Kirtland, Ohio | |
---|---|
Motto: "City of Faith & Beauty" | |
Coordinates: 41°36′09″N81°21′41″W / 41.60250°N 81.36139°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Ohio |
County | Lake |
Government | |
• Mayor | Kevin Potter [1] |
Area | |
• Total | 16.80 sq mi (43.52 km2) |
• Land | 16.67 sq mi (43.18 km2) |
• Water | 0.13 sq mi (0.34 km2) |
Elevation | 1,037 ft (316 m) |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 6,937 |
• Density | 416.11/sq mi (160.66/km2) |
Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
ZIP code | 44094 |
Area code | 440 |
FIPS code | 39-40642 [4] |
GNIS feature ID | 1086419 [3] |
Website | kirtlandohio |
Kirtland is a city in Lake County, Ohio, United States. The population was 6,937 at the 2020 census. Kirtland is known for being the early headquarters of the Latter Day Saint movement from 1831 to 1837 and the site of the movement's first temple, the Kirtland Temple, completed in 1836. The Kirtland Temple and nearby Historic Kirtland Village are maintained as historic sites highlighting that era. The city is also the location for multiple parks in the Lake Metroparks system, as well as the Holden Arboretum.
After the founding of the United States, northern Ohio was designated as the Western Reserve and was sold to the Connecticut Land Company. The area was first surveyed by Moses Cleaveland and his party in 1796.
Kirtland is named for Turhand Kirtland, [5] a principal of the Connecticut Land Company and judge in Trumbull County, the first political entity in Ohio that included Kirtland township. Kirtland, a veteran of the American Revolutionary War, demonstrated "both breadth of vision and integrity" in his fair dealings with the local Native Americans. He was known for his bravery, resourcefulness, and passion for justice. [6] Dr. Jared Potter Kirtland was the son of the former; he helped to found a medical college in nearby Willoughby, Ohio, and he compiled the first ornithology of Ohio. [7] The bird Kirtland's warbler is named for Jared Kirtland. This rare species has been documented in the city during migration, but it does not nest in Ohio.
The densely forested, clay soiled, high, hilly, land of Kirtland was settled later than surrounding townships: Mentor in 1798, and Chester in 1802. Kirtland's first European settlers were the John Moore family, soon followed by the Crary family who came to Kirtland in 1811. In 1893 Christopher Crary wrote a memoir of his Kirtland life, [8] which provided a great deal of material for Anne B. Prusha's 1982 history of Kirtland.
From 1831 to 1832 and again from 1833 to 1838, Kirtland was the headquarters for the Latter Day Saint movement. [9] Joseph Smith moved the church to Kirtland in 1831, shortly after its formal organization in April 1830 in Fayette, New York. In Kirtland, Latter Day Saints built their first temple, the Kirtland Temple. The temple was built with a degree of opulence, considering the underdeveloped nature of the area and the poverty of most early church members. Many attending the Kirtland Temple dedication in 1836 claimed to see multiple heavenly visions and appearances of heavenly beings, including deity. For this and other reasons, Kirtland remains a place of importance to those of all Latter Day Saint denominations. Many sections from the Doctrine and Covenants, considered modern revelations and canonical by most denominations within the Latter Day Saint movement, originated in Kirtland during the 1830s.
Ownership of the Kirtland Temple came into question after the main body of Latter Day Saints moved west. The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (now Community of Christ) sought to have the matter settled in civil court; [10] but ultimately obtained ownership of the property through adverse possession. Besides giving tours, Community of Christ allowed others to use the temple for special meetings. On March 5, 2024 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and Community of Christ announced that ownership of the site had transferred to the former as part of a $192.5 million acquisition of historic sites and objects. [11] [12]
After the majority of the Latter Day Saints departed Kirtland in 1837–38, and during the latter part of the 19th century, Kirtland's population diminished and life was typical of that of the region. Crary recalls the last rattlesnakes being killed on Gildersleeve Mountain in the 1830s. [8] During this period most of the wooded areas near Kirtland were cleared for agriculture, with corn and apples being the predominant crops.
In the early 20th century, Kirtland School (now Kirtland Elementary) was built to consolidate three school houses. One of the old school houses can still be found at the corner of Baldwin and Booth Roads in Kirtland Hills. Kirtland saw few changes until after World War II when several residential subdivisions were built. In 1957 a high school was built and in 1961, Gildersleeve Elementary was built along Chardon Road (US 6). In 1968 a middle school was completed for grades 6–8.
