The Educational Building of the Central Christian Church at 407 N. Market Street in Wooster was built between 1860-1865 by Harvey Howard a local druggist who also sold horses and mules to the U.S. Government during the Civil War. The property changed owners several times until 1893 when it was purchased by Captain James B. Taylor, a Wooster-area lawyer who had commanded Company H of the 120th Ohio Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War.
In 1906, one year after the death of Captain Taylor’s wife, the family made provisions for their residence on North Market Street to be transferred to the City of Wooster and be used as the Wooster Hospital. While the hospital was in operation at this location, many of Wooster’s best physicians practiced there, including doctors Stoll, Ryall, Jones, Mateer, Yocum, Wishard, Wright, Fritz and more. When it first opened, the hospital could accommodate as many as twelve patients in the “ward” room and after a later renovation, had as many as thirty beds available. The hospital continued to operate at this location until 1943 when Central Christian Church purchased the property and converted it into educational facilities.
The Church has restored much of the original decor: the four fireplaces, inlaid floors and the bronze hardware on the doors. Most of the interior woodwork retains it’s natural finish, and where painting was necessary they tried to use original colors found in the house and have tried to match the original papering on the walls. The only casualty of renovating the old hospital and connecting the house to the rest of the Church complex was the large porch which used to wrap around the south side of the old house.
