In the early 1800s, Episcopal Christians in the Connecticut Western Reserve began meeting in the homes of members. By 1809, St. James Episcopal Church was established in Boardman by members of the Boardman family and others, making it today the oldest congregation in the Episcopal Diocese of Ohio. In 1829, a newly constructed, white-frame building became the congregation’s home. Consecrated by Bishop Philander Chase, first bishop of Ohio and the founder of Kenyon College, St. James Church was until 1970 the oldest Episcopal church building west of the Allegheny Mountains in continual use as a place of worship by the same congregation.

    In the late 1960s, plans for the Southern Park Mall at the intersection of Rt. 7 and Highway 224 threatened the continued and sensible use of historic St. James. Through efforts of the Boardman Historical Society, community groups and members of the church, funds were raised to relocate old St. James Church to the hillside near the entrance to Boardman Township Park. Our building was renamed "Old St. James Meeting House" and has since become a popular venue for weddings, concerts, and other events.

    In 1972, the people of St. James Church moved into their new, larger church home—a Williamsburg-style brick structure on Glenwood Avenue. There the people of St. James Church have continued their historic witness to the welcoming love of Jesus in the Episcopal tradition.

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