First pastor of the congregation was The Rev. Mr. Flinchback. Trustees were John Stemple, George Hammann (Peter's Son), Franz Hammann, and Nicholas Theobald.  In the early years, services were conducted in German.  When the pastor was away, sometimes Philip assumed pulpit responsibilities.  He and his wife Catherine, along with other family members, are buried in the cemetery adjacent to the church.
     About the turn of the century, the church was abandoned because of dwindling membership.  During the years the church building was not in use, it became dilapidated and was vandalized.  The pulpit Bible was even used as a target by hunters.
     After a decade of deterioration and abuse a young missionary named C. A. Spriggs of the American Sunday School Union arrived in the area and began restoration so services could again be held in the church, starting with a Sunday School program in 1913. 

Beaver Faith United Methodist Church the former the Evangelical United Brethren Church

Beaver Faith United Methodist Church the former the Evangelical United Brethren Church looking from the back.

The remains of the German Reformed Church. The late Lamar Hammerstein once told me he worked there as a janitor.

In 1859, about 30 families met in the home of Edward Dixon located in Newton Township, Pike County to organize a church. Their written mission was as follows: "We the members of the Church of Christ, belonging to the Salt Creek Christian Conference living on Sunfish and surrounding country. We do agree to take the Holy Scriptures for our rule of faith and practice, and to be governed thereby in all things pertaining to life and Salvation." Two elders and one deacon were named at that time. The elders were Edward Dixon and Lewis Throckmorton. The deacon was Lewis Crabtree. Of the thirty households there, the surnames of Mossbarger, Hopper, O’Briant, Detty, and Throckmorton were prevalent.
Meetings continued in the home of Mr. Dixon for sometime, but by 1863, according to church records, the members were using one of the two schoolhouses located at Bethel for worship. Bethel had two schoolhouses located several yards from each other. The smaller one was used for grades one through four and the other for grades four through eight. The larger one had two floors with the ground floor being used as a school and the upper level used as a Redman Lodge Hall. By 1867, a meeting house had been built for church purposes and by 1879, it was referred to in church records as the Bethel Chapel. The chapel was surrounded by burying grounds where some people had already been buried. The oldest known grave was that of Stephen Dixon, the three month old son of Edward and Nancy, who died in 1854.
That church soon became the main meeting place for the Salt Creek Christian Conference, first organized in 1818 in Jackson County. Major annual meetings and smaller quarterly meetings were held for business purposes, for religious discussions, for social activities and for a general revival of Christianity. Many churches from several counties in south central Ohio were represented at these conferences. Although the conference still exists today, it’s size and area are nearly diminished. Only annual meetings are held and last only for a half day session. In olden days, the conferences ran for four days and five nights. Food was prepared daily for all those in attendance for two meals a day by paid cooks. Meals were cooked and served in a small building called the cook house.
At some point, around 1904, the church building took on a new name. According to oral history, a lady named Belle Merritt decided that the church needed a bell. She told the congregation that she would buy the bell if they would name the church building after her. It happened and soon the church house became known as Belle Chapel. The term is still used today but on a limited basis. Oral history also has been passed down that when a horse drawn funeral hearse was on its way to the church/cemetery, the bell would be tolled during its approach. The cemetery owned by the church has, at least up to the present time, always offered gravesites at no charge. The church is assisted in care of the cemetery by an organization for that express purpose. It is a community group headed at the present time by Mr. Russell Mossbarger.
Early in its history, the church was plagued by flood waters from Sunfish Creek after times of heavy rain. These floods were doing serious damage to the building and causing a great deal of inconvenience. In 1938, the congregation decided to tear down the building and rebuild it on slightly higher ground. This was done at little cost to the church since the better materials in the original building were used to construct the new one. It was a little smaller than the original one but certainly was a needed improvement. The bell was, of course, moved into the new church where it still remains today.
During the late 1960’s an addition of two classrooms for Sunday School purposes was built on to the church. Then in 2000, a new vestibule, church office room and bathrooms were added. There had been no indoor plumbing until that time.
The church over the years has had many ministers. Two of its most remembered were Jake Jacobs and John Q. Lawill. Jake was known as the barefoot preacher because when weather permitted, he came to church barefooted. John Q. Lawill was known as the marrying preacher because he performed this service for so many of the couples in the area of Bethel.
In later years, ministers included Harley Powell, Sherman Swogger, and Elmore Burkitt. At the present time, preaching duties are shared by three of the members of the church, Patrick Blankenship, David Burkitt, and Kenneth Burkitt. Sunday School Services are held every Sunday morning at 10:00 A.M. followed by a sermon. Sunday evening services are held on the first and third Sunday nights of each month at 6:00 P.M. Bible Study meetings are conducted on Wednesdays at 7:00 P.M.

