History of the city of Columbus, capital of Ohio, Volume II, Part 94

Author: Lee, Alfred Emory, 1838-; W. W. Munsell & Co
Publication date: 1892
Publisher: New York and Chicago : Munsell & Co.
Number of Pages: 1196

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After Rev. Charles Henkel, from Shenandoah County, Virginia, its first resi- dent pastor, took charge of the congregation in the fall of 1819, the meetings were first held at the house of Conrad Heyl, southeast corner of Rich and Front streets. Among the earliest members besides those abovenamed were Gottlieb Lichtenecker, William Altmann, Jonathan Knieriemer, Henry and Philip Borman, Simon Stahl, John and Peter Putnam, Rudolph Loeliger and their respective families. Among those from the country, chiefly from Madison, Hamilton, Jefferson and Mifflin town- ships, were George, John and David Ridenour, Michael Neuschwender, Jesse Baugh- man, John Saul, " Father " Heltzel (for whom the Heltzel Church, afterwards built six miles southeast of Columbus, was named), and his sons Jacob, Nicholas and Philip, and Frederick Stambaugb, and their families. Some of these lived from nine to twelve miles from Columbus, but nearly or quite all of them were, when the weather or the state of the roads permitted, regular attendants at the church services, usually coming on horseback and often mounted two on the same horse. During sleighing seasons rough, homemade sleds were used as conveyanees.

Early in 1820 the church lot, Number 561, southeast corner of Third Street and the alley between Town and Rich streets, was bought of John Waddle for two hundred dollars, and the erection of a frame church building thereon was immedi- ately begun in the spring of that year. From a little memorandum book in the bandwriting of Christian Heyl, it appears that the first payment on the lot, amounting to $60, was made up of a contribution of 843 by himself and one of

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seventeen dollars by Gottlieb Lichtenecker. An item -" paid postage on letter to Lancaster, 50 cents "- is a curious memento of the postage rates in those days.

The work upon the church building progressed slowly, since none of the members and but few of the other citizens had more than a very moderate supply of this world's goods, but all helped as be-t they could to forward the work by small contributions of money, labor, or materials until the building was finally fit for occupation. The pulpit was built in the style then common, being rather high and approached by six or eight steps from the floor. The altar, built on a plat- form a single step above the main floor in front of the pulpit, was of octagonal form and surrounded by a balustrade, around which, at celebrations of the Lord's supper, the communicants twice circled each in turn, on arrival at the front, bow- ing or courtesying before receiving the consecrated bread and wine.

There were at that time only two other church buildings in the village ; these were the Presbyterian on Front Street wear Town, and the Methodist Episcopal on Town Street between High and Third. The Lutheran church, although very plain, compared favorably with either of them. Columbus then contained less than five hundred inhabitants, Among the first catechumens confirmed by Rev. Mr. Henkel were David, Moses and Eve Altmann, Stacey Baker and Simon Stahl, Junior. The service of the church was at first exclusively in the German lan- guage, but after a year or two Mr. Henkel also had afternoon service in English and became quite popular as an English preacher. He subsequently served also the Heltzel congregation and another at Delaware, the latter only once every four weeks, and on week days as time permitted. On June 22, 1825, he was regularly ordained as pastor of the three congregations by the Lutheran Synod convened at Lancaster, the custom of the Synod then being to require a probation of several years of candidates for ordination who were licensed, ad interim, to perform nearly all the rites of ordained ministers. This is no longer the practice.

When sickness or absence prevented Mr. Henkel from officiating, the service was usually conducted by Lorentz Heyl, the senior member of the congregation, who was an excellent reader and had long been accustomed to a similar service at his own family altar. Besides leading the liturgical service and singing, he usually read a sermon appropriate to the Sunday of the church year, from a Ger- man book of sermons. He died in the spring of 1832, his loving and faithful wife having preceded him into eternity a year earlier, after a happy union with him of over sixtythree years. As the congregation was then without a pastor, Rev. Dr. Hoge, of the Presbyterian Church, officiated at her obsequies.

