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Delaware County's first colonial settler and first organized church
in Liberty Township are part of the county's long history.
Soon, they will be recognized officially as such by the Ohio
Historical Society.
Liberty Presbyterian Church was founded in 1810. The existing church
building and cemetery, located at 7080 Olentangy River Road, were
built in 1820.
Settler Nathan Carpenter's legacy goes back even further.
"He came (to Delaware County) on May 1 of 1801," said Dick
Converse, a former Central Ohio resident who drove the effort to
have the marker installed.
Converse grew up in west Columbus and currently lives in South
Carolina, but his family roots go far back into Delaware County's
history. He has put an enormous amount of work into researching the
county's history as well as his family's.
He has been the driving force behind two other historical markers in
southern Delaware County: one recognizing Anson Williams and the
Village of Williamsville and another recognizing the Case family and
the Union Land Co.
He has a family connection to both -- he is a direct descendent of
Anson Williams, for whom Williamsville was named, and Seth Case.
"My Converse ancestors, my Case ancestors and my Williams ancestors
all settled in Delaware County," said Converse.
He has come into contact with Liberty Presbyterian Church through
his family history as well. He even recently had a memorial
Revolutionary War grave marker installed in the church's cemetery
for an ancestor—Seth Case.
"I have a lot of ancestors that are buried in the Liberty
Presbyterian Church cemetery," Converse said. I felt for a long
time that the church should have a marker dedicated to it."
Carpenter, too, is worthy of recognition -- he has never officially
been honored as the county's first settler.
Though Converse was responsible for much of the legwork and
fundraising in getting the marker approved by the Ohio Historical
Society, the Powell Liberty Historical Society also played a big
role, he said.
"I met with their board and ... within five minutes, they said,
'Well, we're going to pledge $1,000,' " he said. "And they did."
“The society was happy to help out with the effort to raise the
$2,150 necessary to procure the marker”, said its president, Dave
Betz. “It will help the society with its mission to educate people
on the history of Liberty Township and Powell”, he said.
"Nathan Carpenter was one of the first people to settle in the area,
so from a historical perspective, it's significant," said Betz.
It's also an exciting time for the church and its patrons.
"This marker is a tangible reminder of the rich history of this
church, this county and its people," church pastor the Rev. John
Hart said in a written statement.
The marker officially will be unveiled and dedicated at a ceremony
at 10:30 a.m. May 3 on the grounds of the church. The event is part
of the county's bicentennial celebration.
Speakers at the dedication ceremony will include Hart, Converse and
Betz, as well as former church pastor the Rev. David Redding, local
historian and preservationist Judith Brozek, Ohio Historical Society
representative Jack Blosser and former Liberty Township Trustee Kim
Cellar. Cellar is a descendent of Thomas Cellar, one of the three
elders who founded the church.
More information on Delaware County's bicentennial can be found at
the Web site DelawareCo200.com |