USA > Maryland > Frederick County > Graceham > The history of Graceham, Frederick County, Maryland > Part 6
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August 14. "The cemetery was cleaned, grass and briers cut off and the mounds over the graves re-built, according to the usual method in our congregations. As there had been some irregularity in making the graves the rows were not quite straight, but care has been taken to prevent the re-opening of a grave, if the new ground-plan, prepared by Bro. Braun (Brown) and carefully revised by Bro. Schlegel, is observed. We pre- ferred to mark some graves 'Unknown,' as they could not be identified by the Church Register."
September 27. During an official visit by the Rev. John Herbst (in 18II consecrated a Bishop) it was resolved that, as it had been impossible to find a brother in the Lititz, Bethlehem, Hope and Nazareth congregations who could open a store here, either alone or in partnership with John Creager, to ask this brother to set up the business according to his ability, "but we advise him not to be extravagant, and still more earnestly that no liquor be drunk in the house or in the store, in small or large quantities." John Creager's father, Bro. Lawrence Creager (Lorenz Krieger), bought the Lembke dwelling-house and store from the executors of the Lembke estate, in July, 1803, for £500 (about $1800).
Bro. John Herbach, Jr., wished to build a house here. Con- gregation Council thought the lots should be made more regu- lar, and narrower, and vacant lots between houses should be built on first. Several brethren were appointed to attend to the measuring.
October 4. Bro. Schlegel preached in Paul Haak's (Hawk's) church, eight miles from Graceham.
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October 6. Bro. and Sr. Woodring moved into their new house. They had invited some of the members, who sang bene- dictory verses for them.
October 24. Bro. and Sr. Schlegel returned from a visit to York, Pa. With them came Bro. Frederick Schuman, who had recently arrived from Europe, to practice his profession as phy- sician and surgeon in Graceham and the vicinity. All received him kindly, and in the singing of a verse wished him the Savi- our's grace and blessing for his abode and work here. In him the congregation also acquired an organist.
December 31. In the closing service of the year the organ and French horns announced the new year.
1802 .- January 17. Some brethren who were willing to lay a pavement before their houses, on account of the terribly muddy street, were encouraged by Congregation Council to do so. As complaint had been made about so much shooting in and near the village, those who wished to shoot were requested to do it in the woods, as great harm might be done, and it was not the proper thing in a town.
THE TROMBONES ARRIVE.
September 19. The trombones which Bishop Loskiel brought from Europe, and Bro. Schlegel from Lititz, were shown to the Council and heard with pleasure. It was resolved to have a vol- untary subscription to pay for them, which was at once done, and that in accordance with the advice of brethren who under- stand the matter, only four brethren should, for the present, be appointed as trombonists. It was also resolved to pay Bro. Cu- now, in Bethlehem, £6 ($16-$18) on account for them, until the full amount was raised. (Probably not much more was required, unless there were more trombones than in the Lititz set, which had cost £7, 17 sh., 6d., or about $20, in 1775.)
November 14. According to a resolution of the Provincial Conference, the Congregation Council in our city and country congregations was to consist of the adult communicant members ; but as matters sometimes came up that concerned the whole con- gregation, at such times the non-communicant members might attend. This Council, therefore, immediately assembled, was opened with the singing of several verses and prayer, and the
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announcement of the business before it. It was remarked that Council always met in the name of Jesus and His congregation, and should pray for hearts filled with love and mutual confi- dence, and regard all transactions as confidential. As there had been irregularity in the contributions for lovefeasts, it was re- solved that each member should pay 6 d. for the Communion- lovefeast and Communion, payment to be made immediately after the lovefeast. For the general lovefeasts each person should pay 4 d., and an account book should be kept in the par- sonage.
A COMMITTEE IN PLACE OF THE STEWARDS.
A letter from Bro. Herbst informed the Council that, accord- ing to a Resolution of the Provincial Conference, the office of "Steward" in our city and country congregations was to cease, and in its place a Committee of two, three, four or six brethren, who should divide among themselves the duties of the stewards, should be chosen by the Congregation Council, and that for Graceham congregation four brethren would be sufficient. In voting for these brethren Council should see to it that they chose brethren of an exemplary walk and conversation, who had no debts, and who would prefer the profit of the congregation to their own, and would not discuss with others their work as a Committee. The minister, as chairman, should announce the matters for consultation. Family or other ties were not to be considered, and every brother should vote as the Spirit directed. All names of brethren selected were to be submitted to the Gen- eral Helpers' Conference for approbation. The Committee was to be elected for three years.
