USA > Maryland > Washington County > Hagerstown > A history of Washington County, Maryland from the earliest settlements to the present time, including a history of Hagerstown > Part 64
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While it is probable that the very first set- tlers in Washington County were men of Scotch- Trish blood and of the Presbyterian faith, it was not until 1817 that there was a church, or an or- ganized congregation of this denomination in Ha- gerstown. In 1774 the Rev. Thomas McPherrin was called to the charges of Conococheague and Jerusalem (now known as Funkstown) and all the Presbyterian congregations west of South Mountain. In 1788, the Rev. Mr. Caldwell was sent to minister to the congregations of Falling Waters, Hagerstown and Williamsport. From this time down to 1817 the Presbyterians of Ha- gerstown were connected with those of Greencastle and Welsh Run, the same minister having charge of all three congregations. Among these min- isters was the Rev. John Lind, son of the Rev. Matthew Lind. It was during the pastorate of
the Rev. John Lind that the Hagerstown church was organized, and the church edifice, on Soutlı Potomac street was built. The first minute book of the congregation contains this record: "On the 15th of November, 1817, Messrs. Robert Doug- - las, John Kennedy, Joseph Gabby and John Rob- ertson were ordained to the office of Ruling Elder, in the Associate Reformed congregation of Ha- gerstown. A session or court for superintending and directing the spiritual concerns of the congre- gations having thus been formed they recognized as properly belonging to the Hagerstown Society the following persons who had been admitted to communion at Greencastle, viz : Robert Douglass and Sarah Combs his wife, John Kennedy and Margaret Wagoner his wife, Hugh Kennedy, John Robertson, James McCulloch, Joseph Gabby and Anne Cummings his wife, John Johnson and Jane Simpson his wife, Peggy Johnson, Sarah Simpson (formerly Johnston), Elizabeth Jacobs (formerly Johnston), Susan Dowing (formerly Johnston) and Jane Milligan. They also received into com- munion on personal examination, John Gibboney and Ann Gilliland his wife, Nancy Douglass, Mary Douglass, William Robertson, Samuel Steele, Eliz- abeth Steele, Susanna Bell, Jr., Rosanna Mar- shall White, James Ferguson, Jas. O. Carson, Jolın McIlhenney and Nancy Newcomer his wife; Alex. Neill and Dr. Samuel Young. And on certifi- cates, from an Associate Reformed Church, Maria F. Kerr, and from other churches Susanna Bell, (formerly Duffield), Drusilla Holt, (formerly White), Ann Hughes, (formerly Purviance), David Cook and - --- McFarquair his wife. On the following day, November 16, the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was administered, and as it had never before been administered in Hagers- town by any English Presbyterian minister, the occasion was regarded with lively interest."
The lot upon which the old original Presby- terian. Church stands, was purchased July 17, 1815, from Gotleib Zimmerman for $1,500. There were 167 contributors to the church and lot which cost $9,149.17. The largest contributors were John and Hugh Kennedy. Hugh Kennedy left in his will two lots opposite the church on South Potomac street and $2,500 in money for the erec- tion of a parsonage. It was a condition in the devise that the Rouse Version of the Psalms of David should be used in the service of the church. John Kennedy advanced $1,300 to complete the parsonage. The congregation in 1853 decided to
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introduce the use of the Hymnal. Thereupon the heirs of Mr. Kennedy claimed that the parsonage had reverted to them. The congregation settled this claim by the payment of $1,700. Not until 1854 was there a choir. Before that time the singing had been led first by Hugh Kennedy, then for thirty years by William Robertson and then by David Steele. The only musical instrument tolerated in those years was the tuning fork. The Rev. John Lind died in 1824, and was succeeded September 28, 1825 by the Rev. Matthew Lind Fullerton, who remained in charge until his death in 1833. The Rev. Richard Wynkoop was install- ed June 25, 1834, and his pastorate ended with his death, April 6, 1842.