In 1827 Pastor Henkel accepted a call to the Somerset charge and the Colum- bus congregation was without a pastor for four years, and granted the use of its building to the Episcopalians, who had then organized a congregation and had no church edifice. In the fall of 1831 Rev. William Schmidt, a native of Germany, who had projected the establishment of a theological seminary at Canton, Ohio, which institution, by action of the Ohio Synod and with consent of its founder, had been removed to Columbus, was called to take charge of the congregation. Professor Schmidt accepted this call and maintained the pastoral relation to which it invited him, until his death in the fall of 1839. During his ministry the Ger- man language alone was used in the service of the congregation, then chiefly com- posed of German immigrants and their descendants. He was a man of great learn- ing and indefatigable energy, very fond of horticultural pursuits and always ready to push a wheelbarrow, swing a scythe or follow a plow when his professional duties would permit. Of pronounced opinions, he was yet of a very kindly nature, unassuming to a fault and accessible to the humblest of his parishioners, in whose welfare he always manifested a lively interest which won their hearts and confidence to such a degree that they came to him for advice and comfort in all their trials and never failed to realize that they had in their pastor a true friend and wise counselor,

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His predecessor, Mr. Henkel, survived him several years. Both were greatly loved and revered, not only by their congregations but by all who knew them. In the fall of 1837, Professor Schmidt paid his last visit to his father and other near rela- tives in Germany (his mother having died several years before), and remained away about a year, during which interval Rev. Christian Espich officiated in his place both as professor and as pastor.

During all the early years of the congregation up to 1841, Christian Heyl was the leading spirit of its lay membership. As a worker in the church and as a con- tributor to its interest he was alike prominent. His house, the same in which the congregation was first organized, was always open to any Lutheran or Retormed minister who traveled through Columbus. To elergymen and lay delegates the hospitalities of his home were extended without charge. He nearly always repre- sented the congregation at the church conventions and was accustomed to supply from his own pocket any deficiencies in what he regarded as proper contributions to the synodical treasury from the society to which he belonged.

In the spring of 1840 Rev. Doetor Charles F. Schaeffer, of Hagerstown, Mary- land, was elected pastor of the church and professor of the Seminary. A pro- found scholar, thoroughly at home in the German and English languages, he was also an acceptable preacher, and soon reintroduced the English afternoon services which had been discontinued after Mr. Henkel s resignation in 1827. He also, soon after his installation, started an English Sundayschool in addition to the Ger- man one then in sneeessful operation. Rev. F. W. Winkler, of Newark, New Jersey, having been installed as an additional professor in the Seminary in 1842, a disagreement arose between him and Professor Schaeffer in regard to the use of the English language in the instruction at the Seminary and also in the service of the congregation. Because of this trouble and others not of a doctrinal nature, Doetor Schaeffer resigned the pastorate and Rev. Konrad Mees was elected to sne- ceed him. About the same time a lot at the corner of High and Mound streets was purchased, the old lot being accepted as part payment for the new one and subsequently sold to the Universalist Society. On the lot newly purchased the church which now stands upon it was soon afterwards erected. The English ser- vice was discontinued but the question as to the use of the English language in the Seminary continued to be agitated until, in 1845, it led to action by the Synod which a large proportion of the congregation disapproved and resented by with- drawal. Two new congregations were then organized - a German one under the name of Trinity Lutheran and an English one bearing the name of First English Lutheran, both under the pastorate of Rev. William F. Lebmann, who had been elected sole. Professor of the Seminary. The meetings during the first year were held in the chamber known as Mechanies' Hall, occupying the upper story of a building at the southeast corner of High and Rieh streets, in other words on the site of the cabin in which Christian Heyl established his home when he first arrived in Columbus in 1813. The two new congregations, composed of substan- tially the same members, after the first year rented the German Evangelical Church on Mound Street, near Third, and there organized both German and Eng- lish Sundayschools. In 1850 the congregations, in accordance with their original design, amicably separated and the members of the English division, choosing Rev. E. Greenwald, of New Philadelphia, as their pastor, held their Sunday and weekday services in the old " Covert School " building which the Seminary had purchased for its use in connection with the Capital University. After 1853 they occupied the old Congregational Church on Third Street, above Broad, under the successive pastorates of Rev. Professors D. Worley and E. Schmid. Since their removal to their own building (first on Rich and later on East Main Street) they have been served by Reverends George Beck, - - Peters and S W. Kuhns.

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The German division, soon after the separation, built the large brick edifice on Third Street below South, under their pastor, Rev. Professor Lehmann.

