Mt. Tabor Church Building, Cemetery and Hitching Lot
Also known as: The Century Old Meetinghouse
Why it's listed
Set on a knoll above the Mingo Creek and Mad River valleys, this rural Ohio property combines an 1881 brick church, a cemetery and a grassy hitching lot across State Route 245. The congregation began in the early 1800s, and a log meetinghouse was built in 1816. Large camp meetings later moved to the hitching lot, drawing worshippers from up to a hundred miles away. The present church is a gable-front Gothic Revival building with a patterned slate roof, lancet windows with stained glass, and scroll-sawn brackets and trefoil cutwork on the facade. Inside, it keeps its original mahogany pulpit, pine pews with bull's-eye ornament, and light fixtures, along with pews from the 1830 church. The cemetery holds markers dating from 1813, some by local stone sculptor Harley Woodard. Membership declined after 1881, and the church was sold to the township in 1939. It is now used for historical programs.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the church is a very well-preserved and the most elaborate Gothic Revival rural church in Champaign County, retaining much original fabric. The cemetery shows over 175 years of funerary art, and the hitching lot reflects local camp meetings during the early nineteenth-century religious revival.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 95001329, listed November 22, 1995. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | OH 245, 300 meters S of jct. with Mt. Tabor Rd., Salem Township, West Liberty |
|---|---|
| County | Champaign County |
| Listed | November 22, 1995 |
| Reference number | 95001329 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1881-1939 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian Gothic (Gothic Revival with minor Italianate features) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by Salem Township and used to present historical programs for education and entertainment; attempts to revive it as a chapel were short-lived. |
| Acreage | 4.8 |
| Coordinates | 40.22901, -83.69394 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Religious properties are listed for their architectural or historical significance, not their religious use. Listing is honorary and does not restrict the congregation's use of the building. The federal rehabilitation credit is generally unavailable unless part of the building is income-producing; some state programmes and preservation grants do cover religious buildings. Federal funding or permits trigger Section 106 review.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 95001329.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14716737
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.