The New Virginia Methodist Church was built about 1870 or earlier on land donated by Mr. Joel Frazier. About 1826 Mr. Frazier had purchased and cleared 133 acres of land in this area. From those acres he donated lots for the Methodist Church and a school house. 

“A History of Mercer County, Pennsylvania,” published in 1877 by L. F. Everts & Co., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in speaking of New Virginia says: “This place has no post­office, it being at the crossroads, a half mile south, and called ‘Five Points’ postoffice. New Virginia has one store, one Methodist Church supplied from Sharpsville, a school building and a small cluster of dwellings, in fact it is a kind of continuation of Neshannock, situated a mile east. The people are mostly engaged in coal mining.” 

Mr. Frazier’s grandson, Mr. Charles Baker, a retired gentleman now (1959) residing in Masury, Ohio, moved to New Virginia with his parents in 1880. The family joined the Methodist Church. Mr. Baker remembers clearly much of the church’s early history. He was personally acquainted with nearly all of the ministers serving New Virginia from 1880 to 1908 and recalls the names of all he knew. He also recalls, as do several other elderly members of the congregation, that the New Virginia Church was at one time called the “Mt. Pleasant Church.” The origin of this name in connection with the New Virginia church cannot he ascertained.

There is evidence that New Virginia church was on the same circuit with Clarksville, Charleston, Bethel, and Five Points. A record book in the Clarksville church contains some very interesting information concerning the New Virginia church. Of special interest is an entry made by the pastor [Otho Brant, photograph at right] at New Virginia. This record in complete detail is as follows 

“I preached my first sermon in Mt. Pleasant M. E. Church, New Virginia Nov. 20th, 1882.   

“A Revival Meeting was begun in January 1883 at Mt. Pleasant M. E. Church. It continued over ten weeks. During the meeting many souls were converted. Some glorious testimony meetings were held during the meetings on Sunday afternoons. Some meetings were held at private houses during the day.   

“One hundred thirty-three persons united with the Mt. Pleasant M. E. Church on probation during the conference year beginning October 1882. Three persons united with the church by letter. A number of those received on probation joined as full members before the close of the conference year.   

continued          

The New Virginia United Methodist Church, located off of Keel Ridge Road in Hermitage,  photographed in May 2000. 

To see two more photographs of the church, click here.   

Otho Brant, pastor

1882 - 83

MINISTERS WHO HAVE SERVED

THE NEW VIRGINIA

METHODIST CHURCH