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 85
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BEAVER CHEEK CHURCH.
In 1858, a wonderful wave of religious re- vival occurred in the Manor congregation, in- creasing their inembership to such an extent that there was a call for a new organization. This resulted in a meeting at what was then known as Fahrney's Church ; and a new congregation, known as Beaver Creek, was formed, the dividing line being the National Pike to the Court-house, then north to the Pennsylvania State line; all east of
that line, to the South Mountain, was the Beaver Creek congregation; that on the west side, the Manor congregation.
Fahrney's Church, now known as Mount Zion, was built as early as 1763, by the Mennon- ites, and was rebuilt as a Union house in 1888. What is known as the Beaver Creek House was built in 1846. Elder Daniel Reichard was given charge of the congregation, after which Elder Koontz was given the oversight; following him, Elder Joseph Wolf; then Elder Andrew Cost; the next in charge was Elder Daniel Stouffer, after whose death the oversight was given to Elder S. B. Shoop. The present oversight is in the hands of Elder A. B. Barnhart. The ministers of the congregation are : Caleb Long ; J. O. Buterbaugh ; Cavin S. Byers ; and David R. Petre.
LONG MEADOWS OR ROWLAND'S GER- MAN BAPTIST CHURCH is an integral part of the Beaver Creek congregation. A frame build- ing was erected in 1853 at his own expense, by Jonas Rowland. He was partly reimbursed by the congregation. The building was 40x53 feet and occupied the site of the present structure, which was erected in 1881, and which is 40x70 feet. The building committee of the last ehureh were George W. Petre, Andrew J. Boward and Daniel N. Scheller. In 1896 a frame house was built for the use of the sexton. In 1853 the members were George Petre, Jonas Rowland and wife, David Rowland, Daniel Rowland, George W. Petre, Amy Petre, Margaret Petre, Henry Shank and wife, Mrs. Crumb, Jacob Wolf and wife, Mrs. Philip Warfield, David Anthony and wife, George Poe, Samuel Trovinger, Andrew Boward and wife. The first ministers were Joseph Wolf, Henry Koons, Jacob Hilbarger, Joseph Emmert, Leonard Emmert, Andrew Cost, Daniel F. Stouffer, Barton Shoup, Frederick D. Anthony, Abram Rowland, John Rowland, later, Elders Shoup, Abram Rowland and Jolin Rowland. The Bishops in 1853 were Henry Koons, Andrew Cost and Dan- iel F. Stouffer. Henry Shank, who died in 1785, bequeathed $500 to this congregation. A Sunday- School at Rowland's was organized in 1893, of which Elder John Rowland was Supt. in 1893- 1894, and the superintendent in 1896 and 1897 was John Rowe.
CHEWSVILLE BRETHREN CHURCH .- This edifice was ereeted in 1900, eosting about
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$1000. It is located in the village of Chewsville. This amount was secured by subscription. The building is of brick, twenty-two by thirty feet, with slate root, and a seating capacity of over three hundred. Services are held every two weeks, alternating in the morning and evening. The congregation numbers about twenty-five members. The Rev. J. O. Butterbaugh and the Rev. Calvin Byers, assisted by the Rev. Caleb Long, are the ministers in charge. The Rev. A. B. Barnhart is presiding elder in the district covering the Fahr- ney, Beaver Creek, Chewsville and Long Meadow congregations.
BROAD FORDING GERMAN BAPTIST CHURCII .- The Broad Fording German Baptist Church was organized in 1855, during which year the present susbtantial brick house of worship was erected. The edifice is about 73x40 feet in di- mensions. The Building Committee was compos- ed of Christian Kieffer, bishop, and Jacob Funk and Joshua Emmert, trustees. The structure cost the congregagtion about $3,000. Nicholas Mar- tin hauled most of the brick used in its erection from the brick yard of Michael Horst, near Mau- gansville, and all of the lumber from Williams- port.
The congregation is in two divisions, the Broad Fording end and the Welsh Run end, each comprising a membership of about two hundred. In the Broad Fording Church, the Sunday-school holds its session during the morning, and early in the evening, the Christian Workers meet for their mutual benefit. Every two weeks, a service with preaching is held on Sunday morning.
Rev. Nicholas Martin, grandfather of the present minister of the same name, was a bishop in thesc congregations. He was succeeded by John Funk. Other bishops and ministers of this connection are: Christian Kieffer; George Mc- Lanahan, Nicholas Martin, George Bricker; George Harmon; Samuel Foltz; F. J. Neibert; Harvey Martin ; C. M. Hicks.
