As part of the Ohio Historical Societies campaign to see into many old/closed buildings that tell an important story, the annual Homecoming will partner this year with this program.
The church, located south of Versailles off of State Route 185 East on St. Peter’s Road, before the bridge into Webster is the last remaining log or frontier church in Darke County. St. Peter’s was built on land deeded for the purpose from the Seibt family of Webster who were part of the large influx of Germans that arrived in this local in the early 1830’s. This group cleared much of the land in southeastern Wayne Township. The area around Webster was known as “Dutch or Deutsch Roost” as this is where they came, settled, lived and many died. The family names that are buried in the cemetery are also many of the founding fathers of the village of Versailles. These decedents remain in the area 160 years since the churches founding. The community is invited to come out this Sunday August 18th for a peek inside this special place. The church looks much as it did when they closed the doors in 1905. At 1:00 p.m. people will be available to share information about the cemetery. At 1:30 Norm Schelecty and the Phien Snips Band will give a concert in the sanctuary. The annual worship and hymn sing will follow at 2:00 p.m. This is reminiscent of the German Lutheran style of the late 19th and early 20th century. The Rev. Robert Akins, of Trinity Lutheran Church Versailles and Friedens Lutheran Church, Bloomer will lead the abbreviated service. Karen Lawrence will play the original pump organ and many hymns of a bye gone era will be sung.
Many of the early families travel to attend but there is always room for new folks who want to learn a bit about German Lutheran life in rural Ohio.
Why not join us and visit this unique Darke County treasure?
No comments:
Post a Comment