Ebenezer Mennonite Church in 1883
Here is the Ebenezer Mennonite Church in rural Bluffton. This photo is believed to be taken in 1883 following an addition that was made to the building. The original church building was constructed in 1869.
When this photo was taken there were only two Mennonite churches in the Bluffton-Pandora Swiss Settlement. The other was St. John Mennonite, four miles to the north.
By 1890 there were between 800 and 950 Swiss Mennonites living here. At that time the congregation worshiped together on alternative Sundays at St. John and then at Ebenezer.
This photo was originally reproduced from a glass negative. Jim Diller sent the Icon the photo, which was part of his father, Paul Diller's collection.
Stories Posted This Week
Friday, September 4, 2026
- September 4 Bluffton High School athletics lineup, streaming
- Pirate volleyball wins in 5 vs. Defiance Ayersville
- Pirate girls soccer blanked by Celina
- SummerFest will raise funds for Beaverdam-Richland Fire & Rescue
- 100 years of being Beavers: 2026 Bluffton University Homecoming, Oct. 2-4
- Beaverdam Bunch results from 2026 Allen County Junior Fair
- Celebrate Recovery program announced by Ebenezer Mennonite
Thursday, September 3, 2026
Wednesday, September 2, 2026
- Bluffton University offers $1,000 annual award to enrollees who visit campus
- Pirate golf 3rd in NWC quad
- Pirate volleyball sweeps Elida
- Pirate boys soccer loss vs. Van Buren
- Pirate girls soccer win vs. Spencerville
- August 2026 land transfers in the Bluffton school district
- Bluffton alumnus to share grandmother's fight for U.S. citizenship
Tuesday, September 1, 2026
- Beavers sports roundup, August 2026
- Pirate golfers split tri
- ICYMI: August 2026 Bluffton Icon Highlights
- Nisly to present colloquium on Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea”
- Bluffton School district mails 2026-2027 Summer District Newsletter
- Emmanuel UCC is 2026 Bluffton Family Y coed softball champion