Warren County Genealogical Society Warren County

Warren County Genealogical Society
Warren County, Ohio
Chapter of Ohio Genealogical Society
Church Records

(513) 695-1144

406 Justice Drive, Lebanon, Ohio 45036
Hours: 9 AM-4 PM Monday through Friday
Driving Directions

wcgs@co.warren.oh.us

Church records are invaluable to researchers. They sometimes can provide birth, marriage and death dates not available or recorded in the vital records. Sometimes residences and removals are listed. These are helpful to track family members who may have moved to another locality. Unfortunately most church records can only be found at the respective churches or their record repositories, if they were even kept at all. It can be difficult tracking down church records for those that no longer exist. These can sometimes be found at other churches if they merged, at historical societies, at local post-secondary schools or their libraries on microfilm at www.familysearch.org on the family history library catalog. I have even seen the old church books listed on ebay.

If you own an old church book for a church located in Warren County, Ohio, consider donating a photocopy to our society. We would love to add it to our collection. WCGS has a limited number of church records as listed below. For research requests please contact our research department.

Church Records of Warren County at WCGS

We are fortunate to have some Church Records and Histories available in our library in book, loose paper and microfilm format as listed below. We are actively trying to expand this collection. If you have records you would like to share, please let us know.

Books & Microfilm

These are the books and microfilm of church records located in our Warren County shelves section in our resource library.

Clearcreek Township

Lytle United Methodist Church Sesquicentennial, 1823-1973. Lytle United Methodist Church: Lytle, Ohio, 1973.
“Rev. Paul Henkel’s Journal” [Select pages about German Reformed Church]. Ohio Archaeology & Historical Society Publications, Vol. 23, pp. 162-163, 202-205.
Preest, Evelyn. Red Lion Cemetery, Red Lion Methodist Church, 100^th Anniversary of Red Lion Methodist Church. 14 pp. Evelyn Preest: Lebanon, Ohio, 1953.
Walker, Charles E., Rev. A Brief History of Dicks Creek – Blue Ball Presbyterian Church. Dicks Creek – Blue Ball Presbyterian Church: Blue Ball, Ohio, 1900.
Microfilm #1,220,558

First United Methodist Church of Springboro

1. 1822-1997 History booklets & other documents

2. 1862-1889 Officials, probationers, classes, 3 member lists, admissions, dismissals, baptisms, marriages

3. 1878-1910 Minutes, elders, probationers, 2 member lists, removals, baptisms, deaths, marriages

4. 1885-1900 Minutes, elders, classes, members, removals, probationers, marriages, baptisms

5. 1908-1915 Minutes, probationers, marriages, baptisms

6. 1908-1930 Minutes, elders, probationers, members, deaths, baptisms, marriages, funerals

Evangelical United Brethren Church – Clearcreek Chapel

7. 1822-1966 History & historical documents

8. 1875-1876 Sunday school class attendees

9. 1907-1965 Members 1907-1930; funerals 1951-1965

10. 1822-1892 Clearcreek cemetery map & stones

Deerfield Township

Mason Presbyterian Church, Mason, Ohio, 110^th Anniversary, 1823-1934. Mason Presbyterian Church: Mason, Ohio, 1934.

Franklin Township

Chamberlain, Charles E. New Jersey Presbyterian Church, 175 years, pp. 187, New Jersey Presbyterian Church: Carlisle, OH (780 Fairview Dr., Carlisle, Ohio 45005), 1988.
Fealy, Harriet. Centennial Booklet for St. Mary Parish, Franklin, Ohio 1868-1968. Franklin Chronicle: Franklin, Ohio, 1968.

Franklin Methodist Church Baptism Records, 1860-1864. Franklin Methodist Church: Franklin, Ohio, undated copy.
Franklin Methodist Church Records, 1859-1875. Franklin Methodist Church: Franklin, Ohio, undated copy.

Hamilton Township

Bethel Murdoch Presbyterian Church: Pictorial Directory, 2004. Bethel Murdoch Presbyterian Church: Loveland, Ohio, 2004.
Kings Point Church of God, Maineville, Ohio, 65^th Anniversary, 1921-1986. Kings Point Church: Maineville, Ohio, 1986.

Harlan Township

Copen, Gary G. and Gail K. Sargent. A History of Pleasant Plain; A History of the Pleasant Plain Presbyterian Church, 1916-2002. 147 pp. The Pleasant Plain Presbyterian Church: Pleasant Plain, Ohio, 2002.
Stewart, Nelson. Pleasant Plain, 1952-2002; Pleasant Plain Presbyterian Church, 1916-2002. 147 pp. The Pleasant Plain Presbyterian Church: Pleasant Plain, Ohio, 2002.

Massie Township

Microfilm#2,423,168

Warren County & Clinton Counties, Ohio

1. Free Will Baptist Church Quarterly Meetings, Vol. 1., 1848-1902: represents the following churches: Blanchester, Pleasant Grove, Simpson Ridge, Second Creek, Woodville, Union, Chester 1^st and 2^nd Church of Wayne Twp., Sugar Run, Silver Grove; minister appointments, church reports, letters, etc.

