West Union Baptist Church
Encyclopedia
West Union Baptist Church is a Baptist congregation and historic church structure in West Union
, Oregon
, United States
.
congregation was founded in 1844 and met in the home of pioneer David Thomas Lenox
until 1853, when he donated 2 acres (8,093.7 m²) of his land for a church and cemetery. The one-story, Classical Revival style building was built of hand-sawn lumber on what is now West Union Road for a little over $1,500. The 30- by 40 feet (12.2 m) structure has cedar rafters, fir joists and sills of hand-hewn fir logs. On December 25, 1853, the building was dedicated by the Reverend Ezra Fisher. It is the oldest Baptist society and the oldest Protestant church building still standing west of the Rocky Mountains
. Pioneers Caleb Wilkens and George W. Ebbert
are buried at the cemetery, which is the oldest cemetery in the state.
The church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1974 and is currently maintained by the American Baptist Churches
of Oregon. Previously the otherwise unused building was the site of an annual memorial meeting, but the church now holds regular Sunday services.
West Union, Oregon
West Union is an unincorporated community in Washington County, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1851, the community had the first school district in the county, and also contains the oldest cemetery in the state and the oldest Baptist church west of the Rocky Mountains...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
History
The BaptistBaptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
congregation was founded in 1844 and met in the home of pioneer David Thomas Lenox
David Thomas Lenox
David Thomas Lenox was an American pioneer who settled in the Oregon Country where he organized the first Baptist Church west of the Rocky Mountains. A native of New York, he lived in Illinois and Missouri before he was captain of the first wagon train over the Oregon Trail to what became the...
until 1853, when he donated 2 acres (8,093.7 m²) of his land for a church and cemetery. The one-story, Classical Revival style building was built of hand-sawn lumber on what is now West Union Road for a little over $1,500. The 30- by 40 feet (12.2 m) structure has cedar rafters, fir joists and sills of hand-hewn fir logs. On December 25, 1853, the building was dedicated by the Reverend Ezra Fisher. It is the oldest Baptist society and the oldest Protestant church building still standing west of the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
. Pioneers Caleb Wilkens and George W. Ebbert
George W. Ebbert
George Wood “Squire” Ebbert was a mountain man and early settler in the Oregon Country. Born in Kentucky, he settled on the Tualatin Plains in what would become Oregon and participated in the Champoeg Meetings that created a government prior to the formation of the Oregon Territory...
are buried at the cemetery, which is the oldest cemetery in the state.
The church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1974 and is currently maintained by the American Baptist Churches
American Baptist Churches USA
The American Baptist Churches USA is a Baptist Christian denomination within the United States. The denomination maintains headquarters in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. The organization is usually considered mainline, although varying theological and mission emphases may be found among its...
of Oregon. Previously the otherwise unused building was the site of an annual memorial meeting, but the church now holds regular Sunday services.