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Ludlow Christian Church is the oldest congregation in the City of Ludlow.
The church was established in October 1841. The congregation originally
met in the home of J. Glaspohl. Later meetings were held in a small building
on Ash Street. During this era, services were held only when a minister
could be found. Baptisms were held on the banks of the Ohio River.
The first church building was constructed in 1851 on a lot donated to
the congregation by Mrs. Israel Ludlow. The building was two stories in
height and built of brick. Ludlow city government was organized in this
building in 1864, and the first Ludlow Public School was housed there.
The
current church building was constructed in 1895-96. The building contained
a large worship space that sat 250 in a semicircular design. This building
also contained one large Sunday school classroom. Total construction costs
amounted to $6,000.00. The new church was dedicated on January 19, 1896.
Church membership climbed in the years following the Second World War.
In the early 1950s, the basement of the church building was excavated.
A kitchen, several classrooms and a fellowship hall were built in this
new space. In 1961, an addition to the east side of the church was constructed.
This addition was used primarily for Sunday school activities.
In 1985, the Reverend William Carpe was named pastor of Ludlow Christian Church. In the summer of 2005 the Church officially closed. The congregation sold the church property to the city of Ludlow. The building was renovated into a municipal center which was open to the public on October 29, 2008
News Enterprise, August 14, 1985, p. 1 and January 13, 1990, p. 3;
Ludlow Celebrates, 1864-1989, pp. 11-12.
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