After a hymn had been sung the Council proceeded to an elec- tion, and the brethren Lawrence Creager, George Siess, Lewis Protzman1 and Andrew Williar were elected by a majority of votes as the first Committee so constituted.2 In its first meeting,
1As Lorenz Krieger, Sr., died in 1784, George Siess, Sr., in 1785, and Ludwig Protzman, Sr., in 1778, the brethren named above were their sons.
2A Committee had been formed in 1787, consisting of four brethren in addition to the stewards and the pastor, but was discontinued for some years and re-organized in 1794 by the election of two brethren in addition to the two stewards and the pastor, and held office until the election of the Committee named above.
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December 9, the Committee resolved to meet once in eight weeks, a week after each communion, in the evening, unless cir- cumstances required an earlier meeting. With reference to the duties of the Committee the pastor (Bro. Schlegel) remarked that the brethren were to care not only for temporal matters, such as the land, accounts, etc., but also for the welfare of the whole congregation, to see that the established regulations were observed, and that nothing harmful or disgraceful to the gospel of Jesus intruded itself; to take timely measures for the sup- pression of every apparent evil, by brotherly admonition or cor- rection, or to give notice of things that might tend to work harm ; as fathers of the congregation to prevent as far as possi- ble, all disagreement, or by kindly counsel reconcile those who were at variance ; to support the pastor by word and deed in case he needed or requested their co-operation; and with reference to all these points to acquire an exact and impartial knowledge of the congregation and of its members. Each member of the Committee must report on the affairs of which he has charge at every meeting of the Committee and make any remarks referring to the congregation, so that all may take part in the discussion. To all of these points, as well as to those in Bro. Herbst's letter, the brethren solemnly pledged their adherence, as in the pres- ence of the Lord.
The care of various external matters, such as the land, fuel for the church and parsonage, repairs, the lots in the village, rents, buildings, the pastor's salary, providing for lovefeasts and the communion, was then distributed among the four members of the Committee, each one having his special sphere of activity.
December II. The communicant members were informed that the four brethren elected as the Committee had been approved by the General Helpers' Conference at Bethlehem, and therefore assumed office. By the sale of the corn raised on the church land, about £40 ($120-$140) of the debt remaining on the new parsonage had been paid. The wheat had not yet been sold.
December 31. In the service at 10 P.M. a Psalm of praise and thanksgiving was sung by the choir and children. At 12 o'clock, in the closing service, the trombones announced the new year for the first time.
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1803 .- In January the school numbered sixty children and gave the pastor and his wife much work. On Easter Sunday, April 10, there were more than 1200 persons here. On the street no one could tell when the services began and the church was filled.
April 22-May 2. Bro. and Sr. Schlegel visited Georgetown and Washington, as Bro. Schlegel had been asked to preach at the former place for some German citizens. In Washington they had an interview with the President (Jefferson), who in- quired, among the rest, where we had missions among the In- dians.
May 26-30. Bishop George H. Loskiel and the Rev. John Herbst arrived on an official visit. As the Manocacy was too high for the stage to cross, Mr. Knauff brought them in his large farm-wagon. Our trombonists and the children welcomed them with singing at the gate, and led them into the house.
May 28. Jacob Christ (gunsmith) was permitted to live here and to carry on his trade in Bro. Harry's nail-smithy.
June 4. The young brethren, Jacob Wuensch (carpenter) and Christian Eigenbrod (shoemaker), were permitted to build houses in the town, and John Herbach (carpenter) a shop, all promising that they would observe the rules and regulations of the congregation and town.
August 2. Bro. Schlegel writes: "This morning I was in- formed by a brother that a company of Indians had encamped in the woods about three miles from here, and were just about to continue their journey. I immediately set out on the Emmits- burg road, and met them, fifteen in all, with their wives and chil- dren. As we found that there were two chiefs of the Tuscarora Indians and their interpreter, Mr. Green, with them, we invited them to dine and rest some hours with us, which invitation they accepted the more readily when they heard that Moravians lived here. As soon as we were seated in the large school-room the principal chief expressed his pleasure at finding Christians here, and wished us much good from the Great Spirit. He told us that their friends in New York had sent them their father, Elka- nah Holmes, who instructed them and their children.