In 1836 the session decided to elect three ad- ditional elders and announced the choice of Jos- eph Rench, Samuel Steele and John McCurdy, who were elected. Some opposition was made to the ordination of Mr. McCurdy, and this differ- ence caused a division of the congregation. The seceding portion organized under the name of the First Presbyterian Church of Hagerstown and for some years used the Court House as a place of worship. This congregation had two pastors, first the Rev. Mr. Davis, and second the Rev. Wm. Love. During the separation the pastors of thic church were the Rev. Herman Douglas and the Rev. John F. McLaren. The latter was the fath- er of the late Bishop McLaren of the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago. The two congregations re- united April 10, 1846. Mr. McLaren and Mr. Love both resigned, in order to facilitate the reunion. The next pastor, elected on September 14, 1846, by the reunited congregation, was the Rev. Septimus Tustin, D. D., of Washington. He resigned, and the Rev. R. W. Dunlap was elected pastor in September, 1851. He died five years later, and the Rev. R. A. Brown was called in 1858. He was succeeded by Rev. W. C. Stitt. Rev. Tryon Edwards, D. D., was called Feb. 18, 1867, and resigned Oct. 29, 1872. Rev. J. C. Thompson served from July 24, 1873 to 1879. Rev. J. A. Rondthaler, from 1879 to 1884; Alex. Alison, 1885, to 1887; David Laughlin, 1887, to 1892; Isaac H. Condit, 1894, to 1896; Geo. P. Wilson, D. D., 1897 to 1898; Robt. Alexander Boyle, 1899, the present pastor.
A great majority of the early inhabitants of Hagerstown were of German blood, and most of these spoke the German language. When they set- tled in Hagerstown, they brought with them their
religion from the fatherland. The first church edifice to be erected within the limits of the town was Zion Reformed Church, which is still standing, founded upon a rock, crowning a high eminence on Potomac and Church streets overlooking a town of 15,000 people as it overlooked Elizabethtown in its infancy a hundred and thirty years ago when it was a hamlet of a few hundred houses. This sacred edifice has been enlarged and improved within and without. But its original proportions, massive in its construction and simple in its arch- itecture still stand, and the bells in the stone tower still call Christians to worship as they have done for five generations. In the shadow of the church lie the ashes of Jonathan Hager, founder of Ha- gerstown, who gave the lot upon which it stands, and who lost his life while the church was build- ing. Near him in the same graveyard is buried the body of his granddaughter, his only grandchild, Elizabeth Hager Lawrence, daughter of Jonathan Hager, Jr., and wife of Upton Lawrence, "born August 1, 1785, died August 5, 1867." No man is more beloved by the people of Hagerstown than the present pastor of Zion Reformed Church, the Rev. J. Spangler Kieffer. For thirty-seven years he has ministered to his people, going in and out among them, soothing their sorrows, sharing with their joys, administering the sacraments of the church, "a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." In 1814, the congregation of Zion Church celebra- ted the centennial of the building, the corner stone having been laid August 10, 1774. Dr. Kieffer took the occasion of this celebration to read a his- tory of the Reformed Church in Hagerstown, which he had compiled from the church records and from other sources.
"Following the German emigration into the Valley of the Antietam and Conococheague" he said, "the Reformed Church, following the emigra- tion of her children, found a home in this place. It is greatly to be regretted, however, that, in the case of this congregation, as with respect to many, it is not possible at this day, for want of sufficient records, definitely to determine the date, or to know the exact circumstances of its organ- ization. The earliest record we have been able to discover, is that of the baptism of George, child of Jacob and Catharine Snyder, on the 20th of October, 1766 .- From this circumstance and from the fact that, beginning with this date, there ex- ists a regular and continuous baptismal record, it
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OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, MARYLAND.
niay be inferred that a congregation existed here at least as early as the year 1766. The congrega- tion, however, possessed no church building, and for at least four years was without a Pastor. It is quite probable that there was a church-school, and that, when there were services the school house was used for this purpose. The congregation, during these first years, was dependent upon the ministration of visiting ministers, and was no doubt served in such irregular manner as we have already described. We have found, for example, traces of such occasional ministration on the part of Rev. F. L. Henop, pastor of the Reformed church at Frederick, who has left a record that, in the month of July, 1770, he baptized the in- fant son of Henry Schnebeli, giving him the name David.
"This infant afterwards became Col. David Schnebly, the husband of the lady who at the age of 101 years and 4 months was present at the centennial services .*
"It was not until the year 1770 that the infant and hitherto destitute congregation, succeeded in obtaining the services of a settled Pastor .- Two other congregations, the St. Paul's and the Salem congregation, having been associated with it in one charge these three united in a petition to the Coetus of Pennsylvania, then standing in connec- tion with the Synods of North and South Holland, asking for a minister. In response to this request the Coetus, at its meeting in Philadelphia, in September of the year 1770, appointed the Rev. Jacob Weimer, as their minister.