     A combined service of worship and quarterly conference was conducted at the Waverly United Brethren church on last Sunday evening. Dr. C. M. Bowman, of Westerville, Ohio, bringing the message. Dr. Bowman, who is conference superintendent, spoke to a large audience on the subject of "Christians As The Light of the World." Action was taken to start a fund for the building of a new United Brethren church in Waverly. Money will be raised to help on a new church which will be built when conditions change. A "cash day" will be held in the church on December 17 to start the fund. Special features include sounds by a Portsmouth choir which will be present for the evening service on December 17th.

Additional information:

Rev. Tulga has been pastor of U. B. since last September to leave June 1st for LaGrange, OH [10 May 1923 The Republican Herald]

1932 Floyd Bostick is pastor at the U. B. church. [29 Jun1931 The Republican Herald]

Rev. Beecher and K. Morgan was at the Waverly charge for 2 years and was sent to Harrisburg Church near Columbus and was replaced by Rev. Laura Strawn. (Phone # 165-R) [13 Sep 1934 The Republican Herald][11 Jun 1933]

1938 Pastor was Rev. T. W. Thompson

Rev. H. L Smith was pastor for 3 years prior to J. H. Conkel. Rev. Smith was moved to Union Furnace and Rev. Conkel was the former pastor of Long Run Church. [Source: 2 Sep 1943 The Republican Herald]  Septrmber1945 Rev. Conkel was starting third year (6 Sep 1945 The Waverly Watchman)