It is pleasant here to record that, while the controversies in 1842 and the succeeding four or five years which were referable almost exclusively to apprehen- sions, due or undue, as to encroachments of the English language, gave rise to sev- eral suits involving property rights, and excited a good deal of personal acrimony, the lapse of time, with a calm retrospect of the unfortunate misconceptions of each others' motives, and a juster appreciation of the true spirit which actuated both parties, whose common loyalty to and solicitude for the best interests of the church of their choice, are now acknowledged by both, has happily long ago healed all individual wounds, removed personal animosity and fully restored the fraternal relations and mutual confidence which a community of faith and of devo- tion to its teachings ought never to have allowed to be interrupted.

St. Paul's Lutheran Church." - This is one of the oldest church organizations in Columbus. Mention has been made of its successive pastors antecedent to Rev Konrad Mees, who was called to its pastorate on June 6, 1843, and has now faith- fully served it during fortynine successive years. In 1844 its large brick edifice on the southwest corner of High and Mound streets was erected. On October 10, 1856, a fire broke out in a long frame building in rear of this church, which also took fire and was destroyed excepting only its walls. Its organ, then the finest in the city, perished with the building. Unfortunately the church property was covered by no insurance. The congregation decided to rebuild at once and it was due to the indefatigable labors of Rev. Konrad Mees that the first anniver- sary of the fire was celebrated hy the consecration of a new church edifice. In 1871 it was decided to build a spire and remodel the church in general. Major N. B. Kelley, of East Broad Street, was selected as architect and presented plans and specifications for one of the most graceful spires in Columbus. Before the work of erecting it was begun Mr. Kelley died and Mr. Schlapp was appointed to suc- ceed him. The entire cost of the work was abont $18,000. In the fall of 1880 the three hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the publication of the Book of Con- cord was celebrated in a becoming manner. The church was handsomely deco- rated for this occasion and was crowded at the morning and evening service. In November, 1883, the congregation celebrated the four hundredth anniversary of the birth of Doctor Martin Luther. This was one of the most notable events in the history of the church.

In 1890 it was decided to remodel and fresco the interior of the church and repair its organ. The contract for the frescoing was given to C. Jensen, who executed a design of great beauty. The church organ was cleaned and changed by Mr. John Sole, of Massachusetts, and now derives its motive power from a water motor in lieu of the old handpumping system. The entire cost of these improvements was about 83,500. The congregation is now almost out of debt and in a prosperous condition. Among the numerous improvements of which the church has borne the expense during the last twenty years are those of the adja- cent streets, for which about $5,000 have been expended. The congregation now contains about 275 voting members. Its present officers are: Trustees, George Beck, J. F. Kaefer and G. W. Beck ; Elders, H. Schweinsherger, F. Grau, Senior, L. Brunn and A. Grünenthal ; Deacons, William Schweinsberger, E. Kramer, G. Wallerman and T. Herboltzheimer ; Treasurer, F. J. Heer.

Trinity German Evangelical Lutheran Congregation.3-The original founders of this congregation, fortyeight grown persons, were members of the St. Paul's United Lutheran and Reformed Church of this city. They quitted that church on January 28, 1847, and held divine services under the leadership of Rev. C. Spielmann, from time to time, in the Seminary building of the Evangelical Lutheran Joint Synod of Ohio. Rev. W. F. Lehmann being called as a professor to this Theological

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Seminary in the same year, the members of the congregation soon extended a call to him to become their pastor. He accepted that call. On January 28, 1848, these Lutherans organized themselves, by unanimous adoption of a constitution, as the Trinity German Evangelical Lutheran Congregation of Columbus, Ohio.

ST. PAUL'S LUTHERAN CHURCH.

In the beginning of February, 1849, the new society rented the building of the German Independent Protestant Church on Mound Street and held its services in that building for eight years. Meanwhile the little flock continued to grow, by the blessing of God under the efficient pastorate of Professor Lehmann, in spite of

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many hindrances and hardships, and soon began to be hopeful enough to east about for a site for a church of its own. The congregation became from the start a member of the Lutheran Joint Synod of Ohio and sent its representatives to the meetings of that body. At the same time Professor Lehmann, the indefatigable worker, preached in the English language from time to time and a separate organ- ization for English-speaking Lutherans was started and maintained. In 1852 a choir leader, Mr. Straus, was engaged at $25 per year, and at the same time the members of the vestry served as deacon in rotation in order to cut down expenses. At this time the rent for the church was $120 per year. The young congregation did not omit to exercise church discipline in several cases.

