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First Christian Universalist Church

Caledonia, Ohio

[Corner of Liberty and N Water Streets, now a private residence.]

Caledonia’s Christian Universalists was first organized in 1846 as part of the Richland Association. However, it became dormant and was reorganized as a congregation on February, 17, 1867 as part of the Sawyer Association. Many of those early Universalists migrating from New York and Connecticut. At the time of reorganization Universalism was gaining hold in Ohio with numerous fellowships being established throughout the state.

The congregation meet in Presbyterian church until 1871, when the Universalists built their own church at a cost of $3284.33. The church was rededicated in 1903 (although we are not told why). The congregation continued to meet in the church until 1950 when the church disbanded. In 1945, the Caledonia Church of the Nazarene started holding services in the church, ultimately buying the edifice several years after the Universalist Church folded. Apparently, the church building was still owned by the Universalists, perhaps hoping to be reestablished as a congregation. In 2003 the church was sold by the Nazarenes to be used as a private residence.

For a while in the late ‘40s through 1952 the Caledonia grade school used the building for a school while the new grade school was being built.

[Images: Courtesy of Cody Higley]

Bibliography
Higley, Cody, Caledonia Ohio Area History [Opens new external tab.]
Robinson, Elmo Arnold, 1923, The Universalist Church in Ohio. The Ohio Universalist Convention.


[Church history may be updated as new information comes to light.]