Clarksburg’s Central Christian Church, also known as the Disciples of Christ, was established in 1905. By 1907, the church had erected this handsome Romanesque Revival structure. The main body of the building stands three-stories tall, with the larger of the two towers reaching four stories. A rich red brick is the primary construction material and an excellent complement to the lighter stone engaged columns. The building is characterized by flat planes broken up with windows of a variety of shapes and sizes. Windows are rectangular, round, or capped with a pointed arch. All of them share the common denominator of stone lintels on all sides. The building has changed extremely little since the early twentieth century. The roof appears to have been replaced somewhat recently, but the building would be immediately recognizable to any member of the Central Christian Church congregation at any point in time.
The congregation of the Clarksburg Baptist Church formed in 1848 as the First Baptist Church of Clarksburg. During the organization’s earliest years, services were held in the Harrison County Courthouse while a permanent structure was completed. This structure was a simple one and a half story brick building. The brick church served the First Baptist Church of Clarksburg until 1896, when construction was completed on the current church building. It was also around this time that the congregation changed their name to Clarksburg Baptist Church. The current structure was completed at a cost of $6,000 — a little shy of $200,000 adjusted for inflation. The building is Gothic Revival in style and features a number of unique features. A square belfry vertically dominates the center of the church’s facade and was a departure from other structures of the time. The unornamented brick walls are a complementary match for the highly decorative pointed arch windows. Though the stylistically distinct section of the building to the left of the belfry appears to have been built at a different time than the rest of the structure, it is original. In fact, the only significant architectural modification was the addition of the Judson Center, a 1951 annex. Clarksburg Baptist Church continues to use this location for worship.
The Christ Episcopal Church was built in the early 1850s to serve the growing Episcopal population in Clarksburg. It is the oldest religious structure in Harrison County to be continuously used by the same denomination. The structure is Gothic Revival in style, though with heavy Greek Revival influence. A rectory and parish house also exist on church grounds. During the Civil War, the main church building was used to garrison Union soldiers. A major renovation altered the church in the early 1890s and the parish was last changed in 1925. Other than the addition of memorial stained glass windows, Christ Episcopal Church appears much as it did in the early twentieth century.
Clarksburg’s First United Methodist congregation is almost as old as the city itself, having been officially established in 1822. This church is one of five that have stood on or near the site over the past two centuries. The direct predecessor of the current structure was built in 1907. It was a Romanesque Revival building designed by Wilbur T. Mills, a Columbus, Ohio based architect. When the church burned down in 1951, the congregation commissioned Harold E. Wagoner to design a replacement. Wagoner worked out of Pittsburgh and was famous for his Methodist church commissions; he even served on the Methodist Bureau of Architecture board. Wagoner’s design for the current First United Methodist Church is Gothic Revival in style. This is expressed through the pointed arches, crenellated towers, and large expanses of unadorned walls. On the interior, the limestone foundation, stone walls, and oak rafters are beautifully visible. Stained glass windows created in 1965 by the Willet Studio in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania provide splashes of color and light. Though the First United Methodist Church certainly honors a previously established canon of church architecture, features like a slender metal spire help modernize the building.
Clarksburg Presbyterian congregation officially formed in 1829. Many of Clarksburg’s most historied families, such as the Coplin, Moore, and Davis families, were all members of the congregation during its earliest years. By 1834, a subscription paper had begun circulating with the intent to fund a physical church building. Congregation members donated materials and services such as “$12.00 in shingles,” and “$5 in Blacksmithing.” Waldo P. Goff, the owner of Clarksburg’s most famous home, Waldomore, donated an ambiguous “$20.00 in goods.” Robert Wilson of Greene County, Pennsylvania performed a bulk of the construction work to create a simple brick structure. The first pastor, Reverend Asa Brooks, had his salary paid through the renting of pews. The closest rows were $12 a year while prices decreased for further pews, down to $4 a year. When the church acquired a music budget it included provisions for a harmonium, violin, bass viol, and flute. In 1893, the congregation had outgrown the original brick structure, so it was demolished. It was replaced with a much larger building that still stands today. The First Presbyterian Church is typical of late nineteenth century Gothic Revival architecture. A sharply pointed tower stands at the corner of the building, rather than in the center. Large ornate windows feature pointed arches and mullions. A simple gabled roof is supported by equally unornamented dentils. Other than a well-hidden 1952 addition, the First Presbyterian Church has maintained its facade for over a century.
The Immaculate Conception Church is West Virginia’s second-largest space for Catholic Worship. Clarksburg’s Catholic community was officially established in 1864 and was composed primarily of Irish immigrants. This building was finished in 1925 and replaced a previous church. Architect E.J. Weber designed the building and was lauded with critical acclaim for his work. The Italian Romanesque structure incorporates influences from other international Catholic churches, such as the Church of San Zeno in Verona, Italy. A massive campanile towers over the already imposing Immaculate Conception Church, making the entire building one of the most distinctive landmarks in the area. The church remains in use for Catholic worship services.
The St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church is the largest Greek Orthodox congregation in the area, servicing Clarksburg, Bridgeport, Buckhannon, Elkins, Fairmont, Grafton, Parkersburg, and Weston residents. This area of Summit Parks was once known as “Greek Town” due to the high concentration of Greek immigrants living there. A cornerstone was laid for the relatively modest building in 1918. Construction on the primarily brick building took about two years. Exterior ornamentation is sparse, though the interior includes a plethora of icons and reliefs hand-carved by congregation members. The structure as a whole is defined by its central tower, a hallmark of Greek Orthodox architecture. The St. Spyridon congregation acquired its name as the church was completed just a few days before St. Spyridon’s feast day, December 12th. Following renovations in 1986, the site was officially consecrated. Pittsburgh Stained Glass Studios, who also provided the original 1918 windows, are currently working to replace panes throughout the building. St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church continues to celebrate not only the Greek Orthodox faith but also Greek culture in general through food festivals and other events.
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Thanks to the wide variety of immigrants who comprised the local population in its early days, Clarksburg developed an equally wide variety of religious communities. This tour includes seven historic places of worship for seven different Christian denominations. Be sure to visit the Clarksburg Visitors’ Bureau for more information about this tour or the city.
