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By Colette M. Jenkins
Beacon Journal religion writer
POSTED: 10:34 a.m. EDT, Mar 27, 2009
FAIRLAWN: The minister's closet at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Akron has held a secret for nearly 50 years.
On Sunday, Norma Rios, the church historian, will share it during the 10:30 a.m. worship service at the church, located at 3300 Morewood Road.
''It's quite a find,'' said the Rev. Mary Moore, interim pastor at the church. ''Of all the things in the local Universalist archives, this could be the best of the collection.''
Moore is referring to the historic contents of a metal box that she found on Christmas Eve while cleaning the minister's office, getting it ready for remodeling.
''I was feeling around in the closet and hit something with my hand. I heard a clang and thought 'That's not a wall. It sounds like metal,' '' Moore said. ''I pulled it out and it was a metal box with a key. I unlocked it, looked inside and pulled out some papers. I said, 'This stuff is really old.' ''
Inside the box were two bound volumes of hand-scripted minutes of congregational meetings, membership lists, baptismal and marriage records from 1872 to 1910. Another book contains the recorded minutes of the board of trustees. Two more recent books contain records dating to 1961, when the congregation moved to its current location. A brown spiral tablet is filled with the personal memories of Federica Crispin from 1872 to 1935.
The documents are significant because they date back to the year that the local Universalists began reorganizing (1872). The impetus of the reorganization was the establishment of Buchtel College by the Ohio Universalist Convention in 1870. The college was named in honor of John R. Buchtel, its largest benefactor.
The Universalists administered the college until 1913, with ministers of the Akron church serving as its presidents. That year, it became a municipal college, which is now the University of Akron.
A Buchtel Leaflets publication that was among the documents in the box reveals that college tuition was $40 in 1885. Room rent was $10 to $30. Steam heating and gas was $12. The college offered three courses of study and required candidates for the freshman class to pass exams in Greek, Latin, math, drawing and English.
The history of the First Universalist Church, as the church was called then, is sprinkled with the names of prominent families of early Akron. Those names include Eliakim Crosby, Minor Spicer, John Buchtel and Ferdinand Schumacher. Signatures on the first constitution and bylaws of the church (which are among the documents found in the metal box) include those of Elizabeth Buchtel, John's wife, two Spicers and the Rev. S.W. McCollester, president of the college and minister of the church.
The First Universalist Society of Akron was established in 1835. Members built the ''Old Stone Church'' at the corner of North High and Perkins streets in 1839. It is the place where Sojourner Truth delivered her ''Ain't I a Woman'' speech at the Women's Rights Convention in 1851.
Amid financial difficulties, the building was sold to the Baptist Society in 1853. The Universalist community, however, regained momentum when the Ohio Universalist Convention called for $60,000 to found a co-ed college to commemorate 100 years of Universalism in America.
John Buchtel pledged $25,000 to the endowment fund and $6,000 to the building fund. Spicer Hill Cemetery, between Carroll and Middlebury streets (Buchtel Avenue) was chosen as the college site. Sixty-four bodies had to be exhumed and buried in Glendale Cemetery.
In addition to being a college, the Universalists used the building for worship services. Their second church building was constructed in 1879 at Mill Street and Broadway, on land donated by Ferdinand Schumacher, oatmeal king and temperance advocate. In the minutes from a meeting of the congregation in January 1873, a motion to serve water instead of wine during communion was unanimously passed.
''I think it was done because Mr. Schumacher donated the land. I don't think we ever went to wine because when I came in 1956, it was grape juice and it still is,'' said Rios, chuckling. ''Little gems like that motion are tucked away in the documents that were uncovered and I think they can help people imagine what things were like in the early years.''
One of Rios' favorite items that was found in the box was the spiral notebook with observations from Frederica Crispin. In it, she describes some of the people who were part of the congregation and mentions names that have been on Akron streets and buildings, including schools — Spicer, Voris, Schumacher, Goodrich, Mason, McEbright, Fraunfelter and Buchtel.