The Cemetery of the Broad Fording German Baptist Church is one of the finest and best kept in Washington County. It is situated on a mag- nificent elevation, overlooking the country for miles around. There are two and one-half acres within the enclosing fence, besides two acres ad- joining. Emanuel Niswonger, an enterprising citizen of Franklin County, Pa., has deeded seven-
teen acres adjoining this property, to become the absolute property of the congregation at his death, to be used solely for cemetery purposes. There is a Board of seven trustees, with F. J. Neibert as president, which form all rules governing the cem- etery. Mr. Neibert is also its superintendent and sexton, and to him is due much praise for the maintenance and beauty of this last resting-place of the beloved dead. The other members of the Board of Trustees are: George Shinham ; William Mycre ; C. M. Hicks ; Martin Baer; George Miller ; and D. Hollinger.
The first person who was buried in this beau- tiful city of the dead was Molinda Funk, a sister of J. J. Funk, president of the Second National Bank of Hagerstown. She died from diphtheria, December 11, 1856, aged 18 years, 9 months and 14 days. There are at this writing about eight hundred graves to be cared for.
WELSH RUN GERMAN BAPTIST BRETHREN CHURCH .- Not much of the early history of the Welsh Run edifice can be se- cured. The building was ercted in 1842. It is a one-story stone structure, substantial and strongly built with a basement in the one end. It is located about one-half mile south of the little village of Welsh Run, Pa. Adjoining the grounds is a beau- tiful cemetery. Elder David Zuck has the over- sight of the congregation with the following as- sistants : Elders John Rowland, L. E. Elliott and others.
THE CREEK HILL GERMAN BAPTIST ('HURCH is located in the northern part of Cear- foss District. It is a mission church and there is not a large congregation, because of the close proximity of the Broadfording Church.
THE GERMAN BAPTIST BRETHREN CHURCH, OF HAGERSTOWN, MD .- The be- ginning of this congregation may be dated from the time, April, 1883, when Elder Hiram Wolf, who died at Mount Morris, Ill., Oct. 8, 1897, and W. S. Reichard, the Elder now in charge of the Church, moved into Hagerstown and commenced holding services in the old Junior Hall, North Potomac street, with ten or twelve members wlio attended these services. Hagerstown was consid- cred a mission point and belonged to the three
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HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
congregations which centered in this city, namely, Manor, Welsh Run and Beaver Creek.
In the spring of 1884, Joseph M. Bayer, who then owned what is now the M. L. Main building, East Franklin street, tendered the Breth- ren the use of one of the large rooms free of cost. Seating it with chairs, they continued their ser- vice in a much more comfortable and pleasant room. Here the Sunday-school was organized, with Elder W. S. Reichard as superintendent, and here was conceived the earnest desire for a church house of their own, and Mrs. Sue E. Martin and Mrs. Hiram Wolf were appointed to see what could be secured for that purpose. In a short time they had $1,000, and a meeting was called, asking a representation from the three above-named congre- gations. The result of this meeting, of which the late Elder D. S. Stouffer was chairman and which was held April 28, 1884, in the Bayer rooms, was the selecting of a committee of six to act as a Board of Trustees, and also to choose a location, and build a small mission chapel. The commit- tee was as follows: From the Manor congregation, Elders W. S. Reichard and Hiram D. Wolf; Beaver Creek congregation, George Petre, Daniel Sheller; Welsh Run congregation, Levi Bear, George A. Miller. George Petre was elected pres- ident of the board, and W. S. Reichard, secretary and treasurer. The site selcted for the new church on East Washington street, and was bought from J. D. Swartz. The contract for building the house was given to J. B. Snyder. The house was furnished and dedicated in December, 1884. The late Elder James Quinter, Huntingdon, Pa., preached the dedicatory sermon.
In October, 1885, Elder Hiram Wolf, with his family, left for Nevada, Kansas, after which the labor of the ministry fell upon Elder W. S. Reichard. In April, 1888, Elder A. B. Barnhart moved to Hagerstown and assisted in the work of the ministry. In April, 1894, a petition was con- sidered to organize the Hagerstown mission into a regular congregation, with the privilege of repre- sentation at the district meetings and the general annual Conference, which was granted; it is known in the Middle church district of Maryland as the Hagerstown Church, of which Elder W. S. Reichard was selected as the elder in charge. The deacons elected were D. A. Thomas, D. E. Wolf and Samul Frounfelter. The congregation grew
rapidly under its new organization, and the mis- sion chapel was soon too small; besides, it was not well arranged for the holding of the semi-an- nual love feasts; it was therefore concluded to build a new and larger church edifice. Accord- ingly, a lot was purchased for $2,200, from the Ilall heirs, at the corner of Washington and Mul- berry streets, extending 120 fcet on each street; here the present substantial, convenient and com- fortable structure was erected. The plans were drawn by Mr. George B. McC. Wolf.
