Welsh-American Heritage Museum / Old Welsh Congregational Church

Side A: In 1972 a group of Welsh-Americans chartered the Welsh-American Heritage Museum to preserve Welsh history and culture, and to preserve the Welsh Congregational Church. The old brick church was where songs of praises rang, as the Welsh gathered and sang beloved hymns of their homeland in four-part harmony. The church is a link in a long, unbroken chain of memories and still serves the community as a center of Welsh-American activities and a keeper of the community’s heritage. The red dragon and daffodil are symbols of Wales. Side B: This Greek Revival-style brick church, built in 1868, was the second home of the Oak Hill Congregational Church, established in 1841. The primary builders were Isaac Parry and Thomas Herbert. The building’s prominent double doors allowed for the Welsh tradition of men entering the church through one door and women and children through the other door. By 1890 the church had grown to 175 members and services were in Welsh, but membership decreased as use of the language in the area declined. After 94 years of service, the Welsh Congregational Church closed in 1962.