On April 6, 1856, a committee which had been appointed to look up a suitable building lot reported that they had bought the lot on the corner of Third and Fulton (formerly South) streets, and the action was unanimously endorsed by the congregation. On June 8, same year, it was resolved to begin the erection of the new house of God, an edifice 56 x 106 feet in size. The congregation had by this time more than 250 communicants and went to work with enthusiasm. On July 28, 1856, the cornerstone of the new structure was laid with great joy, Rev. C. Spielmann, Professor D. Worley, Professor D. Martens and Rev. J. A. Schulze, besides the pastor, Professor W. F. Lebmann, taking part in the ceremonies. The new church was dedicated December 20, 1857, by Professor Lehmann, Revs. Wagen- hals, J. C. Schulze, M. Loy, J. A. Schulze and Professor D. Worley, the tower and basement rooms being still unfinished. The sum of $10,185 had been subscribed for lot and church, and in the beginning of 1858 $6,185 had been paid in, leaving debts outstanding to the amount of $6,560, against which were uncollected sub- scriptions amounting to $4,000, reducing the net indebtedness to $2,560. All moneys were raised by freewill offerings, and not a cent by fairs or other ques- tionable means. From now on the male members met monthly and paid twenty- five cents each for the purpose of liquidating the remaining debt, and the ladies of the church started societies for the same purpose. The basement rooms were finished in 1861 and the years following. On March 29, 1863, the vestry passed the following resolution :

That henceforth no one shall be received as a member of this congregation who belongs to a secret society, and that no one shall remain a member of this congregation who, being a member, joins such a society.

In the same year an organ was bought and set up in the church at a cost of $1,100. In the beginning of 1866, the congregation resolved to establish in its midst a parochial school and a teacher was called. The congregation had now grown to about 900 communicants, and as the work in the church and college bad increased to much greater proportions, they began to look around for some means to relieve their pastor somewhat, and it was resolved to call an assistant pastor ; but this resolution was rescinded in the following May, 1868. Just a year after this, the teacher was asked to resign, which he did. The parochial school after a short time died out.

On June 16, 1872, the congregation, by a strong majority, endorsed the reso- lution of the vestry regarding secret societies, and ever since it has strictly adhered to that rule. On September 22, same year, the congregation, on the peti- tion of Professor Lehmann and the Synod, resolved to dismiss their pastor, with great reluctance and heartfelt gratitude for his faithful services during nearly twentysix years, henceforth to serve as Professor of Theology in the Capital Uni- versity, only. In the following June Rev. R. Herbst, of Hamilton, Ohio, was ealled as his successor at a salary of $1,200 a year. In 1876, the steeple was built and three fine bells put into it at a cost of $3,470.

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In the year 1880 a doctrinal controversy on the question of predestination began between the Lutheran Synod of Missouri and that of Ohio, the former leaving the old landmarks of the genuine Lutheran faith and following to a great extent in the footsteps of John Calvin. The Ohio Synod, not wishing to give up its old standards of pure doctrine, separated from the Missouri Synod with which it had been united in the Synodical Conference, a general body of Lutherans. This controversy aroused discussion in the Trinity congregation also, but Reverend Herbst, siding with Missouri, frustrated the attempt of the congregation to take a decided stand for Ohio, to which Synod it belonged. On June 25, 1882, however, a meeting was held in which Reverend Trebel, president of the Western District of the Ohio Synod, presided. There were present 103 voting members or heads of . families. It was decided by 71 against 32 votes that the congregation stand by the Ohio Synod. Reverend Herbst having shortly before severed his connection with the Ohio Synod, his office was, according to the constitution of the congregation, declared vacant, and it was resolved to have another meeting in two weeks for the purpose of electing a new pastor. At that meeting Reverend E. A. Boehme, of New Washington, Ohio, was called, but he declined twice.

On September 4, 1882, Reverend C. H. Rohe was called. He had, in the spring, resigned his pastorate in Detroit on account of broken health and was at this time recuperating in Germany. The call met him at Hoboken as soon as he set foot on his native soil again. Meanwhile Reverend Herbst was trying to start an opposition congregation within less than a square of Trinity, but with poor success. On October 8, 1882, Reverend C. H. Rohe preached in this church for the first time, but he was very reluctant for some months to accept the call for fear that his health would again give way. On December 31, 1882, the congregation, at the instance of its new pastor, resolved unanimously to go to work earnestly in reestablishing its parochial school, but circumstances hindered the execution of this resolution until August 26, 1883, when A. W. Lindemann was called as teacher. Reverend Rohe being urged to it constantly, and his health slowly improving, he finally accepted the call of the congregation as their pastor in the beginning of the year and has been at work ever since.

