Sesquicentennials - Lorrie Halblaub

Back in the early 1870’s, it was almost like a race. Two religious communities on the Marblehead Peninsula, within blocks of each other, grew up at the same time, and this year both are celebrating the 150th Anniversary of their founding.

The First United Church of Christ-Congregational in Marblehead started out as an adult Sunday School in the early 1870’s. They met in the Kelly School on Hartshorn Road and in various other buildings. They heard preachers from Danbury, Sandusky, Kelleys Island and Mansfield. On Sunday March 2, 1873, a group of 17 people adopted a Confession of Faith and Covenant and formed the First Congregational Church of Marblehead.

Meanwhile, the Methodists on the Peninsula, who were served by circuit riders and then at a small church, had gotten the idea of having summer camp meetings by the Lake Erie from a minister named Duval in 1871. They wanted a place where there was no alcohol and families could enjoy the outdoors. In 1872, Sam Gill, Barney Jacobs, and Adam Payne raised funds to purchase property under the name Lakeside Christian Home. Alexander Clemons built the first 100 feet of a dock before the ink was dry. In 1873, they formed the Lakeside Company and held their first camp meeting in August. That was the start of Lakeside Chautauqua.

In 1875, the Lakesiders built a Methodist Church on the grounds of Lakeside and the Congregationalists purchased their former Methodist building on Rt. 163.

By 1888, Lakeside’s camp grounds had seven streets with homes, water, sewer, and streetlights. They even had their own post office. Before cars, people came by ferry and by two trains, the L & M Railroad and the Interurban. Each train had its own station on the grounds.

By 1900, Congregationalists had grown to nearly 100 members and built a new church of native limestone at the corner of James and Prairie. That building was state of the art for the era. It was the only church on the Peninsula with indoor gathering areas instead of just a sanctuary. They held concerts and invited speakers to their auditorium-style sanctuary and hosted events in their basement, including Danbury Schools’ first kindergarten.

In 1957, the Congregationalists joined the newly formed United Church of Christ. Today that church has around 50 members and the building is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Lakeside, also on the National Register, has grown to 15 streets and over 1,000 homes and businesses. This gated community boasts a wealth of activities during their summer season for their four pillars---arts, education, religion, and recreation. They have an auditorium, restaurants, shops, hotels, a small movie theater, a pool complex, tennis, pickle ball, and shuffleboard courts, and more.

Congratulations to both religious communities as they celebrate this special year!