Moreland Summerfest provides reason to rejoice
The newly refurbished Moreland Church of God has come back to life after years of dormancy and decay. The Moreland Community Historical Society will present its fifth annual Moreland Summerfest on June 22 with the renovation project a large part of the festivities.
The Moreland Community Historical Society will present its fifth annual Moreland Summerfest on June 22, where the group will officially unveil a restored historical church building that has been years in the making. The event promises to be an evening of music and fellowship scattered with historical perspective.
Three years ago the historical society undertook a project of restoring the old Moreland Church of God on state Route 83. The dilapidated church building looked the worse for wear, having actually fallen off of its foundation at one time. Stuck in between McGovern’s Garage and a home situated in close quarters, few people realized it was even a church building.
However, the Moreland Historical Society members knew what it was and that inside were ceiling paintings by Charles Gasche. Rusty Baker was brought in to recreate the old Gasche ceiling paintings as closely as possible. Plus Baker added some of his own flair to the project.
Now as Summerfest draws near, the old church has a new appeal, restored to its former glory. Gone is the hovering garage. Gone too is the house, some day soon to be replaced by a log cabin.
“A lot of people thought we were nuts for doing this, but we didn’t care because we had a vision as to what it could become,” former Moreland Historical Society President Gail Miller said. “It has been an incredible transformation.”
With plenty of time to restore the building before the Franklin Township bicentennial next summer, the timing of the project is perfect. Miller said while the main floor is done, the basement still has some work to do. Eventually it will include restrooms and a kitchenette to support reunions, wedding parties, and other family and group activities.
Summerfest will take place both beside the old Moreland township house, where the Cedar Valley Cloggers will perform at 5 p.m., and in the restored church, where John Schmid will perform a pair of concerts. Randy Wengerd of Guerne Heights will supply hot dogs and hamburgers straight off the grill for a donation.
Close to 6 p.m. Schmid will begin his first concert, which also will serve as an open house for the church. He will do a pair of 30- to 40-minute sets.
“We could have John sing over where the Cloggers are performing at the former township house, but we thought it would be really neat to have him sing in the church,” Miller said of one of Moreland’s own native sons.
It doesn’t cost anything to attend the events.
“We want this to be something fun for people to come and see the church renovations that have taken place over the past three years and just kick back and enjoy a night of music and fellowship,” Miller said. “We have really invested a lot in restoring the church, and it is beautiful. Rusty has done an amazing job of bringing to life all of Charles Gasche’s art. Gasche created the wonder adorning the ceiling of the building in the 1880s. He has also added some really amazing paintings around the walls that have given the church a wonderful and very realistic look and feel.”
Between Miller and the rest of the board’s knowledge for history of the area and the church, there are plenty of stories to share, from Gasche’s ceiling fresco to the original front doors that were nearly lost but then found in the nick of time.
“The Church of God is a really amazing piece of history that has been returned to its former glory,” Miller said. “We are so excited to finally have the chance for people to come in and see it. It is probably 99 percent done.”
Within the past year the church also had a new steeple perched high atop its roof, a major undertaking for the MCHS.
Chairs will be available in the church for seating for the Schmid concert. With a free evening of music, food and a glimpse at the rejuvenated church building that comes with historical stories as well as the story of MCHS’s trek from taking a borderline health risk and turning it into a grand new church building, it should be a fun and relaxing night of fellowship.