History

Our history indicates that the home of the Serbian people of Barberton and Akron was the Serbian Club in Barberton which was constructed in 1912. The people used the Barberton Club and the Russian Church (South Akron) during this time but wanted a place of their own.

The property for the Serbian Club on Ira Avenue was purchased in 1918 and construction was completed in the Spring of 1919.

Religious life was officially recognized with the issuance of The Articles of Incorporation of the Serbian Orthodox Church of Akron by the Secretary of the Sate of Ohio on July 12, 1919 and created the basic foundation for the future development and growth of that life.

In May 1930, an assembly was called and approved the proposal to build a Serbian Church. When the fund reached $5,000 construction would begin. In 1931 a special assembly was called to elect a building committee. It was an economic time known as “The Great Depression” but the people refused to abandon their plans and the first dirt of the foundation was turned over in February 1932.

In spite of difficulties, the building was completed in the Fall of 1933 and consecrated on November 12, 1933.

After many years of the church on Lake Street, and the surrounding area neighborhoods declined. The search for a new property resulted in acquiring the location on Ridgewood Road in Copley Township in November 1978.

Economic factors were becoming crucially important in the functioning of the Serbian Hall on Ira Avenue. The membership elected to sell the hall and celebrated the last Slava in November 1980.

The property was paid in full in 1982 and in August of 1982 a special meeting was called with the purpose of selecting a Building Committee. The committee recommended that the church on Lake Street be listed for sale in February 1983. In May of 1983 a Ground Blessing was held and in June 1983 a loan was approved. Construction began, and the complex was consecrated on May 19-20, 1984 with a grand celebration. On June 2, 1991, a mortgage burning celebration was held having paid off the loan much earlier than anticipated due to the hard work of members and friends.

In the late summer of 1994 the membership approved the formation of a Building Committee to investigate the possibilities of building a proper church and on December 11, 1994 the membership approved to go forward with the new building project. In August 1995 a contract was signed, and a ground breaking took place in the fall of that year.

On March 13, 1996 a ‘Crowning Achievement” happened when more than 100 of our church parishioners, children, choir, and friends along with our parish priest and 3 other local Orthodox priests blessed and witnessed the installation of the dome and cross on top of our main cupola.

In July of 1996, our iconostasis was disassembled and moved from the small hall chapel into the new church. This was done by our member Bud Gligor along with some volunteers. This job was very familiar to him as he had personally rebuilt it after a fire on Lake Street in 1975. He had reconstructed it when it was moved from Lake Street to our Chapel in Copley and supervised the entire move into the new church. Our first Divine Liturgy was just after this.

August 1-3, 1997 was the culmination of nearly 20 years of hard work and determination as we celebrated the consecration of our new church.