Macedonia Church
Why it's listed
Macedonia Church is a modest one-story frame meetinghouse, roughly 20 by 30 feet, on Macedonia Ridge north of Burlington, Ohio. It has beveled siding, a gabled tin roof, a projecting two-story bell tower and a foundation of fieldstone piers. Inside, wooden box pews, a stove, window woodwork and the pulpit survive from the 19th century, along with a pressed tin ceiling. The congregation was organized in 1820, and the building went up in the fall of 1849, with lumber supplied by abolitionist Eli Thayer and carried across the Ohio River by freed slaves and white neighbors. That autumn, 32 people freed under the will of Virginia planter James Twyman arrived to settle nearby. The church became the religious and social center of the Black community and the mother church of about eight Baptist congregations in Ohio and West Virginia. Because of dampness, it was moved about 200 yards in 1870. It is recognized as a reminder of the idealism and industry of area refugees from slavery.
Significance in brief: The church is presented as a religious and cultural milestone in Black history in Southern Ohio. It served a community of freed slaves, including 32 people emancipated in a Virginia planter's will who settled at Burlington in 1849. It became the mother church of about eight other Baptist churches in Ohio and West Virginia.
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 78002096, listed February 7, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | N of Burlington, Burlington |
|---|---|
| County | Lawrence County |
| Listed | February 7, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78002096 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Areas of significance | Black, Architecture, Religion, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is marked fair and altered. The property is checked as both occupied and unoccupied, with religious present use. Original interior features survive, including box pews, a stove and the pulpit. |
| Acreage | 0.8 |
| Coordinates | 38.43975, -82.52952 (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 78002096.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6723066
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.