The 1960s saw an influx and expansion of local businesses. A shopping center was built, which combined the hardware, drug store, grocery, barber shop, plus the local doctor and dentist in one building. By 1965, Interstate 90 was open, allowing a quicker trip into Cleveland. In 1968 the citizens of Kirtland voted in a special election to incorporate the township. James Naughton was the first mayor of the village, which became a city when the 1970 census showed population exceeded 5,000. Naughton was succeeded as mayor by Doug Guy, Wesley Phillips, Mario Marcopoli, Edward Podajol, and Mark Tyler. Kirtland continued to grow in population slowly through the 1970s and 1980s.
In April 1989, Jeffrey Lundgren, a religious extremist, coerced some in his cult into murdering a family of five and hiding their bodies in a pit dug inside a barn, [13] on Chardon Road (U.S. 6). Those of Lundgren's cult who participated in the murders were sentenced to life in prison; Lundgren was executed on October 24, 2006. The site of the murders was converted from a privately owned home into a church beginning in 2007. New Promise Church opened in April 2009. [14]
The LDS Church purchased the N.K. Whitney Store in 1979 and restored it in 1984, operating it as a historic site open to tours. The Whitney home, across the street, was acquired soon after and was used for many years as a visitor center. By the late 1990s, Kirtland was becoming an increasingly popular tourist destination, so the creation of Historic Kirtland Village was announced in April 2000, located in the Kirtland flats along the East Branch of the Chagrin River, to provide insight into what life was like during the 1830s when Kirtland was the home of Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, and other founders of Mormonism. [15] As part of the project, to create a pedestrian-friendly area, Kirtland-Chardon Road was rerouted along the eastern side of the site, while Ohio State Route 615 was rerouted around the northern side, eliminating what had been a busy intersection right in front of the Whitney home and store. The Whitney home was restored to its 1830s appearance, while historically accurate replicas of the original John Johnson Inn, schoolhouse, sawmill, and ashery were researched and constructed on or near their original sites, along with a new visitor center. The project was completed and dedicated in 2003. [16] [17] In 2023, the church completed and dedicated the restored Joseph and Emma Smith home on Chillicothe Road, just north of the Kirtland Temple. [18] From 2004 through 2016, a group of volunteers produced an annual musical theater production celebrating the city's Latter Day Saint history called "This Is Kirtland!", which was held at the nearby LDS meetinghouse. [19]
In 2003, Schupp's farm and orchard, on Hobart Road, became inactive leaving Rock's farm on Chillicothe Road, the only active for-profit farm in the city. As of 2006, there are still active cattle and horse farming in the city and some commercial nursery activity. Sugaring still occurs, with at least two active sugar bushes other than the large scale Bicknell Sugar Bush at the Holden Arboretum.
Kirtland has been visited by two sitting Presidents of the United States, including George W. Bush. [20] [21]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 16.80 square miles (43.51 km2), of which, 16.67 square miles (43.18 km2) is land and 0.13 square miles (0.34 km2) is water. [22]
Kirtland is located south of the lake shore plain of Lake Erie and is situated on the higher elevations of the Allegheny Plateau. The principal geographic features are the East Branch of the Chagrin River, Pierson's Knob, [23] and Gildersleeve Mountain, 1,163 feet (354 m) Daniel's Mountain,1,246 feet (380 m) is the high point.
Native vegetation is northern hardwood forest. Hemlock-hardwood forest is found in the higher elevations and along ravines, beech-maple forest is predominant in other areas. A few stands of old growth oak-hickory forest can also be found in the city.
Kirtland is located in the snowbelt region of Lake Erie, and has snowfall and weather patterns similar to nearby Chardon. In this area, annual snowfall averages over 100 inches (250 cm) per year, [24] and anecdotal evidence indicates seasonal snowfall can exceed 250 inches (640 cm) in some microclimate areas.
Kirtland is primarily a residential community. Over 20 percent of the land area is forest preserve or park land. The Holden Arboretum at 3,500 acres (14 km2) is the largest of these, but not all of Holden's land is located in Kirtland. Three metropolitan parks are also in Kirtland. [25] The largest is Chapin State Forest, at 390 acres (1.6 km2), which includes much of Gildersleeve mountain. Also in Kirtland are Penitentiary Glen, and the Lake Farm Park. Lakeland Community College is located largely in the City of Kirtland, the campus dominating the northern part of the city.
