Finding Mackville

Mackville, Ohio

History notes a Universalist Church in Mackville. Yes, it definitely says “Mackville.” But where in Ohio is Mackville? Try putting “Mackville, Ohio” in Google and see what comes up. Google Search keeps sending me to Kentucky. AI tells me there is no Mackville in Ohio.

Thank God for old maps! For is, or more accurately, was a town by that name in Ohio. And it still exits, but today it is known as Peru.

Counties get divided. Towns change names. Some change their spelling, and some even disappear. Without old maps and county directories, quite frankly, I would be at a lost when it comes to pinpointing the location of many of Ohio’s old Universalist Churches.

Robinson in his History of Christian Universalism in Ohio has three rudimentary maps with rough locations, but really nothing more than some dots and names placed here and there on an outline map of Ohio. Some of those places still exist, some don’t. Which brings back to those directories, hand drawn maps, and for the larger town a Sanborn Fire Map, assuming that the church still exists when the map was made.

P.S. Before I knew Mackville was Peru, I happened to be in the old Peru General Store and noticed a map on the wall. The map was labeled "Mackville." And on the map, next to the General Store's barn was the site of the "Mackville/Peru Ubiversalist Church."

Frank
Sheffield Lake, OH br /> February 29, 2026