"After dinner, when many of our members and their children had come, we assembled in the church, where, after the singing
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of an anthem by the choir and verses by the children, an address to the chiefs by the children was read by two little boys, and a written copy was given to them at their request. The principal chief replied to the address in a long speech, consisting of three long sentences, calling the children here his grandchildren, and admonishing them to practice only that which was good. Breth- ren afterwards declared that they could not have made such an address. Thereupon I expressed, in the name of all our congre- gations, the wish that the Tuscaroras also might accept the sweet gospel which was preached to them by father Holmes. He thanked the congregation here for their kindness, and said he felt that here was Christianity that consisted in the knowl- edge and love of God. We closed with a prayer for the salva- tion of all heathen and all nations. Nothing touched the Indians so much as the singing of the children, so that the chiefs could scarcely speak for emotion. A brother and I accompanied them for four miles and recommended them to Mr. Hughes (?) in Emmitsburg, a good friend of ours, one of whose children I had buried." *
August 20. Abraham Fahs, tinsmith, was permitted to build a shop at Graceham.
In October of this year John Wilhide (Willheit) received per- mission to build a tavern at the upper end of the village, "where two streets meet," to be conducted in accordance with our con- gregation rules. Permission was granted, "(I) because travelers have often desired to obtain lodging here; (2) because many strangers come to attend our church festivals; (3) because we have confidence in John Wilhide that he will keep a respectable house." The lease given to John Wilhide, April 19, 1806, states that the lot was No. 21, and with the contiguous lot of ground measured 136 feet front, and 1921/2 feet "back front, and then with the public road to the given line."
*The Tuscarora Indians, once a powerful tribe, lived in the southern part of this and adjoining counties, and from them comes the name of the Tus- carora Creek and Tuscarora Region. The above narrative forms a pleas- ing contrast with the earlier accounts of Indian raids and massacres in western Maryland, and of those who came to church here carrying rifles to defend themselves against the Indians in case they should be attacked.
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By October 30 the debt on the new parsonage was reduced to £56 (about $150). The church, built in 1772, was greatly in need of repairs. In November there was rain, after a drought of six months, so that some of the members had no vegetables noi grain.
1804 .- Henry Fahs received permission to live in Graceham, and with his wife and three children came from York, Pa. Con- gregation Council resolved to take a collection in aid of the large new church at Bethlehem .*
November 8. Bro. Christian Eigenbrod was appointed cura- tor of the cemetery and grave-digger. The price for digging a large grave was fixed at $1.50, and for a small one $1. An epi- demic fever in this and other districts, from July on, caused the death of at least sixty persons in a section twelve miles long and six wide. Thirty-two persons were buried by Bro. Schlegel, who was kept busy day and night visiting the sick and dying, and burying the dead, not only of this congregation, but many others also to whom he was called. Farmers could not have their work done, and there were scarcely enough well persons to bury the dead. The members were again, as often before, reminded about getting tomb-stones. At the close of 1804 the congregation numbered 230 persons.
1805 .- January 12. "Our neighbor Philip Matthes' black- smith shop was entirely destroyed by fire. Two of the houses of our members experienced a merciful preservation from de- struction by fire, as the places that had been ignited by hot ashes were discovered in time to put out the fire. The weather in Jan- uary became so severe that it was not possible to go out much, and many suffered from frost-bitten limbs. All the mills were frozen up, and as the people had not prepared for such a severe
*This church, the present Central or mother church, was built to seat 1500 persons, as it was intended to accommodate on special occasions not only the members of the Bethlehem congregation, but also those from out- lying places, and Indian converts who might be living in the vicinity. At the time of its construction it was said to be the largest church in the coun- try. It was commenced in 1803, and was dedicated in 1806, when it was estimated there were 2500 people present. The foundation walls were six feet thick. The original cost, including a large organ, was somewhat more than $52,000 .- Bishop Levering's History of Bethlehem.