The building fronts on Washington street forty-five feet, on Mulberry street eighty feet, runs back in an L sixty by thirty feet, and is divided by hoisting doors into several parts. The main auditorium is forty-five by fifty feet, the Sunday-School room, forty-five by thirty feet, the infant class room, fifteen by thirty feet, and the cloak room and library, thirteen by twelve feet. The building is of brick, roofed with slate, and having a metal cornice, and Indiana lime stone window and door sills. The foundation is native limestone.
This congregation has grown rapidly under the oversight of Elder Reichard, now having a membership of 250 members, and a large and pros- perous Sunday-School, with Mr. Frank Thomas as its superintendent, and a corps of devoted assist- ants and teachers. Mrs. Mary Baldwin has charge of the Infant Department. The young members are organized into a Christian Workers' Associ- ation, holding their service every Lord's Day in the evening, previous to the regular preaching service. They have also organized a missionary society which is largely literary and social in its character; its object is to create missionary senti- ment, both home and foreign.
The Children's Mission Band is a work of the young ladies of the congregation, who gather the children, quite small ones, into the infant class room, teaching them to sew, reading to them and having them to sing, etc. At this writing, May, 1906, Elder Reichard has assisting him, El- ders A. B. Barnhart and Dr. O. S. Highberger.
THE BROWNSVILLE GERMAN BAP- TIST BRETHREN CONGREGATION .*- The Brownsville congregation is a child of the Gross-
*Contributed by Elder Eli Yourtee.
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OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, MARYLAND.
niekel congregation, of Frederick County. Elder Jacob Leatherman, who formerly had charge of that mission, used to walk sixteen miles to meet an appointment at 10 a. m., at Brownsville, and walk baek in the afternoon -- thus walking thirty-two miles to preach one sermon. This congregation remained a part of the Grossniekel charge until about 1840, when it was made a separate organi- zation, the oversight of which was given to Elder George Baer.
This church was a mission point from the old Grossnickel Church in Frederick County, for several years. For twenty or more years, meetings were held in the school house near Brownsville, and ministers came from the Gross- niekel church about every four weeks. Among those God-fcaring men were Elder Jacob Leather- man, Elder George Baer, Elder Henry Koontz, Elder Daniel Brown, who was the first minister' elected to the Brownsville church. The second minister was Emanuel Slifer; the third, Cornelius Castle ; and the fourth, Elder Eli Yourtee, wlio began his pastorate in 1872, having been elected a minister in Kansas City in 1871, and preached there for two years, with eminent success.
The church edifice was built in 1852. Among the active and liberal contributors were Emanuel Slifer, once a bishop, George W. Yourtee, a prime mover in the undertaking, Abraham Brown, Elder Daniel Brown, and Tobias Brown, and Abraham Yourtee, who donated the ground for church and cemetery purposes. The building is 66x34 feet, ' constructed of stone, one story and a half in height, with a seating capacity of four hundred. The upper half-story is used as a sleeping room for brethren in times of love-feasts, and is furnish- ed with beds for that purpose.
Elder Eli Yourtee is Bishop. His first assist- ant is David Aushernan. Philip Castle and John Bowlus ministers. The regular deacons of the congregation are Patrick Jennings, George B. Jennings, Samuel Jennings, Edward Mullendore, Daniel M. Mullendore, George Kaetzel, Jonas Flook, Charles Smith, George Arnold, George Fouch, and Charles Myers.
Sunday-School is held during the whole year. The superintendent is George Fouch. The mein- bership of the Sunday-school is about two hun- dred. The teachers are: George Kaetzel; Joseph Potter ; Patrick Jennings ; Morse Younkins; Sam-
uel Jennings; Annie M. Jennings, wife of Pat- rick; Angeline Slifer ; Laura E. Jennings ; Edith Yourtee ; and Annie Jennings, wife of Samue !. Each teacher has an assistant.
The Christian Workers' meeting is held every Sunday evening, at 6:30 o'clock. It is largely attended, and much enthusiasm is manifested. Public worship, with preaching, is held every Sun- day, at 10:30 A. M. and 7:30 P. M., alternately. Love-feasts are held in this church twice a year and during each year a protracted meeting, which continues for two or three weeks. The member- ship of the congregation is about three hundred.
