The Briefest of Histories

College Corner is a unique community, being divided by the Indiana-Ohio state line and three counties: Butler and Preble County in Ohio and Union County on the Indiana side. For more than a hundred years, two Presbyterian churches served the community: First Presbyterian Church in Indiana and Unity United Presbyterian Church just a few feet into Ohio.

College Corner Presbyterian Church

On June 25, 1842, fifteen people from Oxford, OH organized the College Corner Presbyterian Church, which met in a barn and a house on a farm. A frame church was put up several years before the Civil War and the pulpit was filled with supply pastors. As the church grew, a larger structure was built at 1888 Liberty Street and was enlarged in 1907 and 1926. On December 5, 1943 there was a service in recognition of 100 years of ministry.

Unity United Presbyterian Church

Unity was organized on June 14, 1849 and designated as "Unity Congregation of the Associate Reformed Church under care of First Presbytery of Ohio in connection with Second Synod of the West." It was made up of thirty members, 25 of which had come from Hopewell Church. They had been living in the College Corner area, but riding 9-10 miles to church in Hueston Woods. There were two meeting houses on the Indiana side before construction of the present building in 1900.

Merging the Churches

On September 26, 1962 there were votes by each congregation and a merger was approved. The two congregations would join together and worship in the Unity church building on the Ohio side. The first joint worship service was on January 1, 1963 and a special service was held on June 30, 1963 to honor the occasion. The name of the church became First United Presbyterian Church.