     Cottie’s Corner Church situated on State Route 772 in rural Pike County, Ohio is a non-denominational church. It was organized by a group of Christians who loved freedom of worship and had a desire to lead others to Christ. They had no intention of being bound to an organization or authority, their concern being for the local congregation and its service to the immediate community. This plan of worship and service still rules in the church body. The members have seen their donations at work to help those who are down and out and to promote the work of the Lord by inspiring those who are sinners to seek God’s Holy Spirit.
     This church was built in 1906 by the members assisted by a few local interested people. The timber for the church was sawn by Joe McAllister and he along with Fred Dunn and Cottie John Smith were instrumental in building a structure which stands today as a monument to the faith of these followers of Christ. The name of Cottie’s Corner came about quite by accident. Henry Griffith happened by while the building was under construction and asked the men what thy were going to call the new church. Someone said it was to be called Cottie’s Corner because it was on the corner of a lane leading to the home of Cottie John Smith. The remark was made in jest but the name stuck.
     The little church has been an inspiration to many folks in the Smith Hill area and its influence has spread over a great portion of southern Ohio as young people have gone out from its jurisdiction and settled elsewhere taking the discipline and teachings learned in attendance. A few of the people faithful in their attendance through the years were: David Brockney, Wes Mustard, Bro. Pummell, Arthur Dunn, Fred Dunn, Jimmy Williams, Cottie John Smith and Ogra Creech. Most of these persons quite capable of leading services in the church, spoke plainly about the guidance of God’s Holy Spirit and were able to interpret the scriptures in a way that was understandable and clear.
     Ogra Creech was a good example of how the little church was to be instrumental in instilling to each individual the necessity of the indwelling of the Holly Spirit in his life. Through this type preaching many lives were changed as was the life of Bro. Creech who saw his own unsaved condition and later became a very successful minister of the gospel. He established many non-denominational churches in the area of southern Ohio. In Rev. Creech’s book "A Drink from the Well at Bethlehem’s Gate" he states: "The things that I heard when I came to Smith Hill stirred my heart and paved the way for my reclamation. Their doctrine was Quaker like and simple. They ruled man out and gave all the glory to God. Who can honestly argue with such a simple way to live for Him? They did not believe in telling a seeker at the altar that he was alright, or seizing his hands and lifting him up. It is holy ground and let the Holy Ghost do the lifting." So this is the secret of the successful operation of Cottie’s Corner Church .
     The women also played an important part as was evident in the religious upbringing of the children. They took an important part in the services along with the men folks. Avonelle Teeters, May Duke, Crella Burkittt, Mary Jordan and Shirley Williams were known for their singing ability and were in demand to appear at revivals throughout the area with their "sermons in song". Their renditions were sure to bring tears of joy to the Christian or tears of remorse to the sinner as they spread God’s Holy Word in song. Another group of singers who owe their foundation to Cottie’s Corner Church was the "Eden Gospel Fire" from Sabina, Ohio. The group was composed of the following: Cleo Teeters, Ezra Teeters, Olaf Dunn, Helene Dunn, Leo Dunn and Helen Dunn.
     A building project was completed in 1973 made necessary by an increase in attendance. More people are searching for the peace and hope gained by living and meeting God’s conditions. Later a plot was set aside for a cemetery due to the desire of several of t he congregation to be laid to rest near the church. The plot has been used many times.
     The pastor at the present time (2007) is Danny Campbell. Sunday morning services include Sunday School at 9:30 and worship services at 10:15 . Tuesday night prayer meeting begins at 7:30 P.M. and Saturday night church begins at 7:30 P.M.

Additional Notes:

Present building sets on the former Dailyville Grange Hall location. The Grange closed in early 1940's.

Joshua "Mack" Munyan and his wife Mary Frances Stewart along with Joshua's sister Catherine Munyan-Tackett started the church.

