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The Vanderhoof Baptist Church building was originally constructed in 1834 on land donated by Cornelius and Mary Vanderhoof. The Vanderhoofs had the foresight to donate land for a church, school, and cemetery. Records are in disagreement as to the date when the Vanderhoofs arrived in the area (after The Ohio Company's Purchase) to claim land granted for service in the Revolutionary War. One authoritative record says they arrived in 1807, while another source says sometime after 1810. Family tradition says Cornelius Vanderhoof came to "The Ohio" alone around 1804, returned to Pennsylvania and his family, and then accompanied by his wife and in-laws, returned to claim his land grant a few years later. Poor records, poor spelling, and incorrect dates now obscure tracings. There was a log church first, but we are not sure of its exact location. Sometime before 1861 another church building was constructed near the Vanderhoof Cemetery and remained until it was moved again in 1979. We have church records beginning with February 1861. The church was first named Tuppers Plains Baptist Church and listed in the Salem Baptist Association until 1874. In 1878, it was listed in the Marietta Baptist Association. During 1888 the name was changed from Tuppers Plains Baptist Church to Vanderhoof Baptist Church. A bell tower was added to the church in 1900. From 1923 to 1930 there was no church services except for a funeral. The church needed much repair after this period of disuse. In October 1929, a group of people in the community decided to repair the church. A new roof was put on the old building. Plasterboard was put on the walls and new windows were also added. The front was changed from two doors on either side to one door in the center and the bell was taken down. A dedication service was held in June of 1930. During 1954, a new bell tower was built and the bell put back on the church. Between 1954 and 1979, a new floor was installed, the ceiling was lowered, new pews bought, and electric heat installed. During 1979, 145 years after the church was first established, the building was moved to a new location about one-fourth mile east of the old cemetery location. Since 1979, when the church building was relocated, three new additions were added to the old building. In 1988, a new kitchen-fellowship hall was completed. During 1994, two new rooms were added to the west side of the building. One room was used for a nursery and the other for a children's classroom. One of these two rooms is now used for office space. In 1998, a new sanctuary was built to replace the old sanctuary. The old sanctuary was then used for children's classes until early 2000. New construction began again in the Autumn of 1999, and included the extension of the sanctuary in front to allow more space for the baptistery and the addition of changing rooms. The stage platform was also raised so the speaker and choir would be more visible to the congregation. The old original building was torn down in the spring of year 2000 and replaced with a new structure. The new addition became part of the sanctuary that had been completed during the spring of 1998 and a new vestibule, crying room, and sound room was also added to the new addition in 2000. Also, a new basement was constructed under the sanctuary. It contains the kitchen, dining area-fellowship hall, and most of the children's classrooms. In 2005 a church bus was purchased and a route was established to accommodate those that needed a ride to and from church. Another bus was purchased and a new route started at the beginning of 2008 to bring more people to church. During the spring of 2007, the church moved the sound room into the back of the sanctuary to improve the quality of the sound. In 2008, the media system and security system were added, and drop-down microphones were installed in 2009. The nursery was also renovated in 2009. Perhaps in a hundred years or more from now, someone will be reading about the history of the church, and we will then be part of that history. Hopefully, they will say of us that we kept the faith during our time and left a legacy upon which they can also build. Last updated 9/27/2009
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