Fairlawn-West Church of Christ was founded in 1973 but its roots go back much further to two previous Akron congregations. Our name is a combination of the two churches: Fairlawn Community Church and West Congregational Church.

West Congregational Church was started in 1888 in the neighborhood called West Hill. The original church site is now where the American Red Cross building sits on West Market Street. In 1957, the Congregational-Christian Church and the Evangelical and Reformed Church merged and became known as the United Church of Christ. West Congregational Church’s members agreed in 1963 to change its name to the West United Church of Christ.

Fairlawn Community Church started in 1946 in what was called the Fairlawn Reserve subdivision, and the congregation first worshipped at Fairlawn Elementary School. In 1955, the congregation built its own church building at the site of our present church at 2095 West Market Street.

When the congregations merged Oct. 7, 1973, they made the Fairlawn Community Church site its home. Today, we honor our church’s rich history with our name as well as our buildings and grounds. While we use the original Fairlawn Community Church site, we made the original West Congregational Church cornerstone the centerpiece of our Courtyard. We also placed the 1,200-pound West Congregational Church bell on the front porch overlooking West Market Street.

We’re still located next to the elementary school, which was rebuilt in 2006 and renamed the Judith A. Resnik Community Learning Center.