National Register of Historic Places

West Union Baptist Church

West Union, Washington County, Oregon
Listed
July 9, 1974
Type
Building
Period
Civil War
Ref No.
74001725

About this property

West Union Baptist Church is a Baptist congregation and historic church structure in West Union, Oregon, United States. The Baptist congregation was founded in 1844 and met in the home of pioneer David Thomas Lenox until 1853, when he donated 2 acres (8,100 m2) of his land for a church and cemetery. The one-story, Classical Revival style building was built of hand-sawn lumber on what is now West Union Road for a little over $1,500. The 30- by 40-foot (12 m) structure has cedar rafters, fir joists and sills of hand-hewn fir logs. On December 25, 1853, the building was dedicated by the Reverend Ezra Fisher. It is the oldest Baptist society and the oldest Protestant church building still standing west of the Rocky Mountains. Pioneers Caleb Wilkens and George W. Ebbert are buried at the cemetery, which is the oldest cemetery in the state. The church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 and is currently maintained by the American Baptist Churches of Oregon. Previously the otherwise unused building was the site of an annual memorial meeting, but the church now holds regular Sunday services. Media related to West Union Baptist Church at Wikimedia Commons Historic images of West Union Baptist Church and cemetery from Salem Public Library

Location

West Union, Washington County, Oregon
45.57362, -122.90663

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Native Heritage
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Nearby Historic Sites

Imbrie Farm
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1.7 mi
Shute-Meierjurgen Farmstead
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2 mi
Rice, Richard and Helen, House
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2 mi
Ray, Harold Wass, House
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3.1 mi
McDonald, Malcolm, House
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3.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was West Union Baptist Church listed on the National Register?

West Union Baptist Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 9, 1974.

What type of historic resource is West Union Baptist Church?

West Union Baptist Church is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for West Union Baptist Church?

The period of significance for West Union Baptist Church is recorded as the civil_war era.

Can I research the history near West Union Baptist Church?

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