St. John's Lutheran Church

With the opening of the West, settlers began arriving in the Tuscarawas valley in significant numbers by 1812. Records maintain Lutherans worshiping in organized services as early as 1815. In 1827, Rev. George Henry Weygandt and his family settled in Chippewa Township, but soon realized the town of Milan had a need for his ecclesiastical services. A small congregation of mostly Germans built a log church building on the Newton Miller farm south of Canal Fulton on Rt. 93, and the parish was established by 1828.

“In 1843, St. John’s parish united with the Reformed congregation and erected a log church house on the Newman or River road, at the rear of the present site of the Methodist parsonage. This union dissolved during the early 1850’s and by the late fall of 1854, the Lutheran congregation secured a lot and erected a church building [at 555 W Market St]. . .

St. John’s parish united with St. Jacob’s congregation in 1895 and formed the Canal Fulton Lutheran parish. In 1913 the church sold its location at 555 Market St to Fred Dahler and Jacob Berger, who opened the Canal Fulton Cheese Factory there. The church moved to its present location at 212 W. Market Street upon the sale.

The white frame building was covered with a brick façade in 1960, and the new cross-gabled narthex was added. Spires have topped the church at various times in its history. English became the officially spoken language in the church by 1900. Nineteen fifty marked the dissolution of the union of St. John’s and St. Jacob’s, and the parish once again became simply known as St. John’s Lutheran church. In 1970, a new educational wing was built, and a steeple was once again added to the top of the narthex.

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  Undated - Image of the Lutheran Church, before the brick facade and addition were completed.

See Also

• Canal Fulton Cheese Factory, the former location of the church at 555 Market St W.

Evening Independent, 1947