In November, 1883, the four hundredth anniversary of the birth of the great reformer Martin Luther was duly celebrated by Trinity congregation in conjunc- tion with neighboring Lutheran congregations. On December 28, 1884, teacher Lindemann was called as Professor to the Teachers' Seminary at Woodville, Ohio, and H. Amelung was made teacher in his place. In 1886 the steeple and outside woodwork of the church were painted at a cost of $200. On December 29, 1888, teacher Amelung having been called to Wisconsin, C. Linsenmann was called, who is still at his post .. During the summer of 1889 the entire inside of the church was renewed, frescoed, carpeted, etc., at a cost of $1,500, and a new and magnificent organ, with water motor and all modern improvements, worth $2,000, was put up by the young people of the church.

Grace Lutheran Church.4 -- In 1872 a majority of the members of the church known as the First English Lutheran withdrew from the Joint Synod and joined the General Council. Rev. M. Loy, D. D., invited those who wanted to remain in connection with the Joint Synod to meet at the German Trinity Lutheran Church. Late in the year 1872 an organization was effected under the name of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church. Among the first members were Professor M. Loy and family, Professor C. H. L. Schuette and family, Professor G. C. Dasher and family, George Bowman and family. John Bowman and family, David Adkins and family and William Heyl and family. Professor C. H. L. Schuette was called and served as pastor. Services were held for a time at Trinity Lutheran Church and later in the Emanuel Methodist Episcopal Church, then situated near Livingston Avenue and Third Street. In 1873 a lot was purchased on South Fourth Street

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near Mound for $2,800. Soon afterward the congregation decided to build a frame chapel on this lot at a cost of $3,000. Professor W. F. Lehmann preached the dedicatory sermon. In 1889 the congregation, having grown numerically, decided to remodel and enlarge the church at a cost of about $5,000. Professor Schuette was assisted by students of the Capital University but, on account of his duties at that institution, he resigned the pastorate and Reverend M. R. Walter was called. After remaining one year Mr. Walter resigned and the pulpit was filled by Professor M. Loy. Rev. D. Simon was then called and remained in charge until invited to another pulpit at Prospect, Ohio, in 1882. After this event the congregation extended a call to Rev. J. Beck, of Lithopolis, Ohio, who accepted and remained with the congregation until August, 1892, when he accepted a call to Richmond, Indiana. At present the Professors of the Capital University fill the pulpit alternately.

St. Mark's English Lutheran Church .- This church was organized in the fall of 1885, at the residence of James Broucher. The organizers were mostly members of the Grace Evangelical Lutheran Congregation residing in the northern part of the city and desiring to establish a church in that section. The original mem- bers of the new society were J. B. Broucher, wife and daughter, Thomas Hill, wife and children, J. Liebold and wife, Mrs. J. Black wood and daughters, William L. Heyl and wife and Charles Heyl and wife. Services were held at the homes of the members. Two lots for a church on the corner of Dennison and Fifth avenues were bought by Rev. J. Beck, for $1,800. Grace Lutheran Church had borrowed 82,400 from the joint Synod for an indefinite time, and it was proposed to raise this sum at once on condition that the Synod should in turn lend it to St. Mark's Church to assist it in paying for and improving its lots. The Synod consented to this and a new church was ereeted at a cost of $2,500. The dedicatory serviees were conducted by Professor A. Pfluger on the first Sunday in June, 1886. Rev. J. C. Schacht filled this pulpit from the autumn of 1888 until May, 1889, when he was succeeded by Rev. J. H. Kuhlman who remained about two years when Rev. W. N. Harley, who is still the pastor, took charge. This congregation is steadily growing. About one year ago a fine pipe organ, which adds considerably to the interest of the services, was purchased.

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History of the city of Columbus, capital of Ohio, Volume II, Part 94

Author: Lee, Alfred Emory, 1838-; W. W. Munsell & Co Publication date: 1892 Publisher: New York and Chicago : Munsell & Co. Number of Pages: 1196

Author: Lee, Alfred Emory, 1838-; W. W. Munsell & Co
Publication date: 1892
Publisher: New York and Chicago : Munsell & Co.
Number of Pages: 1196