THE BRETHREN CHURCH OF WASH- INGTON COUNTY .-* The Dunker fraternity had been established in America more than a hundred and fifty years. Coming, as the first ad- herents did, to Germantown, Pa., in 1708, there had been ample time and opportunity for exten- sive growth and development. Both as compared with other seets had been slow. The members and the meeting houses were generally rural and more effort was expended in discipline and preserving the "order" than in spreading its peculiar doc- trines or winning adherents. The ministry, though men of probity and piety were not edu- eated and shunned, as a rule, contact with eduea- ted men, especially ministers of other denonina- tions. Of course there were notable exceptions, but this was, broadly speaking, the rule. There were few Sunday-schools and no Sunday-school literaturc. There was but one paper published and that only a monthly. Extreme conservatism, rigid conformity to thic established usages, and dislike of all adverse discussion of church doc- trine or discipline characterized the leaders.
On January 3, 1865, appeared the first issue of the "Christian Family Companion," published weekly by Henry R. Holsinger, at Tyrone, Pa. This marked an era in the history of the Church. Elder Holsinger was decided in his views and fearless in their expression. He boldly attacked established usages which had no foundation ex- eept that they were usages. Scriptural precept and precedent would alone satisfy him, and he soon became the storm center of a progressive movement which favored an educated and sup-
*Contributed by Dr. V. M. Reichard.
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HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
ported ministry, Sunday-schools, and literature ap- propriate to the various needs of church work, missions, a more earnest spirit for developing and widening the resources of the church, and a far less rigid adherence to "the order." Of course this brought him at once into sharp and unremit- ting contact with the less progressive and no less aggressive spirits of the church, and for fifteen years an agitation was carried on which culminat- ed in his expulsion from the church on a techni- cality of church government. It is only fair and just to the memory of one gone to his reward, to say that at no time was any charge ever made against his personal character or morals. His congregations at Berlin and Myersdale, Pa., voted to stand by him and by the decision of the com- mittee which disfellowshipped him ; they also were outside the pale of the church. This was in August, 1881. The matter came up for consider- ation at the next annual meeting held at Arnold's (frove, near Milford, Ind., May 30 to June 2, 1882. This meeting ratified the action of the Berlin committee. A number of men, thinking Elder Holsinger badly used, held a meeting in an adjacent school house known as School No. 7. These men passed resolutions sympathizing with Holsinger and made unsuccessful attempts at com- promise and reconciliation. Failing at every point they felt that a crisis had been reached. They effected a temporary organization and arranged for a meeting to be held at Ashland, Ohio, June 29, 1882. Here a formal protest and declaration of principles was issued. They claimed to be only reformers and desired not separation but return to Gospel practice and polity. Their motto was "The Bible, the whole Bible and nothing but the Bible." This convention adjourned to await devel- opments. No redress having been obtained a sec- ond convention was held at Dayton, Ohio, June 6, 1883, when a permanent organization was effect- ed and the simple name of "Brethren" adopted.
To the Ashland convention in 1882 canie the elder Andrew Cost of the Beaver Creek and Ed- ward S. Miller, of the Manor congregation both of Washington County.
Returning homeward, Rev. Miller stopped at Myersdale and preached for the schismatics, the so-called "Progressives" though he was not at this time identified except perhaps in sympathy, with the movement.| On his return to the Manor con- gregation he was called to account for his conduct in preaching for disfellowshiped members, and
was himself suspended till such time as he should confess his wrong-doing and promise better con- duct in future. While under this "ban" he at- tended, on a certain Sunday, the services of his church at Funkstown which was under the direc- tion of Elder Andrew Cost. Rev. Miller had al- ways been treated as a preacher by those who wor- shipped at Funkstown and on this particular Sun- day they, after consultation on the part of Bishop Cost and his seven deacons, determined to treat him as they had always done and extend to him the usual courtesies tendered to a visiting minis- ter. They asked him to preach. He, however, was so affected by conflicting emotions that he could not do so for weeping but offered prayer.
For this technical act of recognizing officially a minister who was under suspension they were called into account by the Beaver Creek council and on Saturday, Oct. 14, 1882, a congregational meeting was held and the men who had recognized Rev. Miller as a minister, were accused of having done wrong and were warned not to do so again. On the strength of this Bishop Andrew Cost, and deacons, Samuel Emmert, David Schindel, Henry Newcomer, Benjamin Fahrncy, Benjamin Em- mert, Henry Emmert, Joseph Emmert, and John Einmert withdrew from the congregation and on the next Saturday, Oct. 22, 1882, held their first mecting in Funkstown.
They had not been expelled. They withdrew of their own volition.
