HISTORY OF THE NITRO CHURCH OF CHRIST

            The Nitro Church of Christ had its beginning in the spring of 1930.  Evangelist I.D. Janey of Charleston (now deceased) conducted the first gospel meeting in the old post office building.  A small congregation of about ten members banded together for the service.

This small group of Christians continued to meet in the lodge building on 35^th Street for several years.  During the early years of the church, several ministers of the area held revivals and preached on various occasions.

In 1937 a building was built on 31^st Street and 2^nd Avenue.  The members of the congregation contributed to the building of the meeting place.  Over the next several years several improvements were made, a baptistery was added, two dressing rooms and five classrooms.  The main auditorium had a seating capacity of 120.

The first full-time minister of the Nitro Church of Christ was Blaine Cook who began his work in July 1947.  Through the efforts of Blaine Cook and the local church, congregations were established in Bancroft and Liberty, West Virginia.  Also a congregation was re-established in Evergreen, WV.

The congregation continued to grow and through the oversight of the elders, they began to look for property to build a new and larger house of worship.  Construction was begun in May of 1960 on the present building.  The auditorium seats about 300, with ten adjoining classrooms.

With the number growing and consequently the number of cars increasing, a need was seen for additional parking space.  Three lots were purchased across the street.  Two houses were demolished and the third was converted into office space.

In 1974 an education annex was added which insured ample room for growth and fellowship.  In the fall of 1989 the education annex as well as the preacher’s home were paid for.  In the spring of 1990 an extensive remodeling project was begun which included putting on a new roof and ceiling on the auditorium as well as carpeting the auditorium.  The fellowship area on the third floor was “tiled,” replacing the carpet, two furnaces were replaced, an air-conditioner replaced, and other refurbishing throughout the building and annex.  In 1997 tile was installed in the entry ways and two large ground-floor classrooms, carpet was replaced in the hallways and other classrooms on the ground floor.  Also, repair work was completed on the flat roof.