History
Old Pictures and Postcards
History is not about memorizing dates in time. It is the life story of how a
people get to where they are today.
Pilgrim Church's history begins with the Pilgrims who sailed the Atlantic on the
Mayflower in search of the freedom to worship God as they believed.
Landing in Plymouth Massachusetts in 1620 they brought with them their
strong faith which spread throughout New England as the European settlers
came. In 1786 the United States Congress gave a 120-mile strip of the
Northeastern Ohio area to the State of Connecticut calling it the Western
Reserve.
As New England settlers made mass migration to the newly-opened territory
they brought along with them the Congregational faith they had inherited from
the Pilgrims. Soon a settlement called Old Village, surrounding the falls on
Cuyahoga River, was blossoming and became incorporated as Cuyahoga
Falls in 1812. In response to this growing community, the First
Congregational Church was formed in 1834 with the sanctuary Pilgrim Church
today calls home being erected in 1847.
Throughout the century and a half of growth since then the church building
has been added to three more times. In 1956 the Christian Education wing
was added which included an office, minister's study, library, choir rehearsal
room and class rooms. In 1957 the Congregational, Evangelical and
Reformed denominations in the United States began seeing how they were
more similar than they different and merged, forming the United Church of
Christ.
On July 4, 1976 during the celebration of the Bicentennial of the United
States, a pllaque was unveiled, placing the church on the National Register of
Historic Places.
On February 12, 1984, the Susquicentennial of the church was celebrated.
On February 23, 1994, lightning caused more than $50,000 damage. The
Fire Department had to rent a 142 foot crane to reach the top of the steeple.
Part of the copper sheath had to be stripped in order to ensure the fire was
completely out. Water damage occurred to the front of the building and
under the steeple.
Time line taken from Endeavoring to Walk Worthy, a history of Pilgrim United
Church of Christ on its 150th anniversary, 1834-1984, by Brian Ewart.