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Historic church to be rebuilt
Photo
Members of the Harding Park Meeting House Building Committee stand in front of the bell tower salvaged from the historic First Presbyterian Church. They are,Joe Jendrasiak, front, and back from left, Mary Buchenic, Sue Lambert, Judy Ruby, Linda Clark and JoAnn Cutter. The committee plans to reassemble the church that was dismantled in the 1990s and make it a multipurpose center in Harding Park in Hubbard.
Photo
This photo shows the historic First Presbyterian Church and its parsonage that occupied the southeast corner of West Liberty and Hager streets in Hubbard. The church, built in 1857, was renovated in 1891 and 1923. It was dismantled in the 1990s and will be reassembled in Harding Park. In 1959, the church rebuilt on Westview Avenue in Hubbard.
By LINDA M. LINONIS
HUBBARD
Harding Park Meeting House Building Committee is dedicated to preserving a piece of the past and leaving a legacy for future generations.
Its goal is to reconstruct the former First Presbyterian Church, built in 1857, that stood on the corner of West Liberty and Hager streets. In the mid-1990s, an Amish crew dismantled the historic church, salvaging much of it.
The committee plans to have the church rebuilt at Harding Park, where it will serve as a year-round multi- purpose facility for events such as small weddings, receptions, showers, concerts, memorial services, organization meetings, educational tours and reunions.
The committee had the church bell tower erected at the park near a kiosk with diagrams and information on the project.
Mary Buchenic, committee coordinator, said the estimated cost of the project is $350,000, and the committee is about a quarter of the way there. Fundraisers such as the Taste of Hubbard and a tea along with donations from the community move the committee closer to its goal.
“This has been a lesson in preservation,” Buchenic said. The committee already has the architectural plans for what will be Harding Park Meeting House, which will incorporate pieces of the historic church such as hardwood flooring, altar, Greek Revival trim and hand-hewn beams.
The church will be its original size, 41 feet wide and 56 feet long; a lower level will have modern amenities of a kitchen and restrooms.
The building committee is a collaboration of members of Hubbard Rotary and Hubbard CARES (Conservation and Restoration Society).
Buchenic said the group formed out of a mutual desire to preserve part of the city’s history. “The church is a link to the past,” she said.
The church was attended by Samuel and Anna Tylee, the first permanent residents of Hubbard in 1801. Tylee was a land agent for Nehemiah Hubbard, who had bought acreage from the Connecticut Land Company, and is the city’s namesake. Tylee, along with other settlers, formed the First Presbyterian Society in 1804. In 1854, the society acquired land from Tylee’s daughters, Eliza Hager and Maria Clingan, and built a church in 1857. The church occupied the corner of Hager and West Liberty streets for 139 years. Rite Aid bought the property for a store and also made a contribution to the building fund. The Presbyterian church relocated in 1958 to Westview Avenue.
Once the meeting house is finished, the committee plans to continue raising funds for a gazebo, amphitheater, herb garden and memorial walk.
For Buchenic, resurrecting the historic church is a way to pay tribute to early Hubbard settlers for whom having a place of worship was vital. “That’s an important part of history and something to respect. It’s something young people can learn from,” she said.
Joe Jendrasiak, liaison from Hubbard Rotary, said the club had a vision for a multi-use center at the park. He said for Rotarians, it’s about being involved and how the meeting house will benefit the community. The 7-acre park, he added, already draws hundreds of people to its baseball and soccer fields, tennis and boccie courts, Girl Scout cabin, playground and concerts at the bandstand.
Linda Clark, a committee member and volunteer for Taste of Hubbard, said this project shows that the past can be preserved and not discarded. “It’s a vital legacy,” she said.
Judy Ruby, a committee member, said she has a deep love of the church, having been baptized, confirmed and married there. Another member, JoAnn Cutter, added that the church is a “source of history” for the Hubbard community.
What: Taste of Hubbard will feature some 13 Valley restaurants that present signature dishes and samples of their cuisine from appetizers to desserts. The taste is from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $8.
When: The overall event is from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, and admission is free.
Where: Pavilion No. 3 and the surrounding area in Harding Park, 249 Roosevelt Drive, off of South Main Street, Hubbard.
Activities: Craft show, petting zoo and silent auction. Musical entertainment at the bandstand will be “Music by Sound Effects” by Joe Weinel, noon to 1 p.m.; harpist Sarah Clark, 12:45; “Concertina Concerts” by Roger Juntunean from 1 to 2; and “Music at Madison” with Rodd Coonce.
Who: Harding Park Meeting House Building Committee is the sponsor. The committee meets at 7 p.m. Wednesdays at Downtown Coffee Cafe, Main Street, Hubbard; call Joe Jendrasiak, 330-568-7127, to verify.
Web site: www.hardingparkmeetinghouse.org