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1880 | 206 | — | |
1970 | 5,530 | — | |
1980 | 5,969 | 7.9% | |
1990 | 5,881 | −1.5% | |
2000 | 6,670 | 13.4% | |
2010 | 6,866 | 2.9% | |
2020 | 6,937 | 1.0% | |
U.S. Decennial Census [26] [27] |
In 2018 languages spoken in the city were: 92.5% English, 2.2% Croatian, 1.5% Italian, and 1.5% Slovene. [28]
As of the 2010 Census, [29] there were 6,866 people, 2,544 households, and 1,948 families residing in the city. The population density was 411.9 inhabitants per square mile (159.0/km2). There were 2,716 housing units at an average density of 162.9 per square mile (62.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 97.7% White, 0.4% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.1% of the population.
There were 2,544 households, of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.3% were married couples living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 23.4% were non-families. 20.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.05.
The median age in the city was 46.9 years. 23% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 17.8% were from 25 to 44; 34.3% were from 45 to 64; and 19.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.3% male and 50.7% female.
Of the city's population over the age of 25, 39.4% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. [30]
Nauvoo is a small city in Hancock County, Illinois, United States, on the Mississippi River near Fort Madison, Iowa. The population of Nauvoo was 950 at the 2020 census. Nauvoo attracts visitors for its historic importance and its religious significance to members of several groups: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; the Community of Christ, formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS); other groups stemming from the Latter Day Saint movement; and the Icarians. The city and its immediate surrounding area are listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Nauvoo Historic District.
The Church of Christ was the original name of the Latter Day Saint church founded by Joseph Smith. Organized informally in 1829 in Upstate New York and then formally on April 6, 1830, it was the first organization to implement the principles found in Smith's newly published Book of Mormon, and thus its establishment represents the formal beginning of the Latter Day Saint movement. Later names for this organization included the Church of the Latter Day Saints, the Church of Jesus Christ, the Church of God, the Church of Christ of Latter Day Saints, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
The Latter Day Saint movement is a religious movement within Christianity that arose during the Second Great Awakening in the early 19th century and that led to the set of doctrines, practices, and cultures called Mormonism, and to the existence of numerous Latter Day Saint churches. Its history is characterized by intense controversy and persecution in reaction to some of the movement's doctrines and practices and their relationship to mainstream Christianity. The purpose of this article is to give an overview of the different groups, beliefs, and denominations that began with the influence of Joseph Smith.
Far West was a settlement of the Latter Day Saint movement in Caldwell County, Missouri, United States, during the late 1830s. It is recognized as a historic site by the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, added to the register in 1970. It is owned and maintained by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The Kirtland Temple is the first temple built by adherents of the Latter Day Saint movement. It is located in Kirtland, Ohio, United States, and was completed and dedicated in March 1836. Designed by Joseph Smith, the founder and original leader of the movement, the architecture mixes the Federal, Greek Revival, and Gothic Revival styles. The temple was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1969 and named a National Historic Landmark in 1977. Prior to March 5, 2024, it was owned and operated by Community of Christ for more than a century. Since that date, it has been owned and operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a historic site open year-round for guided tours, meetings, and other programming.
Jeffrey Don Lundgren was an American self-proclaimed prophet, cult leader, and mass murderer who, on April 17, 1989, killed a family of five in Kirtland, Ohio. Lundgren led a Latter Day Saint movement-based cult and interpreted scripture using an unconventional method that he described as "chiastic", which involved searching text for recurring patterns. He and several of his followers murdered the Avery family, fellow members of his cult, for which he was convicted and sentenced to death. Lundgren was executed in 2006.
In the Latter Day Saint movement, a temple is a building dedicated to being a house of God and is reserved for special forms of worship. A temple differs from a church meetinghouse, which is used for weekly worship services. Temples have been a significant part of the Latter Day Saint movement since early in its inception. Today, temples are operated by several Latter Day Saint denominations. The most prolific builder of temples of the Latter Day Saint movement is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The LDS Church has 335 temples in various phases, which includes 189 dedicated temples, 52 under construction, and 94 others announced. Several others within the movement have built or attempted to build temples. The Community of Christ operates one temple in the United States, which is open to the public and used for worship services, performances, and religious education. Other denominations with temples are the Apostolic United Brethren, the Church of Christ, the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and the Righteous Branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Hiram Township is one of the eighteen townships of Portage County, Ohio, United States. The 2020 census listed 2,396 people in the township.
