St. John, Benwood

The first Catholic church in Benwood was dedicated to St. John in 1871, but the community did not have a resident pastor until Rev. P.F. McKernan was assigned in 1875. The parish's initial families were comprised of at least fifteen different ethnic groups, who were drawn to the area by opportunities in the steel and coal industries. Close to the Ohio River, the church was victim to numerous floods. Seven years after the devastating flood of 1884, the cornerstone was laid for a new church. That church was active for more than a century before being destroyed by fire in 2015. A new church was built on the same site in 2017.