"It was not until four years more had passed, that the congregation was. able to undertake tlie erection of a church. This necessary step having been resolved upon the actual work was begun (it is to be presumed) in the spring of the year 1774; and on the 10th of August, in that year, was laid with suitable ceremonies, the corner- stone of the edifice in which we are now assembled. In view of this circumstance, and in consideration of what has already been said, it is scarcely neces- . sary to state that, in choosing to regard and ob- serve the year 1874 as our one hundredth anniver- sary, we are not, properly speaking, celebrating the organization of this congregation, which is more than a hundred years old, but the precise date of whose establishment, as we have seen, it is not possible to determine. We are celebrating, rather, the one hundredth anniversary of this congrega- tion, so far as the erection of this church, one cen- tury ago this year, constituted for it, in an import- ant sense, an historical starting-point, and gave it a local habitation in this community.
"The facts which we have just mentioned, to- gether with others which are interesting in this connection, we have gathered from a document which we had the good fortune to find preserved, and the value of which is enhanced by the meagreness of existing records, and the circum- stance that some seem to have been lost or de- stroyed. It is a copy of the document which was placed in the corner-stone of the church ; and since it is of so great importance in relation to the history of this church, it seems well to translate it here
*The Herald and Torch Light of June 16, 1875, has the following: The Mail says that the widow of the late Col. David Schnebly, who was born Febru- ary 15th, 1773, and is now in her 103d year, retains her accustomed vigor and good health. Mrs. Schneb- ly lives on the farm of her husband, on the Cumber- land Valley Rail Road, near the line of Franklin County, in Washington County, Maryland. Her fath- er's farm where she was married on the 7th of May, 1793, is in the same, neighborhood. The Mail adds:
"Her last visit to town was in the Fall of 1874, when she came in upon business which she transact- ed in person, getting out of her carriage as she al- ways does, in the Public Square, in front of the "Mail" office door, and Gassman's corner. During the preceding month of August she made a special visit to the town in the same manner. to pay her taxes, which she has for many years attended to in person. She was then accompanied by her niece- Mrs. Greenbury Wilson, of Baltimore-and by Mr.
Teisher and insisted upon walking from the square to the Court House and back, and did so, without the slightest inconvenience. We learn from Mr. Teisher, that she is now discussing the Centennial of '76, and if living and as well and strong as she now is, will certainly make the pilgrimage to Philadelphia; and we imagine that among those then present on that occasion, if there should be one who can number the same honored years as she, there certainly will not be one, thus honored, whose perception of the occasion will be more acute than hers. We also learn from the same gentleman that she is now preparing for another visit to our town, and may, perhaps, within the next week-the weather being so inviting-be seen upon our streets. Mrs. Schneb- ly has made, since attaining her hundredth year, her birthday a family anniversary now three times repeated, at which her select friends have seated themselves at her board, presided over by herself." Mrs. Schnebly visited our town on Monday last, and appeared to be in her usual health and spirits.
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HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
in full from the original German. It is in the handwriting of Father Weimer, and reads as fol- lows :
"'A copy of the Document which was placed in the corner-stone of the Reformed Church in Elizabethtown, on the 10th of August, 1774.'
"After it had pleased the all-wise God to gov- ern the human race which He had created, by different economies, the time finally came when God sent into the world the only Shepherd Jesus Christ, in order to establish the true economy. He, having returned to Him who sent Him, sent forth His apostles into all the world to preach the Gospel. They by the power of God, established congregations everywhere, and made known unto them the way of life. And when finally the great God brought His church rest from persecution, these congregations began to erect houses of wor- ship, in which they might publicly assemble them- selves to hear God's word and engage in common prayer; a custom which has been maintained and has come down to our times.
"Accordingly, the Reformed congregation, cs- tablished according to God's word in Elizabeth- town, in Frederick County, in the Province of Maryland, has seen fit to erect for themselves and their posterity a suitable house, in which the word of God might be truly preached, and the Holy Sacraments administered according to Christ's command and common prayer publicly offered, and their children instructed in the catechism according to the principles of the Reformed Church.
"The congregation having duly placed itself under the Reverend Coctus of Pennsylvania, which stands in subordination to the Synods of North and South Holland, and having associated with it two other congregations in Conococheague, made application to the above named Reverend Coelus for a minister. This request was granted and at the session of Coetus in Philadelphia, in Scptem- ber in the year 1770, Jacob Weimer, as a member of Coetus, was appointed as their Pastor:
"So the aforesaid Reformed congregation in Elizabethtown resolved to commence the building of a church in this present year, 1774. That the undertaking, however, might begin under favor- able auspices, Mr. Jonathan Hager, a member of the congregation and Proprietary of the town called Elizabeth, donated to the congregation, two lots in the northern portion of the town, on the principal street.
