O c t o b e r 2 0 1 9 • M a r i e m o n t , O h i o • V o l u m e X L I V, N o . 2
How Does a Construction Shed Become a Church? A Brief Look at the Fascinating History of One of Mariemont’s Earliest Structures BY PETE MCBRIDE (with great research provided by MPF’s Lisa Woodruff) When I was first asked if I could “take a stab” at writing a history of what is now The Village Church of Mariemont building, I agreed. I thought to myself: “That should be fun, simple, and straightforward.” After much archival digging, with the help of MPF’s Lisa Woodruff, along with conversations with Tom Woodruff, who attended the building in the 1980s through 2000s when it was a Masonic Lodge, and more current info from VCM’s Pastor Todd Keyes, here is the plethora of knowledge I gained about this historic building. Q. Was the current Village Church of Mariemont (VCM) building at the corner of Oak and Maple Streets (officially “3920 Oak Street”) always a place of fellowship and worship? A. Well, not exactly. The original wooden structure that became the VCM was originally a temporary construction shed used by The Mariemont Company in the earliest days of The Village’s development. It was located at the northeast corner of Beech Street and Wooster Pike. Q. Huh? So when/why/how did it get to where it is now? A. As more and more new residents were arriving in Mariemont back in 1924, it became apparent that the children of the emerging community needed a nearby school. That same construction shed was modified and used as a “temporary” school from September, 1924 until the spring of 1925, when the Dale Park School (which had always been in the original Village
Erected in 1924, this building, which now houses the Village Church of Mariemont, was once a Village storage shed, then temporary first school building while Dale Park Elementary was being built, then a community building and movie house, and later a Masonic Temple. It was originally built at the northeast corner of Beech Street and Wooster Pike, and moved in June 1927 to its current location at the southeast corner of Oak and Maple Streets. Today it serves as home to the Village Church of Mariemont to host services, studies, youth ministry, and community activities, such as during the annual Village Luminaria and Tree Lighting each December. plan) opened. In 1927, for other uses and purposes, it was rolled “up the hill” (next to the original firehouse on Oak) to where it now stands at Oak and Maple Streets. It was supposedly moved because the land on which the shed originally sat was needed for residential construction - and possibly also to be closer to residences in and close to the original “Village Square”, now often referred to as “The Old Town Square”.
Q. Okay. Got it! So THEN it became a church, right? A. Nope. After it was no longer needed as a school, the building became a “community activities hub” and was used as such until the new Thomas J. Emery Memorial Recreation Building (aka “The Parish Center”) on Plainville Road opened in 1929-1930. Note: That Parish Center is now home to Mariemont Community Church. continued on next page