our history
1866 - PRESENT
“Serving God and Yellow Springs for 159 Years”
In 1866, fifty years after the establishment of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, thirteen residents of Yellow Springs met with Rev. Charles Jones from Xenia, to form a church. Rev. Jones and his son served as pastors for the following charter members:
–Elizabeth Anderson, Mary Bailey, Steven Bailey, York Bailey, Joseph Botts, Julia Botts, Delilah Pippin, Rev. Jesse A. Smith, Joseph Smith, Sara Smith, Simpson Smith, and Vincent Smith.
The initial meeting place of the new congregation was the “Old Central School House,” located off Clifton Pike West on what is now State Route 370. The group soon moved to Yellow Springs and met in a building located at Dayton and Elm Street, Lot 57. The congregation next moved to the Antioch Preschool (“Little Antioch”) at intersection of Walnut Street and Xenia Avenue (present location of the funeral home).
Greene County Auditor’s records for 1870 indicated that during the period 1869-1870 M.M. Gaunce (who later became the editor of the Xenia Democrat newspaper) transferred lot 116 at the corner of Davis and South High Street in Yellow Springs to the Trustees of the African Methodist Church. For some reason, the deed of this transaction was not recorded in Greene County records until 1896. In that same year Lots 117 and 118 (which included a house with a parsonage) were also purchased from William and Mary Harris and recorded. The new congregation eventually constructed a one room, permanent chapel on Lot 116 facing High Street, and named the church Central Chapel.
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HISTORICAL PICTURES
Top Picture: Early church picnic;
Second Picture: 1956 congregation
Third Picture: Groundbreaking for new church, 1971
Bottom Picture: Church youth, 1972
Growth of Central Chapel
The need for a new church building became apparent in the early 1960s. Two building funds were formed: one Church sponsored, and the other by a social club of young members of the church, Adorns, Inc. In 1969 Rev. H. Mason Brown was assigned to Central Chapel. He accelerated fund raising efforts that had already begun to build a new facility. With his support and the continuing efforts of the congregation, a new church was constructed at a cost of $61,000 with an additional $33,000 spent for carpet, pews, appliances, etc.
Miss Leanna Perry donated the organ; Leanora and Orlando Brown donated pulpit furniture in memory of their parents; landscaping was donated by Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Perry in memory of William and Luretta Perry. Trees and shrubbery were donated by Bruce and Goldie Highwarden and their daughter Cheryl. Eloise Butler also donated trees in memory of her father. The completion of the new building was celebrated with an open house in March of 1972. Ten years and nine months after the open house, in December of 1982, a mortgage burning celebration was held to commemorate the retirement of the church building debt. Lot 119 was purchased in 1975, and Lots 122 and 123, east of the Church, were purchases in October, 1979.
In November of 1992, Pastor John E. Freeman was assigned to
Central Chapel. Within a few years after his arrival, discussions
began concerning the need to expand the Church facilities. More
space was needed for meetings and fellowship. Numerous planning
groups were formed to define congregational needs and committees
were established to locate funding and to select an architect. The
decision was made to construct a “multipurpose facility” that would
serve spiritual, educational and fellowship needs of the congregation.
Ground was broken, on lot 119, for construction of the Education and Family Life Center, and for parking on lots 122 and 123, in March of 1998. The dedication service for the completed structure was held five months later on July 12, 1998. The total cost of the construction project was $293,281.03. The Education and Family Life Center has met the vision of those who advocated for the space, providing a place of fellowship for members as well as the community, for events such as the annual lunch following the Martin Luther King Day celebration previously hosted by Central Chapel.
