The church of Christ which meets at the corner of Sixth and Washington Streets in Marietta began meeting in 1884. Services were first held in the homes of members, in a boat house, and at the Washington County Court House. On October 11, 1890, the first elders were appointed and some five years later a building was purchased on Fort Harmar Square on Marietta’s West side. The building was used for worship until March 1913, when it was destroyed by the worst flood in the history of the Ohio Valley.
The church met in various places while constructing a building at the corner of Sixth and Washington Streets. The first service was held at this location on November 16, 1913. The scripture text used was Hebrews 1:1-14; 2:1-4 and the first hymn was “I’m Standing on the Rock of Ages.”.
A new auditorium was completed in 1968 which provides seating for up to 500. The first service in the new auditorium was held on November 3, 1968. The same Bible text in Hebrews and the same hymn were used in that service. They were also used at the 75th anniversary of the congregation which was observed November 20, 1988. A 100th anniversary was held November 15th – 17th, 2013 with Minister, Roger Rush speaking as well as past ministers, Don Craighead, Clarence DeLoach, Charles Brown, & Randy Baker. The theme was “100 Years & Beyond – Making a Difference for Eternity”.
In the church library are displayed pictures of the west side building, the 1913 building at the corner of Sixth and Washington Streets, and the building following construction changes made in 1942 and 1962. Two views of the present building taken in 1968 and 1979 are also displayed.
Other Congregations
The congregation has helped to establish other local congregations over the years including
Harmar Hill – Marietta – 1955
Beverly, Ohio – 1956
as well as congregations in Munich-Liam, Germany and several in India. Support, assistance, and participation has been provided for mission work in locations including Italy, Guyana, Rhodesia, France, Austria, Gambia, the Philippines, Thailand, New Guinea, India, Germany, and South Africa. We continue to support World Christian Broadcasting, which shares the gospel with much of the world via short wave radio in multiple languages.
In addition to the local benevolent services the congregation performs, it also has supported numerous benevolent efforts and organizations through its history.
Current support includes: Love & Care Assisted Living in West Virginia, Potter Children’s Home in Kentucky, Mid-Western Children’s Home in Ohio, Timothy Hill Children’s Ranch on Long Island, New York, Hope for Haiti’s Children, and the Churches of Christ Disaster Relief Effort, Inc. in Nashville, TN, which provides relief efforts to areas affected by natural disasters and other catastrophic events.
While God equips each of us to serve Him, we recognize the blessing we have received by benefitting from the labors of men who He equipped to preach the gospel faithfully and aid the saints on their walks and growth as Christians. Over the years, our congregation has benefitted from the labors of: J.J. Dutton, J.M. Cochran, M.A. Harvey, Will Harkins, W.O. Thompson, C.E. Fogle, H.W. Bankes, Fred E. Dennis, Oliver Johnson, C.C. Abbott, Boyd Fanning, Homer Utley, E.G. Couch, Robert Roe, C.J. Kirkpatrick, Claude Davis, Justus Hesson, Don Gardner, Clarence DeLoach, J. Ridley Stroop, James Usrey, Charles L. Brown, Donald W. Craighead, Roger A. Rush, Randy Baker, Hunter Melott, and Bill Deem, who began his work with us in August of 2024.