1860 Reverend R.H. Pollock became the pastor for Hopewell.
Memorial for the Hopewell Civil War soldiers who served from 1861 to 1865.
1861 On January 28 of that year, the new trustees appointed were Thomas Brown, Robert Brown, Robert Buck, James Wright, and Andrew McClanahan. The fourth pastor, Reverant Joseph McHatton was installed in June.
Hopewell Church member Lieutenant Colonel John Wallace was a civil war soldier. Before his service, he was involved in the church congregation as the clerk and treasurer. Wallace began his service in the civil war and representation of Preble County on August 7, when he enlisted at Camp Dennison as a Captain in Company D in the 47th Regiment. He was later promoted to Major on December 30, then to Lieutenant till the end of his service in 1863. He passed on April 16, 1866 and is currently buried in the Hopewell Church Cemetery.
Other Hopewell members in the 47th Regiment include A. Cook, W.I. Boyce, J.B. Wilson, J. Arthurs, E.N. Bernard, J.McM. Brown, W.M. Bushman, W.H. McWhinney, and S.M. McCracken. They are all currently buried in the Hopewell Church Cemetery.
Civil War soldier memorial for Hopewell members A. Cook, W.I. Boyce, J.B. Wilson, J. Arthurs, E.N. Brenard, J.McM. Brown, W.M. Bushman, W.H. McWhinney, and S.M. McMcracken.
1862 On January 27 of that year, the same trustees were appointed for another year. They were authorized to fix the graveyard fence and build two outhouses.
1863 On January 26 of that year, the trustees elected were James McDill, William Marshall, R.P. Gilmore, John Douglass, J.S. Brown, and James Wright. The reverend was J.B. Foster. Money was raised to build a wood house on the church lot. Mr. McHatton was granted leave of absence to visit the Ohio 47th and 93rd Infantry. He also visited the 37th Indiana Regiment and others he would find practical to visit.
1861 The Hopewell congregation held a memorial service for President Abraham Lincoln on Easter Sunday, April 16.
1866 Members decided to prosecute any person who disturbed the congregation while worshiping. Seats in the southwest corner of the church were designated for colored people. John McDill and Thomas McQuiston were appointed ushers and authorized to put strangers in the first vacant seat and usher the black members to their designated pews. Many of the black members were traveling through, or were living in the area and worked for wages. Among the colored members who attended, some were the women who made the communion bread. These women worked for John Patterson, who was one of the church founders.
1875 Pastor Joseph McHatton retired on April 17. Members from the Morning Sun congregation and Hopewell combined until a new pastor was appointed.
1876 More individuals and families were joining the Hopewell Church. Because of this, it eventually became overcrowded. In reaction, 100 people from Hopewell joined with the former Beech Woods Reformed Presbyterian Church to erect a new building for the Morning Sun United Presbyterian Church. The front doors to the Hopewell church were sealed and the pulpit was installed in place of the old doors. Today's current entrances were created by breaking in the brick wall.
1878 Reverand J.D. Campbell was appointed pastor. On January 14, the parsonage was sold to David Ransey for $150.00. On October 12, the church decided to deed to the Trustees of Israel Township a portion of the land belonging to the congregation for the purpose of, as they wrote, a "Public Burying Ground," commencing at a point on the east line due to the east of the south post of the Iron Gate running due west 30 feet around the church. To this day the cemetery is managed and maintained by Israel Township, not the Historic Hopewell Church.
1880 "Old Hopewell," as the church was now familiarly called, was surrounded by four daughter churches in Morning Sun, Fairhaven, Oxford, and College Corner. It was less crowded and was completely overhauled and refurbished. In the restoration of "Old Hopewell," a bench was placed a the left side of the church specifically for any black people who might be passing through the area and desired to worship, continuing the traditions of the church, but still being shaped by the segregationist social mores of the time. The church was remodeled. A wooden floor was installed and a carpet was sewn together by the women of the church.
1883 The church was remodeled by making a more solid wall on the north of the church and doing other repairs. The pastor was J.D. Campbell, who resigned on December 3 of that year.
1884 Reverend E.H. Huston was appointed pastor and served as the Hopewell pastor until 1889.