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At the end of the eighteenth century, in October 1799, the first gathering of Methodists in what is now Pike County was led by Henry Smith, an early Methodist preacher who came across the Ohio River into the Northwest Territory and then organized the Scioto Circuit. The first meeting was held at the Chenoweth farm home, just north of the present bridge over the Scioto River at Piketon. That house stood near the small cemetery that can be seen on the Seif brothers' farm east of U. S Highway 23.
Local residents continued to hold Methodist meetings in homes in the area until 1812, when an organization of the Methodist Episcopal Church erected the first church, a frame structure, on the current site of the United Methodist Church. Shortly after the erection of the church, the town was laid out and called Jefferson. In 1815 the name of the town was changed to Piketon.
In 1854 the frame church was moved to another site, so that a two-story, brick church could be built on the original site. This church continues in use at the present time. The basic structure is unchanged, and the sanctuary on the second floor is very much the same as when built in 1854. The original wooden pews, stained glass window, and Seth Thomas clock have been retained.
The building survived the 1913 flooding of the Scioto River which covered the lower part of Piketon. The water reached a 4-foot level in the first floor of the church.
In 1971 a restoration of the sanctuary was undertaken with stripping of the old varnish from the pews to reveal the original finish. At that time, the old flooring in the sanctuary was replaced with barn-siding to maintain an authentic look. Also, stained glass lighting fixtures were installed.
A major renovation to the building in 1984 was the new standing-rib roof. Contractors who inspected the church at that time were impressed by the sturdiness of the beams in the attic and agreed that the building was worthy of the expenditure for a new roof.
In 1985, fourteen years after the pews were refinished, the massive woodwork was stripped to match the finish on the pews. to combat falling plaster, plasterboard was installed on the sanctuary was repainted. Since then, the woodwork in the narthex also has been refinished to show the natural wood.
The impressive wooden cross hanging from the ceiling over the alter was presented as a memorial gift. Both the cross and the pulpit were designed by Frank M. Robinson.
The deep red carpeting was chosen to match the corner panes in the original, stained glass windows. The modern additions of the carpeting, lighting, heating and air-conditioning have done little to change the appearance and the ambiance of the original church sanctuary.
To the rear of the building on the first floor, a modern kitchen and a large meeting room have been added. Later, the exterior of the church annex received a modern "permanent" look with the addition of siding.
In 1991 a stair lift to the second floor was installed on the stairway to the left of the entrance. Funding was covered by memorial contributions and an accessibility grant from the Portsmouth District of the United Methodist Church.
In earlier years, other communities in Pike County associated with the Piketon Circuit were Bailey Chapel, Barnes Chapel, Ferree Chapel, Salem Chapel, Scioto Chapel, Morgan's Class, Beaver Chapel, Gregg's Class, Yankee Hill, Sargents, and Jasper.
The Jasper church congregation came to Piketon in 1969 and merged with the Piketon church to become the Piketon-Jasper United Methodist Church. Recently, occasional services have been held at "The Little White Church on the Hill" in Jasper under sponsorship of the Jasper Forefathers Historical Association, a subgroup of the Ohio Trust for Historical Preservation, Inc.--a United Methodist organization.
Four member of the church have gone forth to serve in the ministry.
More than 150 pastors have served in Piketon, but the longest and most memorable service, recalled by older members of the church was by the Rev. Waid C. Radford, the pastor from 1943 to 1961. He also occupied a place of prominence in the Ohio Conference of the Methodist Church as chairman of the Town and Country commission and was named Rural Pastor of the year in 1960. Twice he was a delegate to the national General Conference.
The current pastier of the church is the Rev. Todd E. Wallace. (2007)

Information from the History of Lower Scioto Valley, Ohio, published in 1884

"Catholic church--the first organization of a Catholic Society in Waverly took place in 1863-64 and in the following year, they began the construction of their fine large brick church on Walnut Street, now converted into an opera house. The building, which was the fines church edifice in Waverly, is 80 x 40 feet in size, very high, and is mounted with an imposing tower and spire. It was never completely paid for and fell into the hands of James Emmitt, who in 1875 had it converted into an opera house, called Emmitt's Opera House. The society rallied from this failure and began another church on East Market Street in 1878, completing it in the following year. It is a fine brick structure, but not so costly as the former, and is fully paid for by the congregation. The building of both churches was superintended by Joseph Myers, one of the congregation. The first pastor was Rev. Feldhaus, followed by Rev. Jerry Murray and he was succeeded in 1883 by Rev. Father Windthorst. It is connected with the church at Chillicothe where the pastor resides.

The following information excerpted from the Bulletin of The Catholic Record Society, Diocese of Columbus Volume XII, November 5, 1987.

