The Welsh Flag
Listen to the chorus of the Welsh National Anthem sung in Welsh. Click here
to download free printable Welsh language calendars, diaries, and deskpads.
Venedocia (latitude 40.78N, longitude -84.44W) is located along state route 116 in Van Wert County of Northwest Ohio about 10 miles southeast
of the city of Van Wert. The village occupies an area of about 1/4 square mile. Its year 2010 population was estimated at 124.
Here are some additional demographic data about Venedocia.
Venedocia was first settled around 1848 and was incorporated in 1897 by immigrants from Wales. Some current residents still
remember when the Welsh language was spoken in village homes and businesses.
Today, Venedocia is a very pleasant and inexpensive place to live. It is inexpensive because there is no local income tax and because the rather low local assessed valuation
means that real estate taxes are quite low. It is pleasant because the village government tries to make it so. For example, the village snow plow
not only plows the streets, it also plows out the entrance to private driveways of village residents at no additional cost.
Considering how tiny we are, Venedocia has a lot of amenities. These include:
An excellent village park which includes public toilets, picnic tables in a very nice shelter, tennis and basketball courts, a kids playground, and a
lighted baseball park complete with bleachers and a refreshment stand.
The Venedocia Lions Club, with its own community building. Meetings 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month at 7pm.
The SALEM PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, a very large very impressive looking 100 year old structure. The congregation was founded in
1848 and prior to 1895 all church services in the village were exclusively in the Welsh language. In 1998 the Salem Church celebrated 150 years of
ministry (This link includes a special hymn written for this celebration). Several documents are available concerning the history of this church.
Download and play the VENEDOCIA VIDEO, from WLIO-TV, March 2002, 4 megabyte file in Windows Media Player (.wmv) format.
VENEDOCIA COMMUNITY
EMERGENCY VENEDOCIA AREA SHELTER:
During power outages in the village, Salem Church serves as an emergency refuge shelter for the entire community. The church will be open and have water, functioning
toilets, and heat during power outage thanks to a powerful propane fueled generator paid for in part by the Venedocia Lions Club.
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SAINT DAVID'S DAY dinner:
This annual event is a celebration of the village's Welsh heritage held the annually first Sunday afternoon of March. A menu in Welsh, songs sung in Welsh and English, and an
interesting guest speaker are part of the program.
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GYMANFA GANU:
The town's free Welsh festival of song is held every year on the Sunday evening of Labor Day weekend and has been an annual event since at least 1915.
The Gymanfa ganu tradition can be traced back to the 12th Century in Wales where the singing of hymns in four-part harmony began. It has been an important part of the
Venedocia Church’s life since about 1915. To hear the grand old hymns sung by several hundred voices is an unforgettable experience. People from several states return each year.
The Gymanfa Ganu is the biggest event of the year in Venedocia. People from all over Ohio and from many other states swell the village to several times its usual
population as they pack into the Salem Presbyterian Church to sing in four part harmony. The church thunders with hundreds of voices praising the Lord with English and Welsh
language hymns. The front doors of the church are left open and you can hear the singing a mile to the east. Very few participants actually speak or understand Welsh, but
each is given a Welsh hymn book which makes it an easy follow along. A choral director and guest soloists, often Welsh natives, are part of the program. The audience acts as
the choir. In essence, what happens is that a professional choral director is hired to help the audience entertain itself singing Welsh hymns.
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The book SALEM PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 1848-2008
Twelve years in the making, this comprehensive history of Salem Presbyterian Church is finally available. The book is 245 pages long, with 111 pages of narrative history
and 26 appendices, including many historical documents. Photographs are included throughout the book. Here is a sample chapter.
“I couldn’t put it down.”
“It was so interesting.”
“I was expecting something dry and boring, and this isn’t.”
To order your copy, contact the church. The price is $15 if you pick it up, or $20 if we ship the book to you. Send your check made out to Salem Presbyterian Anniversary Committee along with your address to Salem Presbyterian Church, P.O. Box 678, Venedocia, OH 45894
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A notice board has been erected by the Village Council on the Main Street village lot for the purpose of displaying local government information and advertising
community events. To post a notice there, please contact either the mayor or fiscal officer.
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Gasoline prices.These links are regularly updated by volunteer price watchers to show current prices.
No Open Burning Allowed in Venedocia
The Middle Point Fire Department 419.968.2191, which by contract provides fire service to Venedocia, will be enforcing Ohio EPA Open Burning Regulations within the
village. No open burning is allowed without a permit within the village or within 1000 feet of the village. This includes burn barrels, leaf burning, and the burning
of brush and scrap wood. Significant fines are possible for violators.
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CALL TO CAMBRIA, a published novel about life in Venedocia life in the 70's.
The Brumback Library, this country's oldest county library, given for free to the citizens of Van Wert County by the Brumback family.
vanwert.com, with lots of good city and county information.
The Lincoln Highway and The Lincoln Highway Association.
The part of this old transcontinental highway that is a few miles north of the village has been restored. The restoration includes original "Lincoln Highway" marker signs
and Burma Shave signs.
Croeso Betws, the bilingual web site of Betws-y-Coed village in Snowdonia National Park. Here you can arrange accommodation with local Welsh speaking families.
![[Animated Welsh flag]](waleflag.gif)
The Welsh Flag
The official Venedocia village logo.