Crispin describes one pastor and president of the college as ''unpolished, but best of intentions, sensitive. Tragic figure in the college.'' Her written description of one of the pastors' wives reads ''Dark eyes and hair, pleasant, did not like Akron dirt.''
The notebook also contains information about events that happened after the reorganization in 1872. The congregation remained in the Gothic-style church building at Mill and Broadway until it moved to its current location in 1961, the same year the Universalists and Unitarians merged nationally.
''I'm pretty sure that metal box has been in that closet since we moved here,'' said Rios. ''The documents inside are going to help the members of our congregation understand our history better.''
After they are used in Sunday's service, the documents will go to the University of Akron to be preserved with the other archives from the church.
Colette Jenkins can be reached at 330-996-3731 or cjenkins@thebeaconjournal.com.
FAIRLAWN: The minister's closet at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Akron has held a secret for nearly 50 years.
On Sunday, Norma Rios, the church historian, will share it during the 10:30 a.m. worship service at the church, located at 3300 Morewood Road.
''It's quite a find,'' said the Rev. Mary Moore, interim pastor at the church. ''Of all the things in the local Universalist archives, this could be the best of the collection.''
Moore is referring to the historic contents of a metal box that she found on Christmas Eve while cleaning the minister's office, getting it ready for remodeling.
''I was feeling around in the closet and hit something with my hand. I heard a clang and thought 'That's not a wall. It sounds like metal,' '' Moore said. ''I pulled it out and it was a metal box with a key. I unlocked it, looked inside and pulled out some papers. I said, 'This stuff is really old.' ''
Inside the box were two bound volumes of hand-scripted minutes of congregational meetings, membership lists, baptismal and marriage records from 1872 to 1910. Another book contains the recorded minutes of the board of trustees. Two more recent books contain records dating to 1961, when the congregation moved to its current location. A brown spiral tablet is filled with the personal memories of Federica Crispin from 1872 to 1935.
The documents are significant because they date back to the year that the local Universalists began reorganizing (1872). The impetus of the reorganization was the establishment of Buchtel College by the Ohio Universalist Convention in 1870. The college was named in honor of John R. Buchtel, its largest benefactor.
The Universalists administered the college until 1913, with ministers of the Akron church serving as its presidents. That year, it became a municipal college, which is now the University of Akron.
A Buchtel Leaflets publication that was among the documents in the box reveals that college tuition was $40 in 1885. Room rent was $10 to $30. Steam heating and gas was $12. The college offered three courses of study and required candidates for the freshman class to pass exams in Greek, Latin, math, drawing and English.
The history of the First Universalist Church, as the church was called then, is sprinkled with the names of prominent families of early Akron. Those names include Eliakim Crosby, Minor Spicer, John Buchtel and Ferdinand Schumacher. Signatures on the first constitution and bylaws of the church (which are among the documents found in the metal box) include those of Elizabeth Buchtel, John's wife, two Spicers and the Rev. S.W. McCollester, president of the college and minister of the church.
The First Universalist Society of Akron was established in 1835. Members built the ''Old Stone Church'' at the corner of North High and Perkins streets in 1839. It is the place where Sojourner Truth delivered her ''Ain't I a Woman'' speech at the Women's Rights Convention in 1851.
Amid financial difficulties, the building was sold to the Baptist Society in 1853. The Universalist community, however, regained momentum when the Ohio Universalist Convention called for $60,000 to found a co-ed college to commemorate 100 years of Universalism in America.
John Buchtel pledged $25,000 to the endowment fund and $6,000 to the building fund. Spicer Hill Cemetery, between Carroll and Middlebury streets (Buchtel Avenue) was chosen as the college site. Sixty-four bodies had to be exhumed and buried in Glendale Cemetery.
In addition to being a college, the Universalists used the building for worship services. Their second church building was constructed in 1879 at Mill Street and Broadway, on land donated by Ferdinand Schumacher, oatmeal king and temperance advocate. In the minutes from a meeting of the congregation in January 1873, a motion to serve water instead of wine during communion was unanimously passed.
