EDITOR’S NOTE: This is part of a weekly series on our region’s history coordinated by the Trumbull County Historical Society.

One of the most recognizable landmarks in Kinsman is the majestic white, pinnacled Kinsman Presbyterian Church. Surrounded on both sides by gravesites, this structure stands as an imposing reminder of Kinsman’s early history.

Those familiar with the local school district will know the name Joseph Badger. After serving in the Revolutionary War, Rev. Joseph Badger was appointed as a missionary to the Western Reserve around 1800. Traveling by horseback, he preached across the settlements and organized many churches.

One such congregation was a three-township church that served Hartford, Vernon and Kinsman. In 1803, Badger preached in Kinsman for the first time at John Kinsman’s store. Over the years, Sunday church services were held in Kinsman with Deacon William Mathews holding weekly worship during times without a permanent minister

Rev. Harvey Coe then became minister of the three-township church in 1816. As Kinsman’s population grew, residents established the Old Grove Church in a building near the Allen House. By 1831, this building was overflowing, and it was decided that a new church was needed.

The Congregational and Presbyterian Church of Kinsman was then formed. The land for the church and manse was generously donated by John Kinsman, laying the foundation for a remarkable structure. Construction was completed in 1833 by builder-architect Willis Smith, who modeled the church after one in Connecticut, incorporating strong architectural elements that remain defining features today.

Rebecca Kinsman, continuing her family’s legacy of support, contributed one-fourth of the total $4,000 construction cost. Her generosity extended further in 1850, when she donated the church bell, which is still in use today.

In 2007, an exterior renovation project helped restore deteriorating features, including railings, battlements, brackets, and pinnacles — the largest of which measure 11 feet tall.

The cemetery surrounding the church is an equally iconic landmark. John Kinsman selected the land as the burial site for John Tidd, the first death in the township. Arriving in Kinsman in 1802, the Tidds were among Kinsman’s first families. John, the son of Martin and Betsy Tidd, died in 1804 at the age of 32 from fever.

The cemetery continued to grow, and the land was deeded to the C. & P. Church Society in 1832, which then transferred the deed to the township. Incorporated in 1858, the Kinsman Cemetery Association purchased additional land to the east of the Presbyterian Church, added walkways and landscaping, and continues to provide year-round care.

Notable names found there include seven Revolutionary War veterans, including founder John Kinsman; surgeon Dr. Peter Allen; hymn composer James McGranahan; and acclaimed science fiction authors Leigh Brackett and Edmond Hamilton. In addition to the association’s ongoing maintenance, two local volunteers have contributed significantly to the upkeep of the Kinsman Cemetery.

To make locating plots easier, 92% of the memorials listed on Find a Grave have been mapped with GPS coordinates. A dedicated volunteer also has devoted countless hours to hands-on restoration — straightening tilted tombstones, cleaning aged and weathered markers, and helping preserve the integrity of the site. Their dedicated work not only improves the appearance of the cemetery but also honors the memory of those buried there.

From the early days of the settlement to today’s ongoing patronage and volunteer efforts, the Kinsman Presbyterian Church and Kinsman Cemetery stand as lasting symbols of faith, community, and generosity in the township of Kinsman. Kinsman Free Public Library is located right across from these landmarks at 6420 Church St.