USA > Maryland > Frederick County > Graceham > The history of Graceham, Frederick County, Maryland > Part 3
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was present, and it was arranged to have English preaching on Carroll's Manor once in four or six weeks .*
July 4 (Sunday). Bro. Boehler preached in Mr. Johnson's house on Carroll's Manor to an attentive audience of about two hundred persons.
July 18. The Congregation Council resolved that there should occasionally be English preaching here "for the sake of our English neighbors," and it was held once in four weeks, for some time.
September 7. The Married People's Festival was celebrated for the first time. So far as can be determined, there were then twenty-eight or thirty married people in the congregation. On December 31, 1765, there were forty-five, and December 31, 1766, forty-eight.
October 21. After a piece of ground had been cleared, the first cemetery was laid out. It was eighty-six feet square, being the oldest part of the present cemetery. The entrance was origi- nally on the south-west side, along which the Western Mary- land Railroad now passes. A path across the hollow (die Tiefe) in the rear of the church, with a bridge over the little stream running through it, led to the gate of the cemetery.
October 22. After the cemetery had been solemnly conse- crated by the pastor, the Rev. Francis Boehler, the first inter- ment in it took place, that of Catharine Barbara Schmidt, a daughter of Bro. and Sr. Caspar Schmidt, aged 18 years, 3 months and 2 days.
1763 .- April 3 (Easter Sunday). At sunrise the Easter Morn- ing Litany was prayed in the cemetery for the first time. In later years, before Graceham was built, this early service was generally held at 9 A.M., as nearly all the members lived too far away.
August 23. The brethren agreed to build a new spring-house. This was not the present spring-house, which was built in 1828 on the site of a previous one. Besides this one, near the church,
*Evangelists, (named on p. 15) sent out by the brethren at Bethlehem, had before this time sometimes visited and preached for the people on Carroll's Manor, when traveling through that part of Maryland. Bishops Hehl, Seidel, Spangenberg, Peter Boehler, Gregor and Etwein had also visited and preached there.
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another was built in 1784, two years after the first houses in Graceham had been built, at the spring in the "spring-lot," west of the Gemeinhaus, "for the use of the families."
1764 .- March 2-8. An official visit by Bishop Peter Boehler, who preached also on Carroll's Manor.
June 14-18. Bishop Hehl made an official visit and intro- duced the Rev. Otto Krogstrup as Bro. Francis Boehler's suc- cessor.
June 28. The lay brother, Samuel Herr, who had been Assist- ant Pastor for seven months, returned to Bethlehem, and on the 3Ist the Rev. Daniel Sydrich, who had arrived as his successor, preached his introductory sermon. Preaching on Carroll's Man- or was continued by Bro. Krogstrup and Bro. Sydrich once in four weeks. Bro. Jacob Lochman was elected Steward in place of Bro. Jacob Weller, who had asked to be relieved on account of his infirmities.
1765 .- February 14. The brethren agreed to repair the church-house and to put a new roof on it. This was sixteen years after it had been built. Bro. Lorenz Krieger was elected Steward, Bro. Lochman having departed this life.
June 12-17. An official visit by Bishop Hehl and the Rev. Frederick William von Marschall.
Fourteen persons came during this year from other congre- gations, viz., Bro. and Sr. Hartman Vertriess, with four chil- dren, from Schoeneck, Pa., and Bro. and Sr. George Siess, with six children, from Heidelberg, Pa. In the previous year Bro. and Sr. Ludwig Protzman, with seven children, had come from York, Pa. Owing to these and other accessions, the congrega- tion at the close of this year, only seven years after the organi- zation, numbered one hundred and fifty persons, including sixty- four children, and this was about the seating capacity of the first meeting-hall in the Gemeinhaus.
1766 .- April 24-28. Bishop David Nitschmann and Bishop Nathaniel Seidel made an official visit, the former as a member of the Directory of the Brethren's Unity, visiting all the congre- gations of our Church in this country.
July 8. The Rev. Joseph Powell and Sr. Powell came from Bethlehem to take charge of the work on Carroll's Manor, the friends there having applied for a resident pastor.
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October 7-13. During an official visit by Bishop and Mrs. Hehl, the eighth anniversary of the organization was held on the 8th. In the lovefeast, those who had been present at the organization, seven of the nine communicants-two having moved to York, Pa .- and the seven non-communicants, sat to- gether. "Now," says the Diary, "the meeting-hall is filled with the members and their children." On the 12th Bishop Hehl ar- ranged the twenty married couples and one married brother in four "classes," each to be held once in eight weeks, one every other week, between the two communion seasons. In the fall of this year the brethren made new fences around the land (the ten acres) and covered the two gable ends and the north side of the church-house with clapboards.