"Thereupon the members of the congregation elected as building-master (builder) William Hey- ser, a member and deacon of the congregation, who, with the co-operation of his colleagues, the other deacons of the congregation, namely, Philip Oster, Peter Wagner and Jacob Hauser, brought the work so far as to lay the corner-stone on Wednesday the 10th of August, 1774." On this occasion, Rev. Frederick Ludwig Henop, Reformed Pastor at Fredericktown, who had been invited to be present, preached on the words contained in Colossians 3. v. 17: 'And whatever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him.' At this service which was held on the ground on which the church was to be built, there were likewise present Jacob Weimer, Reformed Pastor in Elizabethtown, Rev. George Young, Lutheran Pastor, and Rev. also Lutheran Pastor of Fredericktown.
"And so at the laying of the foundation of this church no other name was given than that it should be a Reformed Church, founded according to God's word; in which the Word of God and the Gospel of the grace of the Lord Jesus should be purely preached; in which, also, the Holy Sac- raments should be administered according to the command of Christ; and in which the catechis- ation of their children should be faithfully car- ried out according to the Reformed principles, as these are taught in the Heidelberg Catechism.
"Further, that all the members of said congre- gation, as also their heirs and descendants, and all who, sooner or later, shall, on giving evidence of good and pure intention, be received as mem- bers of the congregation, shall, as members be en- titled to enjoy all the privileges and rights which said church has or may obtain.
"To this end this document has been commit- ted for preservation to the corner-stone of this church ; and a copy of the same has been inserted in this church-book, with a list of the names of the membres of the congregation, as is to be seen from the following :
DEACONS OF THE CONGREGATION.
William Heyser, also Builder; Philip Oster, Peter Wagner, Jacob Hauser.
MEMBERS OF THE CONGREGATION.
William Baker, Ernst, Baker, Yost Wegand, Isau Gaudig, Johannes Karr, Frantz Greilich, Herman Greilich, Andreas Link, Eustagines Jung, Wilhelm Courath, Heinrich Dotweiler, Jacob Fischer, Johannes Steinscyfer, Frantz Wagner,
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OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, MARYLAND.
Ernst Ditz, Rutholple Bley, Johannes Oster, Mich- ael Eberhart, Matthaus Saylor, Jacob Haushalter, Peter Saylor, George Herdli, George Clampert, Johannes Nicolas Schister, George , Hana-
dam Valentin - , Jacob Hauser, Peter Diller, George Frey, Johannes Frey, Con- rath Eichelberger, Philip Klein, Ernst Kremer.
"This document, the original of which lies sa- credly guarded in the corner-stone of this Church, serves, as we read it now, to call up before us very impressively the congregation which, one hundred years ago, held solemn service on this spot, and of which not a single worshipper now survives. We leave it to tell its own story, for it is the only voice that comes to us from that time; it is the only record we have been able to discover of the circumstances connected with the erection of this Church.
"While, however, little or nothing can be ad- ded to this account, there are some things connect- ed with, or suggested by, this document, to which it may be permitted here to refer.
"The ground on which this Church stands, a chosen spot, which has, ever since made our Zion, beautiful for situation (lying where what was then known as the principal street of the place) was the gift, it appears, of Mr. Jonathan Hager. Because of this, let his name be mentioned with reverence, gratitude and affection this day, and let memory be handed down in the annals of our Congregation- al history as the memory of one who loved the Church. It is to be regretted that he did not live to see his pious intentions carried out. He met with an untimely death, while engaged in the work in which he had shown so great an interest. He cut the timber of the Church, and while unload- ing a log at his saw-mill, where Hager's Mill now stands, he fell and the log rolling on him, he was killed. His descenants still reside in this town which came to bear his name * * * * *
From his family bible we learn that he was mar- ried in the year 1740 to Elizabeth Kershner. They had two children, Rosanah, born in 1752, and Jon- athan, born in 1765. This Bible is still in the possession of Mr. Hager's great grand-daughters, the respected Misses Lawrence of this place, who also preserve many interesting relics of their worthy ancestor."