2. Free Will Baptist Church Quarterly Meeting, Vol. 2, 1902-1917

3. Free Will Baptist Church Yearly Meeting, 1872-1916

4. Beech Grove Freewill Baptist Church: Record Book, 1903-1915 “members from old book”, baptisms, deaths, dismissals, transfers, etc. Meetings, loose papers, 1855 deed

5. Dakin Store Day Book, customer purchases and accounts, 1858, 1867

6. Harlan Store Ledger book, Hickoryville, Warren Co., OH- customer purchases & accounts, 1848-1868

Salem Township

125^th Anniversary Celebration, 1847-1972 Morrow United Methodist Church. [Flier]. Morrow United Methodist Church: Morrow, Ohio, 1972.

Turtlecreek Township

150^th Anniversary, 1802-1952 East Baptist Church. East Baptist Church: Lebanon, Ohio, 1952.
First Baptist Church, East Warren near Broadway: Membership List from beginning to present (1999). Copy provided to WCGS by Elsie Wade and Chet Dunn, 1999.
Foster, Finis A. The Practical Sunday School Record Book. Main Street Presbyterian Church: Lebanon, Ohio, not dated.
Genntown Church Records. Copy donated to WCGS by Marion Snyder.
Hammond, E. D. Souvenir- Churches, Homes & Business Houses Pictorial Lebanon, Ohio: Genntown, Fellowship and Bethany Christian Churches. 79 pp. The Otterbein Press: Dayton, Ohio, undated copy.
Hatfield, Bill. History of Bethany Church & Cemetery, Turtlecreek Township, undated copy.
Ireland, Opha W. The Otterbein Home Church, 1913-1968. Otterbein: Otterbein, Ohio, 2006.
Ireland, Opha W. The Otterbein Home Church, 1968-1977. Otterbein: Otterbein, Ohio, undated.
Kemper, Peter M., Rev. 175^th Anniversary Album First Baptist Church. First Baptist Church: Lebanon, Ohio, 1977.
Lebanon Methodist Church Membership List. Lebanon Methodist Church: Lebanon, Ohio, 1975.
Lebanon Presby Church Record Book from Session Minutes, Main Street, Jan 1857-Sep 1868. Copy donated by Marilyn Wood Armstrong to Warren County Genealogical Society, July 2004.
One Hundredth Anniversary- Bethany Congregational Christian Church. Bethany Congregational Christian Church: Lebanon, Ohio, 1946.
Records of the Lebanon Methodist Episcopal Church. [Includes Baptisms, Marriages and Lists of Members 1854-1883]. These are copies of the original church records provided to the Warren County Genealogical Society.
Microfilm #2,312,577

Lebanon Presbyterian Church

1. 1930-1961 Minutes, elders, deacons, trustees, comm. Members A-Z & by year, deaths

Cumberland (Main St) Presbyterian Church

2. 1836-1856 History booklets, 175^th; Session Bk #2, members, baptisms, admissions, dismissals, minutes

3. 1857-1869 Session Minutes #3; baptisms, members, admissions, dismissals, deaths

4. 1869-1888 Session Minutes #4; baptisms, marriages, members, admissions, dismissals, deaths

5. 1831-1882 Congregational Minutes “A”

6. 1888-1896 Congregational Minutes “B”

7. 1869-1888 Session Minutes #5; elders, baptisms, members A-Z, marriages, deaths

8. 1896-1907 Session Minutes #6; elders, members A-Z, baptisms, & Session Minutes #7

9. 1907-1918 Session Minutes #8; officials, members A-Z, baptisms, marriages, deaths

10. 1918-1930 Session Minutes #9; only baptisms, marriages, deaths

Microfilm #2,312,576

First Presbyterian Church

1. 1806-1931 History booklets, 150^th, 175^th

2. 1806-1882 Min. off. members, adm./dism. baptisms, deaths

3. 1816-1871 Members, baptisms, deaths, missions

4. 1841-1929 Members, admit/dismiss, deaths

5. 1814-1861 Session minutes, 3 vols., Baptisms

6. 1861-1882 Sessions minutes, Baptisms

7. 1882-1904 Session Minutes; 100^th Anniversary, clippings

8. 1831-1882 Congregational Meetings – names

9. 1882-1910 Congregational Meetings - names

Microfilm #2,384,464

Lebanon Methodist Church

1. District map, clippings, Histories, photographs

2. 1854-1872 Record book “A” – baptisms, marriages, probationers, members A-Z, classes

3. 1867-1878 Record book “G” – probationers, classes, members A-Z, baptisms, marriages; 1870-1900 Register: minutes, members, probationers, baptisms, marriages

4. 1867-1886 Record book “C” – minutes, probationers, classes, members A-Z, marriages, baptisms

5. 1874-1890 Record book “D” – minutes, probationers, classes, members A-Z, marriages, baptisms

6. 1880-1907 Record book “B” – minutes, members, probationers, marriages, baptisms

7. 1883-1912 Ideal Rec. minutes, probationers, members A-Z, baptisms, marriages

8. 1889-1902 Student Record “F” – members A-Z, probationers

9. 1913-1919 Record book, minutes, probationers, members A-Z, baptisms, marriages

10. 1919-1937 Record book “1” – officials, baptisms, marriages

11. 1952-1960 Deaths, members A-Z

12. 1963-1975 Marriages, deaths

13. 1856-1875 Board of Trustees minutes; 1897-1909 Board of Trustees Minutes

Union Township

No records in book or microfilm format for this township.