1767 .- October 6-10. An official visit by Bishop and Mrs. Na- thaniel Seidel. Bishop Seidel held the services of the ninth con- gregation festival.
December 13. The Rev. Nicholas Henry Eberhardt suc- ceeded the Rev. Otto Krogstrup as pastor. A lovefeast was held for the whole congregation, to bid farewell to Bro. Krog- strup and to welcome Bro. Eberhardt. There was English preaching once in eight weeks by Bro. Powell, when he came to the Holy Communion, which was not held on Carroll's Manor, as there was no organized congregation there. Bro. and Sr. Frederick Leinbach, with nine children, came from Oley, Pa. Bro. Leinbach was the father of Christian Leinbach, who built the first house of Graceham, fifteen years later, in 1782.
1768 .- June 29-July 4. An official visit by Bishop Hehl and the Rev. Daniel Sydrich.
August 23. Bro. and Sr. Ludwig Protzman's daughter, Anna Maria, left for Lititz, to enter the Sisters' House there, the first one from this congregation.
October 17-26. Bro. and Sr. Eberhardt attended the Provin- cial Synod at Lititz, with Bro. Peter Williar as delegate. Some of the members here visited Lititz at the same time, with great blessing.
1769 .- A year of special grace and blessing for old and young. Among the 'latter a worldly spirit had manifested itself during the past two years. English preaching, once in four weeks, was
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attended by many of the friends on Carroll's Manor, whose in- tercourse with our members here was mutually edifying. Many of the members visited a church-settlement, viz., Lititz, for the first time, with great pleasure and blessing. In later years they frequently did so, and there was an intimate connection between this congregation and Lititz. Bishop Hehl's visits, June 9-14, and October 5-10, were occasions of great blessing. The birth- day lovefeasts, which some of the members gave, helped to pro- mote brotherly love. A small cellar was made at the north-east gable end of the church-house, with a roof over it, and a little roof was put up over the "front" door of the house, with seats under it. At that time the door on the south side of the house was called the front door. Bro. Jacob Weller was elected Treas- urer of the contributions to the Unity's expenses.
1770 .- April 18. The pastor, Rev. Nicholas Henry Eber- hardt, departed this life, after a brief illness, three days before Easter. Bro. Powell had been notified, and held the services of the Passion Week, and on Friday, the 20th, the funeral service, the attendance at which was so large that it was held out-doors, in front of the church-house. Bro. Heppner, a lay brother, came from Hebron, Pa., to supply the vacancy temporarily, and Bro. Powell returned to the Manor, but continued to discharge the functions of an ordained minister here until November 5, when Bishop Hehl introduced the Rev. Samuel Utley to the congre- gation as their minister. English preaching once in four weeks continued.
1771 .- Early in January, Bro. Utley was taken ill, and on Sun- day, March 10, after a pastorate of only four months, during two of which he was unable to officiate, departed this life. On Tuesday, the 12th, the funeral, at which there was a large attend- ance, was held by Bro. Heppner.
June 5. Bishop Hehl and the Rev. and Mrs. Joseph Neisser and Bro. Martens, a missionary, arrived in Bro. Ludwig Protz- man's wagon, which had been sent to Lititz for them, and on Sunday, the 9th, Bishop Hehl introduced Bro. Neisser to the congregation as their minister. Bro. Heppner remained as his co-laborer for several years, and was a very capable, active and faithful assistant.
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June 30. The Congregation Council discussed the erection of a separate building for a meeting-hall or church, which was con- sidered absolutely necessary. It had been resolved upon already during Bro. Eberhardt's pastorate.
December 31. Several brethren met as a committee to pre- pare a plan to be laid before the Congregation Council.
1772 .- Bro. Adam Kamp, with his wife and son, came from Frederick Town, to live here, on the piece of land which he had bought in 1771 from Henry Pitesell, adjoining "Dulany's Gift," and on which he had built a house and stable. This piece of land, about two acres, included the field on the east of the pres- ent first lot on the south side of the main street of the village at its eastern end-the lot on which the first house of Graceham was built in 1782 by Christian Leinbach-and was later, in 1788, with the exception of half an acre, (re-sold to Henry Pitesell by John Kamp in 1784,) donated to the congregation in a Deed of Gift, by Conrad Schau, who had bought it from John Kamp in 1785, his father, Adam Kamp, having died the previous year.
A NEW CHURCH.