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winter, some had trouble to get flour. Finally, about fifteen neighbors met, and with great difficulty started Bro. Weller's mill, so that it could grind a little while the sun shone. It was scarcely possible to cross the creeks, so that those who lived on the other side of Owing's Creek could not get their flour and feed. Streams at other times small, had been swollen by the rain, and some who tried to cross were caught by the ice that had been blocked up by the flood. But there was no loss of life in this neighborhood. Beyond Hagerstown the road supervisor was four days opening the road with fifty men whom he pressed into service."
February 9. Although the road was still very bad, Bro. Schle- gel went to Emmitsburg, and visited some of the friends who were glad to welcome him. "Many people here," he writes, "and also in Frederick Town have repeatedly expressed the wish that the Brethren would open and conduct a school for girls that would be held during the summer also."
February 10. Congregation Council requested those mem- bers who lived in the village to keep their cows in their yards or stables on Sundays, as they ate the hay out of the sleighs of those who came to church, which they needed to keep their feet warm.
March 25. "The brethren made an entirely new fence around the cemetery, furnishing the necessary posts, boards, rails and nails. They enlarged the cemetery on both sides and put it in order. It was pleasant to see how old and young did this work with pleasure and love, and they finished it in a shorter time than we had expected."
April 14 (Easter Sunday). "The town was invaded, as it were, by people from Hagerstown, Funkstown, Frederick Town, Em- mitsburg, and other places. As there were many English friends present, Bro. Schlegel was obliged to yield to their request, and preach English as well as German sermons, besides holding the other usual services. On Easter Monday he held the usual ser- vices for the congregation, and also on the following Sundays of this month, and on Sunday, May 5, although he suffered from severe pain in his head and was very weak.
May 10. Bro. John Gambold, who came from Salem, N. C., on his way to Bethlehem, remained over Sunday, the 12th, and
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held the services for Bro. Schlegel, who was still very unwell. On Sunday, the 19th, however, he preached a sermon on the text, "Where I am, there shall also my servant be," (John 12 :26), and kept another meeting, but some of the members thought and said that it would be his last, as it proved to be. His weak- ness increased, and on the 28th Bro. Beck, at York, was noti- fied by an express, as Bro. Schlegel seemed to be nearing his end. Bro. Beck came on the 29th, and on the 30th, Bro. Schlegel died. The doctor had diagnosed his complaint as dropsy of the brain. Bro. Herbst's came from Lititz in time for the funeral on June I, and remained until the Ioth, when they returned to Lititz, taking Sr. Schlegel with them.
During Bro. Schlegel's pastorate of six years and seven months the membership increased from 197 persons, of whom 55 were communicants, to 230 persons, of whom 76 were communi- cants. He was very active in preaching the gospel, not only in Graceham, but wherever he found opportunity, and was very self-denying and successful in his pastoral work, taking special interest in the children and youth of the congregation, and en- dearing himself to old and young by his faithful and loving ad- monitions and exhortations. He was the first minister at Grace- ham of whom it is said that he had his own horse and chaise, which enabled him to visit and minister to those who lived at some distance from town. His predecessors had kept a horse, as there was a stable on the premises for many years before he came, but a shed had to be built for his "chaise." His health had suffered severely during his service as a missionary on the Danish West India islands, and he had several attacks of illness while at Graceham before that one which proved fatal. But his active disposition and intense desire for the salvation of souls would not permit him to spare himself if he could serve those who needed his ministrations.
His successor in the pastorate, after a vacancy of four months, was the Rev. Carl Gottlieb Bleck, who was to have the longest term of service in the history of the congregation, extending over a period of thirteen years and seven months. He arrived October 5th, with Mrs. Bleck and Bro. and Sr. Herbst, who re- mained until the 14th, Bro. Herbst preaching and holding other services on Sundays, the 6th and 13th, and in company with
THE TAVERN.
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Bro. Bleck's visiting a number of the members, and having the usual special interviews with all, preparatory to the celebration of the Holy Communion. On Saturday, the 12th, the congrega- tion festival was celebrated, and was announced for the first time by the trombonists, prior to the usual services. After an appropriate festival address by Bro. Herbst in the first service, he introduced Bro. Bleck to the congregation as their minister, commended him to their love and confidence, and besought the Saviour's blessing on his labors.
