201