January 19. A plan for the new church was adopted by the Congregation Council, and an agreement was made with a car- penter. Very deep snow prevented the felling of timber until March 3. On the 7th and following days, logs were taken to the saw-mill and squared, and were brought here on sleds.
June 22. Bishop Hehl arrived and consulted with the breth- ren about the plan of building an addition to the Gemeinhaus for a new meeting-hall. The following plan was adopted: "The addition will be built at the north-eastern gable end of the Ge- meinhaus, and will be 32 feet wide and 36 feet long. The floor is to be right above the cellar,* and therefore the height of the hall will be 12 feet. Both doors of the new church will be right at the long sides of the Gemeinhaus, for which the excess in width which the new building will have over that of the old house will serve and be sufficient." A subscription amounting to £45, 12 s/ ($120-$140) was at once made, and all the breth- ren were willing to work, as usual, without pay.
*Probably meaning the cellar made 1769. Q. v.
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August 4. The site for the new building was staked off, the foundation was dug, the little roofed cellar that was built only . three years before was torn down, stones, lumber, etc., were hauled, and on September 25 the building was raised. "All our brethren," says the Diary, "and our young men and some of the neighbors came to help, so that besides the master-carpenter there were about thirty-four persons present, and by four o'clock in the afternoon everything was nicely finished without any acci- dent."
When this building was taken down, in 1822, to give place to the present church-edifice, it was found that the four outer walls had been built simply of planks four inches thick, but some of them had decayed so much, especially on the north side, that it was a wonder the building had stood for almost fifty years. Al- ready in 1787 the planks had given way so much that they had to be secured to the sills with iron bolts or clamps. The in- terior was finished in lath and plaster, but was not completed be- fore October 7 of the next year, 1773, when the Diary says :
1773 .- "The carpenter put in the window-sashes, and the meeting-hall was cleaned, and is now ready for the dedication when Bro. Nathaniel (Bishop Seidel) comes." It would appear, however, that the benches had not yet been made, as we read in the Diary for October 31, "The Congregation Council re- solved to put up a projecting roof (appentice) over each door of the new church and of the old house; also, that each family should furnish boards for two benches, so that the carpenter can make them at once, and about forty boards were immediately brought to- gether." On March 31 of the next year, 1774 (Maundy Thurs- day), we read: "We assembled in our new meeting-hall, which is now completely furnished with benches."
October 16 (1773) (Saturday). Bishop Seidel having arrived (on the 14th), the meeting-hall, or church, was dedicated, the Bishop holding all the services on that day, and some on the fol- lowing day (Sunday). In the lovefeast on Saturday, which was held in celebration not only of the present festal occasion, but also of the congregation festival, postponed from October 8, and of the harvest thanksgiving festival, Bishop Seidel read some verses which Bishop Hehl had composed, in the German lan- guage, for the dedication, and also those which the learned and
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gifted Bishop had written for the laying of the corner-stone, or beginning of the building. Copies of both these poems are pre- served in the first Church Register of the Graceham congrega- tion, and in the library of the Moravian Historical Society.
Thus a second important step had been taken in the forward movement of the Congregation in Manocacy, which was show- ing a very earnest and devoted spirit, all being ready to do all that they could for the promotion and advancement of the sacred enterprise in which they had a common interest, and for which they gladly labored together in brotherly love and harmony.
The following eleven brethren officiated as resident ministers in the new church dedicated by Bishop Seidel, October 16, 1773:
Joseph Neisser, October, 1773-May, 1775; John Schweishaupt, May, 1775-October, 1784; Daniel Sydrich, October, 1784-May, 1790. (Bro. Sydrich, after being in poor health for some time, died at Lititz, Pa., while attending a Ministers' Conference.) Gottlob Senseman, June-September, 1790; John Frederick Peter, September, 1790-April, 1791; John Martin Beck, April, 1791-October, 1796; Christian Frederick Schaaf, October, 1796- October, 1798; John Frederick Schlegel, October, 1798-May, 1805. (The Rev. Nathaniel Brown, a missionary on the island of Jamaica, W. I., who had come to this country after the death of his wife, assisted Bro. Schlegel, who was in poor health, from October, 1800-May, 1801. Bro. Schlegel departed this life while here, May 30, 1805.) Carl Gottlieb Bleck, October, 1805-May, 1819; John P. Kluge, May, 1819-May, 1822. During Bro. Kluge's pastorate the present church was built, in which he also officiated as pastor until 1827.