Newel Kimball Whitney was a prominent member and leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and an American businessman. Whitney married Elizabeth Ann Smith in 1822. He owned a store and an ashery in Kirtland, and acquired more property as his business grew. Initially he was part of the Disciples of Christ or Campbellite movement. He joined the early Latter Day Saint church, called the Church of Christ, in 1830 after his Campbellite bishop, Sidney Rigdon also joined the church. Whitney greatly contributed financially to the growing church, paying taxes on its property and paying off the debts incurred by the United Firm. He traveled to other states for business and as part of his duties as a Bishop. In Nauvoo, he was part of the Quorum of the Anointed, consented for his daughter to become a plural wife of Joseph Smith, and participated in plural marriage. He served as the second Presiding Bishop of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death. He died in 1850 of pleurisy.
The Columbus Ohio Temple is a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located in Columbus, Ohio, United States. It was completed and dedicated in 1999 as the church's 60th operating temple and serves church members living in 16 stakes, covering most of Ohio, but also extending into western Pennsylvania and southwestern West Virginia. The temple is in the western edge of Columbus, adjacent to Interstate 270 just north of its western junction with I-70.
The John Johnson farm is a historic home and listing on the National Register of Historic Places in Hiram Township, just west of the village of Hiram, Ohio, United States. The home, built in 1828, is a significant location in the history of the Latter Day Saint movement as the home of Joseph Smith and his family from September 1831 to March 1832. While Smith lived at the home, it served as the headquarters of the Church of Christ and was the site of several revelations to Smith and other Church leaders. The Johnson Farm is also significant as the site of the tarring and feathering of Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon in March 1832.
The Kirtland Temple Suit is an 1880 Ohio legal case that is often cited as the case that awarded ownership of the Kirtland Temple to the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Though the case was dismissed by the court, the publication of the court's findings of fact—as if they had been the decision of the court—reinforced the belief by members of the RLDS Church and others that the court had considered the RLDS Church, and not the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the rightful legal successor to the Latter Day Saint church established by Joseph Smith in 1830.
In the theology of the Latter Day Saint movement, an endowment refers to a gift of "power from on high", typically associated with the ordinances performed in Latter Day Saint temples. The purpose and meaning of the endowment varied during the life of movement founder Joseph Smith. The term has referred to many such gifts of heavenly power, including the confirmation ritual, the institution of the High Priesthood in 1831, events and rituals occurring in the Kirtland Temple in the mid-1830s, and an elaborate ritual performed in the Nauvoo Temple in the 1840s.
Historic Kirtland Village is a historic district in Kirtland, Ohio, U.S., owned and operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The district is made up of buildings and sites important to the early Latter Day Saint movement. Some of the buildings are original and have been restored to their 1830s appearances, while others were rebuilt on or near their original sites. In addition to Historic Kirtland, the church also owns and operates the nearby Kirtland Temple, the Isaac Morley Farm just east of Kirtland in Kirtland Hills, and the John Johnson Farm in Hiram.
Algernon Sidney Gilbert was a merchant best known for his involvement with Latter-day Saint history and his partnership with Newel K. Whitney in Kirtland, Ohio. He is mentioned in seven sections of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Doctrine and Covenants. He was ordained as a high priest in the state of Missouri and served as a missionary in the United States.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Ohio refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Ohio. The official church membership as a percentage of general population was 0.52% in 2014. According to the 2014 Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life survey, roughly 1% of Ohioans self-identify themselves most closely with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The LDS Church is the 14th largest denomination in Ohio.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has had a presence in the state of Indiana since 1831. The official church membership as a percentage of general population was 0.68% in 2018. According to the 2014 Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life survey, roughly 1% of Hoosiers self-identify themselves most closely with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The LDS Church is the 13th largest denomination in Indiana.
John Johnson Sr. was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement in Ohio.
Jared Carter was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement. He joined the Church of Christ in 1831 and soon after served a mission in the northeastern United States. He was mentioned by name in section 79 of the Doctrine and Covenants; the passage encouraged him to continue his work as a missionary. He has been described as "one of the Church's great missionaries" of the 1830s. In 1834, Carter was chosen as a member of the first Presiding High Council of Kirtland, Ohio, and then became the council's president in 1837. After being disfellowshipped from the LDS Church and briefly joining the Strangite church, Carter re-joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while living in Chicago. He died in DeKalb County, Illinois.
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