Michael Flanigan is given credit for approaching James Emmitt in search of a building site for the proposed church in 1878. He had moved from Pennsylvania in 1876 and with his wife and eight children, settled in Pee Pee Township outside of Waverly. Because he was a newcomer, he had not lived through the heartbreaks of the first building.
It is duly recorded in the Pike County Recorder's office that on September 3, 1878 James Emmitt and wife, Louisa, sold to Archbishop Purcell a 50 by 177 foot lot on the east side of What was then a projected extension of South Market Street. The price was $500.00.
The new red brick St. Mary's church measured twenty-seven by fifty feet and seated about 100. There was a small room in the rear where the priest performed baptisms and sometime stayed overnight. Until the 1930's, the church was heated by a large, potbellied stove in the center aisle, with a tin stack going our a side window. The building was completed in July of 1880 at a cost of $2300, and was fully paid for by the congregation by 1884.
In addition to the smaller size of the new church: the economy had improved, and the St. Xavier Mission Church was destroyed by a fire, apparently about the same time; so that those who had formerly attended that mission would now increase the size of the Waverly congregation.
Sometime in the early 1900's, the beautiful stained glass window that are a part of St. Mary's heritage were installed. The date is unknown, but it would be safe to assume that this was accomplished probably between 1907 and 1908. One of the windows was a gift to the parish from the Rev. John Francis Cogan who served St. Mary's on a monthly basis from Greenfield, Ohio. Following Father Cogan, and also from Greenfield, was Rev. John M. Sailor from 1906-08. Inscriptions reads: "In Memory of My Mother, Gift of Rev. John M. Sailor." The other windows were donated by the following:
In Memory of William and Catherine Corcoran Gift of Ladies Altar Society
In Memory of Thomas Griffin, Gift of Mrs. Jane Griffin
Gift of C. D. Heibel & Family
In Memory of Jeremiah Donovan, Gift of Joanna Donovan
In Memory of James McGowan, Gift of Mrs. Ellen McGowan
In Memory of John & Clyde Powell, Gift of Mrs. Kate Powell
In memory of Adam & Anna Heibel
A blank with no name

During this period, the family names of parishioners that are recalled are Patterson, Logan, Griffin, Taylor, Hoffman, Kent, Streitenberger, Boyer, Donovan, Starkey, Mader, Ridgeway, McGowan, Provost, Gorman, Shane, Heibel, and Edelman.
In 1952, under the direction of Rev. Rogers of St. Mary's parish in Chillicothe and the Bishop of Columbus, a house next to the church was purchased from Arthur and Roxie Blaum for $21,00. The parish now had a rectory, and the Rev. Louis E. Hoffman was assigned by the diocese as the first permanent priest and resident to the burgeoning parish.
As speed was important, plans were drawn for a steel fabricated building to be erected just west of the other church, contracts were signed for $40,000, and work progressed rapidly with the exterior shell. The interior work was performed by volunteers of the parish. Pews were obtained from a parish at Washington Courthouse and installed.
On October 18, 1953, Bishop Michael J. Ready of Columbus dedicated the new facility and named the parish, St. Mary Queen of the Missions. Three Masses were necessary on Sundays to accommodate the parishioners.
Father Leo A. Sullivan headed the parish form 1960 to 1965. During his assignment, remodeling of the old church into a parish meeting hall was completed.
Rev. Raymond Larussa was assigned to the parish in 1982, and, under his direction, the modernization and beautification of the church was accomplished. Beginning in 1983 and continuing to 1985, a new ceiling, insulation, and light fixtures was installed. Side walls were insulated and covered with decorative board; steel beams were wrapped in laminated board; a cry room was constructed; a new confessional was built; a new altar was installed; new carpeting was laid; painting and decoration was accomplished; and the stained-glass windows in the social hall (the old church) were protected by panels of clear Plexiglas.
Father William Metzger was assigned a pastor to the parish in the summer of 1985. In 1988, extensive restoration to the parish hall was started, The ceiling was restored to its original height; an oak floor was laid; window trim was reconstructed; and walls refinished.

   It will be seen by the announcement printed elsewhere in this paper, that the Catholic Church, in this place, will be dedicated on Monday, April 8th, by the Right Rev. Arch Bishop Purcell, of Cincinnati, one of the most talented Ministers in the United States.  We advise all our reader that can, to attend, as this may be the only opportunity you will ever have of witnessing the interesting ceremonies connected with the dedication of a Catholic Church, and of hearing this eloquent gentleman.--In the evening the Arch Bishop will deliver a Lecture, after which a choir of singers, from Chillicothe, under the direction of Prof. St. Berkley, assisted by Prof. Hoffman, will entertain the audience with choice vocal and instrumental music.
   A general invitation is extended to all to be present.  For further paruculars [particulars] see advertisement.

The church in Green Acres is now Victory Chapel
Picture taken 31 January 2008