''I think it was done because Mr. Schumacher donated the land. I don't think we ever went to wine because when I came in 1956, it was grape juice and it still is,'' said Rios, chuckling. ''Little gems like that motion are tucked away in the documents that were uncovered and I think they can help people imagine what things were like in the early years.''
One of Rios' favorite items that was found in the box was the spiral notebook with observations from Frederica Crispin. In it, she describes some of the people who were part of the congregation and mentions names that have been on Akron streets and buildings, including schools — Spicer, Voris, Schumacher, Goodrich, Mason, McEbright, Fraunfelter and Buchtel.
Crispin describes one pastor and president of the college as ''unpolished, but best of intentions, sensitive. Tragic figure in the college.'' Her written description of one of the pastors' wives reads ''Dark eyes and hair, pleasant, did not like Akron dirt.''
The notebook also contains information about events that happened after the reorganization in 1872. The congregation remained in the Gothic-style church building at Mill and Broadway until it moved to its current location in 1961, the same year the Universalists and Unitarians merged nationally.
''I'm pretty sure that metal box has been in that closet since we moved here,'' said Rios. ''The documents inside are going to help the members of our congregation understand our history better.''
After they are used in Sunday's service, the documents will go to the University of Akron to be preserved with the other archives from the church.
Colette Jenkins can be reached at 330-996-3731 or cjenkins@thebeaconjournal.com.
Comments
Click here to post your comments
rootstown, oh
Posted 12:05 PM, 03/27/2009
the catholic church has a secret too.
Akron, Oh
Posted 12:12 PM, 03/27/2009
Love it Toxic Nut!
Front Line, KC
Posted 12:36 PM, 03/27/2009
Is it the same secret that the Teachers union, boy scouts and girl scouts, and little league, have?
Posted 01:27 PM, 03/27/2009
That church has the best church coffee in Summit County, as far as I know. It's robust and the cream is fresh.
Akron, OH
Posted 01:30 PM, 03/27/2009
As a kid I hated history (love it as an adult), but it's cool to find stuff like this. We live in the now and it's hard to imagine that the past use to be the now, etc. It just gives you that physical contact that the past was real vs. text in a book.
east of Akron, AA
Posted 03:09 PM, 03/27/2009
Karykzen - ok by me! Let's go get a cup of coffee!
Henderson, Nv
Posted 06:10 PM, 03/27/2009
@toxic nut: I take exception to that. Even though--
"In light of all the fawning over Pope Benedict XVI, I would like to remind everyone exactly how this pope feels about the sexu*l abuse of children and those who do the abusing: In 2001, while he was a cardinal, he issued a secret Vatican edict to Catholic bishops all over the world, instructing them to put the Church’s interests ahead of child safety."
http://lavrai.com/blogs/2008/04/20/pope-led-cover-up-of-child-abuse-by-priests/
Walnut Creek, Oh
Posted 08:39 PM, 03/27/2009
Universalist groups are not 'churches'. Only people who believe there is a God should be classified as going to church. Unitarians are nothing more than a social club. Look up their beliefs..
akron, oh
Posted 02:26 AM, 03/28/2009
@bass43player:
So you decide the criteria for a church? Don't harsh on people who try to make a better community.
Akron, , OH
Posted 07:14 AM, 03/28/2009
The photo has a bright enjoyable smile! The way thing should be..
Akron, OH
Posted 08:49 AM, 03/28/2009
@bass43player
Unitarians believed in one God, not the Holy Trinity. Universalists believed in universal salvation. Both were Protestant sects and Christian. The current church accepts non-Christians and Christians both.
Akron, Oh
Posted 09:29 AM, 03/28/2009
what a great find for the church and the University, this will really be wonderfull for the archives. Lots of things were very different then, and this shows first hand how history evolves.
akron, oh
Posted 11:33 AM, 03/28/2009
they are a bunch of satanist
mogadore, oh
Posted 02:31 PM, 03/28/2009
Yeah Toxic your right, little boys screaming.
Posted 05:47 PM, 03/28/2009
I heard it also had the tale of middle earth and all the hobbits as well....