THE WORK ON CARROLL'S MANOR .*
1774 .- January 17. Bro. Heppner returned from Carroll's Manor, where he had been staying since December 4, 1773. He had been directed to divide his time between the Congregation in Manocacy and the friends on Carroll's Manor, the Rev. Jo- seph Powell having retired after a service there of six years, 1766-1772.
*See Appendix, p. 185, for a fuller account.
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After having been served by the ministers of the Congrega- tion in Manocacy for four years, 1762-1766, those who attended the services held on Carroll's Manor applied to the Conference at Bethlehem for a resident minister, and Bro. Powell was sent in compliance with their request. In 1768, Charles Carroll, of Carrollton, donated ten acres of his land on the Manor for a meeting-house for their use, and also gave forty shillings to- wards the building of the house. The ten acres were surveyed and plotted, fifty-six logs were felled and squared, and the house was built by the people there, in September and October, 1768, and Bro. Powell, after living and preaching in private houses for two years, moved into the new meeting-house on December 3, and held services there until, on account of his own and his wife's poor health, he retired in 1772.
For several years thereafter occasional services were held by the ministers of the Congregation in Manocacy, and forty-one children, whose names are on record, were baptized by them and by Bro. Powell. Finally, the most of those who had attended our services moved to North Carolina, some of them, at least, like the Chitty's, Padgetts', Peddigoarts (Peddicord's), Horatio Hamilton and Henry Moss, to the Moravian congregations in Wachovia. At last only two families were left, Schau's and Waeschke's, for whom services were sometimes held. The meet- ing-house was occupied by different families, as care-takers, for some time, but what disposition was finally made of it, and of the ten acres donated by Charles Carroll, on a lease of twenty- one years, "for the consideration of a rose per year," the records at Graceham do not show. In the Diary for Tuesday, April 9, 1782, Bro. Schweishaupt writes: "I rode with Bro. Etwein to Carroll's Manor, where he spoke with the neighbors to our meeting-house, and showed them the document that guarantees our right to it, as they lay claim to it in an unfriendly way." The meeting-house must have been standing as late as 1812, in which year "the corner-stone of a new church for the Reformed and Lutheran congregations was laid near the old meeting-house," we read in Scharf's History of Western Maryland.
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THE WAR OF THE REVOLUTION.
1775 .- In 1775 the troublous times of the War of the Revolu- tion began. On January 8, after the usual Sunday services, sev- eral brethren met as a committee, to discuss the matter of mili- tary drill, to which some of the members had been summoned.
It was against the principles of our brethren in those days to bear arms, although they were always willing to bear their full share of the financial burden of the country. Some of the mem- bers of this congregation did go, nevertheless, with the militia, when they were called out, but all returned to their homes in safety. The regular services of the church could be kept up without interruption, and the congregation observed all the days of fasting and prayer, of which quite a number were ap- pointed by the State and by Congress. All were glad and thank- ful when the war was ended and peace was declared in 1783.
A few items from the Diary may be here added to the above.
"Sunday, January 8. After the services several brethren met as a committee to consider the matter of military drill, in order to ascertain in how far our 'Act of Parliament' exempts us. Bro. Heppner read the Act, so that our brethren may know, in case of necessity, in how far it protects them, for this is a serious and critical time.
"January 21. With regard to the military drill it was thought it might be well for a couple of brethren to go to the Governor, as the highest official in the Province, to make him acquainted with the Act of Parliament. But as a committee is to sit this week in Frederick Town, to regulate and settle this matter, and all freeholders are to attend, it was resolved to let two brethren go and learn what was decided, that we may be certain how things stand, as the reports of such affairs vary so much. May the dear Saviour himself instruct and guide us, and keep us near to him.
"February 12. The brethren consulted together concerning the intention of a committee to meet with them in the Gemein- haus on the 15th instant, and ascertain their views as to a collec- tion for a fund to provide arms and ammunition for the county, an affair that requires caution on our part. The brethren re- solved to meet with the committee in Bro. Jacob Weller's house.
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"July 20. We kept the day of fasting and prayer appointed by Congress. Before the preaching we prayed the church litany, including especially the sad condition of our country. At the close of the general meeting we united in prayer for the forgive- ness of our sins, and besought the Lord to turn from us the further effusion of blood.
"August 13. Bro. Henry Van Vleck, of Bethlehem, who had been in Virginia on business, and on his return wished to visit us, lost his way, and his chaise was upset on the bad road, and his face and one leg were injured. The accident might have cost him his life, which the Saviour graciously prevented. He arrived while all our members were still here, and his injuries were at once attended to.
"August 16. As Bro. Van Vleck has pretty well recovered, he pursued his journey to Bethlehem, and our messenger, Jos. Leinbach, accompanied him.
