The Old Rugged Cross is one of the most beloved – and most claimed hymns! Our Christian Heritage has been to the Old Rugged Cross church on Pokagon, MI where it was first performed in its entirety and we’ve interviewed the couple that restored the church. We’ve also been to Sturgeon Bay, WI where the Friends Church is that it was first partially performed. But on this stop we’re at the site where it was written – in an apartment of a professor of Albion College that became a fraternity house before it was demolished in the 60s. This marker was recently restored after the previous was destroyed in a car crash in 2020.
Transcript:
We’re here in Albion, Michigan, at the site of the birthplace of one of the most beloved hymns in Christian history: “The Old Rugged Cross.”
There are actually several historical markers related to the hymn in the area. This spot marks where it was written. In December 1912 (and into 1913), George Bennard lived right behind me in what is now a vacant lot. At the time, he was staying in a rented apartment in the home of Professor Delos Fall at 1101 East Michigan Avenue, near Albion College.
Later, that same house became the chapter house for Delta Tau Delta, the first fraternity established at Albion College. In 1959, during the college’s 125th anniversary, a historical marker was placed here honoring the composition of the hymn—one of the most famous in church history and the standout among the more than 300 hymns George Bennard wrote.
Sadly, in 2020, a car accident destroyed the original monument. But as you can see, it’s been beautifully rebuilt—and many say it looks better than ever.
The marker reads in part: “The Old Rugged Cross,” one of the world’s best-loved hymns, was composed here in 1912 by the Rev. George Bennard (1873–1958). The son of an Ohio coal miner, Bennard was a lifelong servant of God, chiefly in the Methodist ministry. He wrote over 300 hymns, but none achieved the fame of “The Old Rugged Cross.”
What’s especially moving are the powerful words etched on these markers: “I’ll cherish the old rugged cross, till my trophies at last I lay down; I will cling to the old rugged cross, and exchange it someday for a crown.”
While the hymn was composed here in Albion, it had key early performances elsewhere. Parts of it were first performed in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, during evangelistic meetings at the Friends Church (from late December 1912 to January 1913). We’ve visited that site as well. The completed version was then sung in its entirety on June 7, 1913, at the First Methodist Episcopal Church in Pokagon, Michigan (near Niles). We had an incredible interview with the family and volunteers who restored and recreated that historic church to its original condition—it’s now part of The Old Rugged Cross Historic Site.
Even though Bennard lived here during the hymn’s composition, there’s a fourth significant site connected to its legacy: the Old Rugged Cross Museum (also known as part of the Old Rugged Cross Historical Society), located about a couple of hours north in Reed City, Michigan, where the Bennards lived later in life. (Note: There’s also a related historic site and museum in Pokagon focused on the church and first full performance.)
If you’re interested in church history and hymns like this one, mark these places on your map. Check them out at christianheritage.info—search for “The Old Rugged Cross” to find more details on these inspiring locations.