Washington Township

Dunn, Chester L. Free Will Baptist Church, Washington Township: the Silver Grove Church, Aug 22-23, 1951. Copy submitted to Warren County Genealogical Society.
Olive Branch Methodist Church. Church record copies provided to Warren County Genealogical Society.
Union Church, Washington Township. [Miscellaneous newspaper clippings and records. Copy provided to Warren County Genealogical Society.]

Wayne Township

No records in book or microfilm format for this township.

Church Records in our Vertical Files

These records are located in the top drawer labeled “Places, Maps, Subject” of our Vertical file cabinet. Listed below is the folder name followed by the content. These are arranged below by locality with the general ones listed first.

General Folders

“Churches in Warren County”. St. Mary’s Church fair in Waynesville article from Miami Gazette, 19 Oct 1879; and Pleasant Plain Presbyterian Church with old color photo of class and program.
“Sugar Run Baptist Church”. Includes history, list of members, charter members with death dates listed (as dismissals).
“Todd’s Fork”. Short history written 30 May 1904 by Huffman Simpson.

Clearcreek Township

“E. U. B. Church Springboro.” History by Mrs. C. W. (Alva) Allen, written 1950.

Deerfield Township

“Unity Church.” Info from Somerset County, NJ Historical Quarterly, Vol. 7 pp. 238-239 and Vol. 8 pp. 150-151, 322-343 about the Unity Church.

Franklin Township

“Franklin Methodist Church”. Includes membership lists, baptisms 1859-1875; marriages 1859-1875; probationer records (partial) 1859-1875 (lists if married or single); record of classes; alphabetical list of members 1859-1975.
“Franklin Presbyterian”. Newspaper articles written 27 Sep 1978 and 20 Sep 1934. Photo from newspaper dated 14 Dec 1933.
“Tapscott”. Article from Middletown Journal, 2004.

Massie Township

“Harveysburg”. Article from Western Star, Feb 19, 1986 p. 8A.

Turtlecreek Township

“Bethany Church”. History from Western Star, 24 Nov 1969.
“Bethany Church of Christ (Lebanon)”. Nice booklet published June 1990. Pictures of pastor, teachers, and members; includes list of members with address and phone numbers.
“Bethel Murdock Church”. These records are from Nancy Fritz of Goshen, OH. Includes pictures, history (by Evelyn Bartlett), temperance society, newspaper articles 30 Aug 1984, Bethel Herald Vol. 1 No. 10, List of pastors (1814-1989).
“Fellowship”. Includes many court records such as a probate record of Firman Sutton, 1886, indenture record of James Dunlap & Elizabeth his wife and Josiah H. Bispham; land records including some deeds.
“Lebanon – German Reformed Church”. Article written by Hazel S. Phillips – history of this church.
“St. Francis De Sales”. Includes land record & plat fro 1903, Western Star article Oct 19, 1871; short histories “Early Churches of Lebanon” written by Joy Greene in 1968 - includes following churches: St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, Zion Baptist Church, African Methodist Church, Catholic Church.

Washington Township

“Union Church – Gum Grove”. Includes early Sunday school records found in attic, copies of records 1873-1875; receipts for Union Burial Ground Association Sept 1964 with names and amounts paid; various letters most by C. W. Williams; business meeting notes; history of Union Church & burial Ground, cemetery burial list of those who had stones by 1980.

Other Repositories for Church Records

Besides contacting the church itself, the following is a list of libraries and societies with Warren County church records or histories. Please contact the repositories directly for their current holdings.

§ The Salem Township Library also has a book the Archdiocese of Cincinnati for 1821-1921 by Lamott.

§ The Mary L. Cook Library in Waynesville has St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Waynesville records from 1869-present in two volumes, OHR 283.7717.

§ The Carlisle Historical Society has the history on Tapscott Church and cemetery, the oldest church in Carlisle.

§ The Franklin Area Historical Society has only some church brochures.

§ The Harveysburg Historical Society has records for the Free Will Baptist Church and some limited reports of other churches in the area.

§ The Loveland Historical Society has some church histories in the Loveland area.

§ The Mason Historical Society has some church histories for the Mason area.

§ The Cincinnati Public Library also has a book titled, “First United Methodist Church record book for 1859-1875, Franklin, Warren County, Ohio” by Nancy L. Hudson Burge call # 929.3771763 qB954 1990.

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This page created 1 Oct 2008 and last updated on 27 August 2010