"August 17. This week Bro. Williar's boy, in the mountains, killed eighteen large rattlesnakes in one heap, skinned nine of them and took the fat.
"November 25. Bro. David Tanneberger, who had set up an organ in Frederick Town, arrived with his son, on their way to Lititz, and the next day proceeded on their homeward jour- ney.
"1776 .- May 17. We observed the day of fasting and prayer appointed by Congress, and besought the Lord to forgive our sins and preserve us from war and bloodshed.
"August 25. The letter of the Elders' Conference in Bethle- hem, referring to the conduct of our brethren under the change of government in this country, was read to the communicant brethren.
"1777 .- January 5. At the close of the Liturgy an earnest ad- monition was given to our brethren who are to march with the militia tomorrow.
"February 3. We observed the day of fasting and prayer ap- pointed for Maryland.
"August 24. The sad news has been received that the militia must turn out again, as British ships have been seen off the coast of Maryland, and the Indians are said to be killing people in the neighborhood of Pittsburg.
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"September 3. Some of our brethren had to go with the mi- litia today.
"December 18. A day of prayer appointed by Congress.
"1778 .- Letters from Bro. Matthew (Hehl) inform us that the Brethren's House in Lititz is a hospital for American soldiers ; that some thirty have already died, and that the sickness is spreading in the congregation.
"January 30. Last evening two wagons arrived from Caro- lina, in charge of Christian Conrad and Frederick Binkele, tak- ing goods to Pennsylvania.
"April 22. A day of prayer appointed by the government.
"December 30. We observed the day of thanksgiving and prayer appointed by Congress.
"1779 .- May 6. A general day of prayer.
"May 9. Early today Henry Schneider and Hartman came with the Wachovia wagon, and in the evening continued on their way to Wachovia.
"September 3. The brethren, Fred. Mueller and Henry Schneider, who were passing with their wagon from Carolina, called on us.
"October 9. Towards evening Henry Schneider came from Lititz, to get provisions for the journey of Bro. Reichel and Bro. Marshall to Wachovia.
"October 12. We were busy with the curing of the meat bought by Henry Schneider for the brethren going to Wachovia.
"October 14. Henry Schneider went to meet the wagon, and on the 16th Lawrence Krieger, Jr., also went with two horses. I rode to the other side of the Manocacy, where Bro. Marshall's arrived quite late, but not Bro. Reichel's this time.
"October 18. The travelers set out on their journey to Wa- chovia, after the wagons had been loaded with the provisions bought here, viz., meat, butter, biscuits and oats."
1780 .- In September, 1780 (therefore during the war), Conrad Westhoeffer brought all the Manocacy single sisters who were living in the Sisters' House at Lititz, to visit their parents. It was considered a great privilege to be allowed to live in the Lit- itz Sisters' House, and quite a number of the single sisters of this congregation spent some years there from time to time.
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During the War of the Revolution the congregation was visited, officially and otherwise, by a number of brethren and sis- ters. In October, 1780, Bishop John Frederick Reichel, a mem- ber of the Unity's Elders' Conference in Germany, who had come to America to assume the direction of affairs in the Church during the unusual exigencies of the times, visited the congrega- tion on his return from our congregations in Wachovia, N. C. The company was quite a large one, consisting of fifteen per- sons, with fifteen horses, and a wagon conveying their baggage and a tent, as it was sometimes necessary to camp out on such a long journey. On their way to Wachovia they had been rob- bed of a trunk containing important papers and other articles, near the Potomac River. Some of its contents were found by a woman, three miles beyond the Potomac, and were forwarded to Bishop Reichel by a friend.
LAND BOUGHT.
At a meeting of the Congregation Council on December 17, 1780, the desire to purchase some land adjoining Dulany's Gift was again expressed, and Benjamin Ogle, a neighbor and good friend, who had attended the services on that day, was consulted on the subject. Upon his suggestion it was decided that John Weller should, on the next day, inquire of Mr. Joseph Butler, who owned the land adjoining Dulany's Gift on the west, whether he would sell some of it to the congregation. Mr. and Mrs. Butler agreed to do so. Mrs. Butler was a daughter of Mrs. Sarah Ogle, probably the widow of Major Joseph Ogle- who had held the tract of 685 acres surrounding Dulany's Gift- and Mrs. Butler had inherited the land from her mother, as the Agreement which she and her husband signed states that "they are heirs of Sarah Ogle, deceased, the right being in her." Mrs. Sarah Ogle was one of the friends who contributed for the build- ing of the Gemeinhaus in 1749.
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