During this year Dr. Frederick H. Schuman, who had come to Graceham in 1801, moved with his wife and little son to Hope, N. J .; John Herbach's, with five children, Samuel Herbach's, with one child, and Jacob Wuensche's, with one child, to Ohio, and Sr. Moeller, with three children, and the widowed Sr. Schlegel, to Lititz. This year, also, the congregation inn or tav- ern, at the upper end of the village was finished and occupied by John Wilhide, and "the congregation desires that it be conducted to the glory of God." At the close of the year the congregation consisted of 65 married people, 2 widowers, 7 widows, 33 single brethren and older boys, 16 single sisters and older girls, 51 little boys and 38 little girls, a total of 212.
1806 .- In September, the Congregation Council resolved that a balcony or gallery be made around the little belfry, for the trombonists, who must, however, furnish the materials and pay for the work by voluntary contributions. The belfry referred to must have been the one on the parsonage, as, so far as known, there was none at that time on the church built 1772. Mr. Rick- secker, probably Henry, who lived in the neighborhood, was engaged to teach an English and German school in the parson- age school-room, the first teacher so employed.
1808 .- April 30. The Minutes of the committee say : "As our neighbor Biggs has shut us in,"-which he could only do by fencing up the usual road out of the town to the Baltimore and Hagerstown road on the south, perhaps by the "road," as it is called on one of the old leases, between Lots 7 and 8 on the south side of the street, and which probably passed over his land -"Council and Committee considered how and at what time a new road could be made. As this is a very busy time for farm-
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ers, the brethren declared that they could do nothing in the mat- ter just now." The same entry states that "this new road was made later, with the condition that it should pass through Henry Fahs's* lot, with his consent, the congregation to make the fence, which is to be his property." As the location of this Henry Fahs's lot is nowhere given, it is uncertain where the new road was made, but it was probably the continuation of the village street at the upper end, until it joined the Baltimore and Pittsburg road, making an acute angle with the latter at a point just beyond the last lot on the south side of the street.
THE JUBILEE YEAR.
This year, 1808, was the Jubilee Year of the congregation, fifty years having elapsed since its organization on October 8, 1758. On Thursday and Friday, October 6 and 7, the brethren and sisters cleaned the church and decorated it beautifully for the Jubilee celebration. On Saturday, the 8th, at II A.M., the first
*Henry (Heinrich) Fahs, a linen and damask weaver, a son of Jacob and Elisabeth Fahs, neé Koehler, of York, Pa., was born at York, Sep- tember 4, 1773; was received into the congregation at York, March 28, 1796; came to Graceham in 1804 with his wife, Anna Maria, neé Humor (or Humer), and three sons, Heinrich, born August 12, 1798, Johannes, born September 27, 1800, and Jacob, born September 4, 1802. He occu- pied at first the widow Rosina Leinbach's house, built by her husband, Christian Leinbach, as the first house in Graceham. Later, according to a plan of the lots in the archives, either he or his son Henry, or his brother Abraham, occupied a house built in 1792, on Lot No. 14 (now No. 6), for the widow Eigenbrod, on the north side of the street, now the fifth from the lower end. He remained in Graceham only four years, as his health failed, and he returned to York, with his family in 1808, and died the same year. Besides the three boys named above, his children born at Graceham were Lydia, born May 25, 1804, Zacchaeus, born August 2, 1806, Lucina, born February 26, 1807. Abraham Fahs, a tinsmith, a son of Jacob and Elisabeth Fahs, of York, was born either at Heidelberg or York, May 3, 1779; came to Graceham as a single brother in 1802; August 20, 1803, was allowed to build a shop, and selected a lot quite at the upper end, out- side of the village ("ganz oben draussen am Ort"), but the Lititz Conference was to decide whether he might have it. He was received into the con- gregation on November 21, 1804; married Elisabeth Siess, a daughter of George and Maria Siess, January 22, 1805. His children were Cornelius, born October 18, 1805, Jacobus (James), born January 30, 1807, Jeremiah, born July 31, 1808, Arnold Richard, born September 20, 1809, Tobias, born September 2, 1811. He died August 14, 1813.
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