Boardman Park is offering tours of St. James Meeting House, Boardman’s most prominent historical landmark. This historic landmark was formerly known as St. James Episcopal Church, and was built in 1828 by Henry Mason Boardman, son of Elijah, founder of Boardman Township
      St. James was the first Episcopal Church in Ohio, and the first home of the oldest Episcopal parish in the Connecticut Western Reserve.
      St. James was originally located on eastside of Market St., near Boardman Center. In 1971 the area adjacent to St. James was rapidly becoming highly commercialized due to the development of the Southern Park Mall. The congregation of St. James decided to build a new church on Glenwood Avenue, and sold the property and St. James was deconsecrated.
      St. James was slated for demolition in 1972, to make room for additional development. Fortunately, through the efforts of Thomas C. and Miriam Masters, Fred and Phyllis Wilkie, the Boardman Historical Society, Fenton Meredith and the Rotary Club of Boardman, a community-wide effort was initiated to save St. James, and over $32,000, was raised in 30 days to have it relocated to Boardman Park. On Tues. January 11, 1972, the building was moved to the park and renamed St. James Meeting House.
      The Meeting House was entered in the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, by the Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service, United States Department of the Interior. The tour will take approximately 45 minutes and includes a power point presentation. Tours are available to civic groups, school classes, church groups, and other community organizations. Groups interested in touring this historic landmark may schedule a tour by calling the Park District office at 330-726-8107, Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.