Union Gospel Press
May 6th, 2007
On January 5, 1895 in Annandale, New Jersey, The Reverend Mr. Musselman and seven women from his church began a home missionary ministry that is now known as the Gospel Worker Society. The purpose was to reach homebound people in their communities and to encourage people to receive Jesus Christ. The purpose was accomplished through missionary meetings of different venues. In 1896 a womens and a mens Society were formed. In 1897 the name of the Women’s Home Missionary Society was changed to the Gospel Worker Society because the women had become known as “Gospel Workers.”
In its early years, the Gospel Worker Society had no literature of its own. In 1902, the G. W. S. Herald became the nondenominational magazine of the Gospel Worker Society. The first editions were printed by an outside company in Williamsport, PA. It was called the Herald Publishing House. In 1907 the Herald Publishing House and the Gospel Worker Society moved from Pennsylvania to new headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio. For a few years the fifteen-building complex on the corner of West Seventh Street and Jefferson Avenue was sufficient. In 1922, after much expansion and several name changes, what had begun as the Herald Publishing House came to be known as Union Gospel Press.
The Reverend Mr. Musselman conducted chapel services for the missionaries of the Gospel Worker Society and he encouraged the missionaries to deny themselves and to follow Jesus. The Society and Press continued under the leadership of the Reverend Mr. Musselman until his death in 1938 when his youngest daughter, Miss Mary E. Musselman, was elected president.
As the number of publications increased, Union Gospel Press was remodeled and enlarged. Despite the changes, it was determined that an up-to-date, one-story plant would help production. It was in 1950 that Union Gospel Press and the Gospel Worker Society moved to their present location at the corner of Brookpark Road (State Route 17) and Broadview Road (State Route 176).
Courtesy of: The Incorporated Trustees of The Gospel Worker Society and Union Gospel Press
Entry Filed under: Buildings
2 Comments Add your own
1. Mike L | March 17th, 2008 at 7:34 pm
I have been inside this building and all I can say is “Wow!” A friend lived on Jefferson and took me twice. I would definatly like to go back for pictures. There is a wooden locker room type area. A large cafeteria done in small tile with two huge vault doors. A courtyard with a large tree sculpture in the middle reaching to the building. It was like catacombs in the lower levels. I can go on and on. Amazing.
2. Mattie | July 19th, 2008 at 8:15 am
I live by the Union Gospel Press Building, and I tell you the work they have been doing to the building is awesome.
I know that this is a historical site and they have to restore a lot of things as they were but I doubt that the inside will look the same as you seen it because there are a lot of changes going on inside, there are walls where there were none and also openings in the brck where there were none… I hope they leave a lot intaked, but it will never look like it did inside like in the early days.
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