These Brethren at once arranged for regu- lar preaching appointments at Funkstown. Maple- ville and Mt. Lena (Smoketown). These were kept up for years. Mt. Lena was first dropped; then as most of the membership at Funkstown had moved to Hagerstown, a church was built at this place and Funkstown was abandoned in 1895. Services at Mapleville have been held regularly up to this writing.
Knowing the possibilities of trouble under the old mixture of Presbyterian and Episcopal polity which had led to such disaster in the Dun- ker brotherhood. the Brethren church in Maryland at once accepted the suggestion of the Ashland convention and declared for congregational church government and determined that the "dress ques- tion" should be settled by the individual con- science. Thus unconsciously they reverted to the very foundation principle of the Protestant Refor- mation and reaffirmed Luther's dictum of the
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"righ to private interpretation of the Scriptures."
The new organization was served by Rev. E. S. Miller and Bishop Cost. Numbers were added both by baptism, and by relation from the German Baptist Church. The latter class as a rule came because of trouble over the matter of dress. In 1885 came Rev. John Duke McFaden as pastor. He was an active and energetic worker and began to branch out into other communities. There had been friction in the Manor congregation of the German Baptists and T. J. Fahrney, of Downs- ville, and his wife, withdrew and joined the new organization. Others came to them and a Sun- day School was organized in 1886 at Fountain Rock School house near St. James Station. The outlook was encouraging and efforts were at once made to build a church. This was done and the St. James Brethren Church was dedicated De- cember 25, 1886.There were at this time not more than ten members within a radius of five miles of the new church. The organization prospered from the start. Pastor McFaden left to assume charge of the Philadelphia Church and Rev. I. D. Bowman from Virgina, succeded him April 1, 1887. He was a born missionary and soon began to push out in various directions, notably, Wil- liamson, Pa.
The work at St. James was not neglected, however, and as the result of Rev. Bowman's re- vival work the number of members increased rap- idiy. On March 22, 1888, a complete organization of the congregation was effected by the selection and ordination of T. J. Fahrney, J. F. Mullen and Dr. V. M. Reichard as deacons. Pastor Bow- man was succeeded by Revs. E. B. Shaver, John G. Snider, Joshua Long, E. H. Smith and (now Dr.) John C. Mackey. The departments of church work had been active and aggressive, Sunday- School, prayer meeting, Sisters Society for Chris- tian Endeavor, and a class for Bible study had all done good work. During the last year of Rev. Smith's pastorate a strong sentiment had grown up among the Brethren in Washington County in favor of a church in Hagerstown. This crystalized into action during the first year of Rev. Mack- ey's pastorate and a church edifice was erected in Hagerstown in 1894 known officially as the "First Brethren Church of Hagerstown." The name means simply that it is a Brethren Church and is the first to have been built in Hagerstown.
With the building of the new church the field widened so as to demand its division. On April 1st, 1895, the Brethren of Hagerstown organ- ized a separate and distinct congregation.
There remained St. James, Mapleville and Williamson, Pa. Meanwhile the Missionary spir- it of certain laymen had opened up other points and services were being conducted at Tilghmanton, Downsville, and at Wooburn School-house, near Dam No. 4. Rev. Joshua Long assumed charge April 1st, 1895, and continued until December, 1901. During this time the congregation had flourished in every way. A debt which had been hanging over St. James Church for ten years was wiped out and a jubilee service was held December 25, 1896, substantial contributions had been made to the educational and publishing interests of the church and the congregation had become a recog- nized power for good in the community.
The mission work at Wooburn had prospered to such an extent as to require the building of a new house at that point. Rev. Long, T. J. Fahr- ney and Dr. V. M. Reichard constituted the build- ing committec. The church was dedicated June 4, 1900. The last of the indebtedness was paid March, 1903.
April 1st, 1902, Rev. Jos. I. IIall became pastor of the St. James congregation. At this time Mapleville withdrew and united with Ha- gerstown and the union still exists. Williamson, Pa., severed their connection with St. James in 1903, leaving St. James, Downsville, Wooburn and Tilghmanton constituting a circuit.
Rev. Hall was the first pastor to be supported exclusively by the congregation. "A parsonage was purchased and all the interests of the church were so cared for that nearly a hundred were added to its membership during his pastorate which term- inated February 1st, 1905. The congregation is now under the care of Rev. L. G. Smith, son of former pastor E. H. Smith. It numbers 275 This added to the other members of the Brethren Church in the County and holding membership in the County brings the membership up to 600. The fundamental tenets of the Brethren Church are those enunciated by Alexander Mack and his little band in 1708. They claim to have restored to its primitive condition the Dunker faith and practice.
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