Cedarville United Presbyterian Church: Centennial of the Sanctuary, 1889-1989

So■e of the Old School Presbyterian church– es of the North beca■e part of the Presby– terian Church, U.S.A in 1870. But this congregation, along with s o■e others, re■ained a Refor■ed Presbyterian Church on into the 1920's. But First Presbyterian Church of Cedarville has roots that go back before the Old School - New School controversy ca■e to a head in the ■ iddle of the nine– teenth century. The history of the Cedar– ville congregation begins in 1804. In that year, - the fa■ ilies of David "itchell of Kentucky and Ja■es "Iller of Scotland set– tled on Clark's Run, six ■ lies fro■ Xenia. These fa■ ilies for■ed the first prayer ■eeting of what was to beco■e the Presby– terian Church in Cedarville. "r. "Iller and Mr. Mitchell were both ruling elders. Opposition to slavery was the chief reason why these and other ~a■ ilies left the South and found ho■es in Ohio. Other fa■ ilies soon joined in the prayer ■eetings, including those of Ja■es Reid and Willia■ Moreland. The first per– sons baptized were Willia■ and Joseph Reid. In the fall of 1809 the Rev. Tho■as Donnelly, a ■ inister of the Refor■ed Pres– byterian <Covenanter> co■■union, and John Kell, then a licentiate, passed through the settle■ent and preached. This was the first Reformed Presbyterian preachina in Ohio, as far as is known. The history of this Church dates fro■ that year. The Rev. John Kell, ordained within the year, stayed on, and preached here fro■ 1810 to 1816, giving the congregation about 1/4 of his ti ■e. First services were held in a log barn on the Dallas far■, with about nine ae■bers in the congregation. In 1812 they erected - 2 -