Father Weymer, the first Pastor, continued to serve the Congregation at Hagerstown, and to preach at St. Paul's, near Clearspring, at Salem Church, a few miles from town, at Beard's
Church, near Cavetown, at Besore's; near Waynes- boro', and at Apple's, in Frederick County, until the 12th day of May, 1790, when he died, at the age of 66 years, and was buried in the grave-yard attached to the Church, no stone, at his own re- quest, marking his last resting place. Two years afterwards the Rev. Jonathan Rahauser succeed- ed him in the charge of these Congregations, and served them for a period of twenty-five years, per- forming an immense amount of labor and proving an effective preacher and a popular pastor. He died September 25, 1817, in the 53d year of his age, and was also buried in the grave-yard attach- ed to the Church. Rev. James R. Reily was the third pastor, who entered upon the discharge of his duties on the 1st of January, 1819, having on that day preached his introductory sermon. He closed his labors here by resignation, on the 25th of April, 1825, having served the congregation a little over six years, during which time it is said that he baptized 829 infants, 103 adults, added to the Church by confirmation 507 members, had in all 3467 communicants, and preached 225 funer- al sermons. Although there was an occasional English sermon preached during Mr. Reily's min- istry, it was so rare that it might almost be said that the German was the only language used in the services of the Church for the previous fifty- five years of its existence. With his successor the transition from German to English fairly com- menced.
After Mr. Reily came the following pastors : Mr. Brunner's ministry commenced in 1827 and closed in 1832; Rev. W. A. Good's commenced in 1833 and closed in 1836 ; Rev. Albert Helfenstein's commenced in 1837 and closed in 1843; Dr. Moscs Kieffer's commenced in 1844 and closed in 1849 ; Dr. D. Gans' commenced in 1850 and closed in 1855; Rev. Dr. Samuel H. Giesy's commenced in 1855 and closed in 1860; and Rev. J. H. Wag- oner's commenced in 1861 and closed in 1864, af- ter which the Congregation was without a regular pastor for several years, when the Rev. J. S. Kief- fer was called and took charge of it.
At a meeting of the consistory, held October 7, 1858 it was resolved to build a new church. In 1857, Mrs. David Schnebley had given to the congregation a splendid lot on W. Washington street, which was afterwards bought by Z. S. Clag- ett who built his home upon it. Later, the idea of building a new church was abandoned, and the lot was sold. On March 20, 1866, a congregation-
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HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
al meeting decided to remain on the hill at the old historic site, and to remodel the old church. The building committee to do this work was composed of Alexander Armstrong, J. Dixon Roman, David C. Hammond, David Zeller and Joseph Middle- kauff. Mr. Roman died, and Mr. Middlekauff re- signed, and their places were supplied by Martin Rickenbaugh and Samuel Artz. While the work of remodeling was going on the congregation wor- shipped in Lyceum Hall. The Chapel was com- pleted in 1868. About twenty years later, the large addition was built and the tower completed. It had been surmounted by a spire but that was blown down in a storm in June, 1878.
The Rev. Joseph Spangler Kieffer, D. D., was born February 3, 1842, at Mifflinburg, Union County, Pa., where his father was for many years pastor of the Reformed Church. Dr. Kieffer was the third child, and the second son of Rev. Ephriam and Eleanor (Spangler) Kieffer. In another part of this work will be found an exten- sive biographical sketch of Dr. Kieffer and his ancestors.
The change from the German to the Eng- lish language in the service at Zion Church, left a portion of the congregation dissatisfied as there were some who could not understand English. In 1852, services in German for the benefit of the latter were conducted in the lecture room of Zion Church. In March, 1855, there was a meeting in that church of those who preferred the German language. They organized, and then went in a body to a lot adjoining the Oak Spring on Frank- lin street, which they had bought, and laid the corner-stone of Christ Reformed Church. This church was completed and dedicated in 1856, but the use of the German language did not continue more than twenty years. In 1871 the German Lutheran Church of Hagerstown was organized, and built by a portion of the congregation of Christ Church which left it. The officers of Christ Church, when it was built were Henry Win- ter, Leonard Maisack, Mark Benner, Jacob Gru- ber, Theobald Kiefer, William Bestard and George Steinmetz. The pastors of the church have been Rev. Carl Kast; Rev. John B. Poerner, Rev. Dr. (ico. Seifert; Rev. Henri L. Grandlienard; Rev. Casper Scheel, Rev. Theobald Heischman; Rev. William F. Colliflower, Rev. C. H. Coon; Rev. Leighton G. Kremer, who came Oct. 1, 1878. Rev. George A. Snyder, Rev. Kremer and was succeeded by the present pastor, Rev. C. Clever, D. D.
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