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A HISTORY
OF
DELAWARE COUNTY
PENNSYLVANIA
AND ITS PEOPLE
UNDER THE EDITORIAL SUPERVISION OF JOHN W. JORDAN, LL. D.
Librarian of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
ILLUSTRATED
VOLUME II
NEW YORK LEWIS HISTORICAL PUBLISHING COMPANY
1914
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY 672600 ASTOR LEAOY AND TILD N FOUNDA ' I N9. R 1914 L
COPYRIGHT LEWIS HISTORICAL PUBLISHING COMPANY 1914
CHURCHES OF DELAWARE COUNTY
From the beginning of creation there has been no force which has played a greater part in the lives of nations and the history of races than the super- natural, and no religious rites or practices whose work has been grander or more sublime than that effected by Christianity. The causes for settlement of most of the American colonies were religious, many people in the old countries of Europe being willing, nay, glad, to face the hardships of new lands and the cruelties of hostile tribes, rather than suffer the noble and lofty principles for which they stood to be scorned and mocked by those of different belief. Her- bert, the celebrated English writer of religious works and poems, wrote in his poem, "The Church Militant:"
"Religion stands on tip-toe in our land, Ready to pass to the American strand,"
and no more prophetic words were ever spoken, for immediately thereafter persecution drove the Puritans from their native land, and the flight of religion to America had begun.
To the Society of Friends belongs the honor of erecting the first house of worship in (now) Delaware county-the old Friends meeting house in Haver - ford township, built in 1688-89. Here Governor William Penn preached soon after its erection, and often attended worship. For years it has been a land- mark in the county, a monument to the staid, simple folk whe therein worship- ped their Creator according to the unpretentious tenets of their belief. . To this sedate and pious sect the county, and, indeed, the state,; owes much of its strength and stability, which was drawn from their very sely 6 and incor- porated into the laws of the communities which they founded, making them strong and firm to withstand the ravages of time and the abuses which it brings. Their faith was their life, by it they ordered their existence. To live in peaceful quiet and to have honorable dealings with their fellow-men, was to them assurance of a blessed hereafter.
Education was a large factor in the life of the Friends, that being one of the forms of pleasure which they exercised to the fullest. With them learning was not a duty, it was a privilege ; and, since it meant self-improvement, was necessary to all men. Therefore, their efforts were early directed to the dis- semination of useful knowledge, these efforts later resulting in Haverford and Swarthmore colleges, institutions of great value, fully treated elsewhere in this work.
The second church erected in Delaware county was an Episcopal house of worship, "Old Radnor," in Newtown township, known as St. David's. It was erected previous to 1700, and around it have grown up traditions that have lived through the decades. One is that Rev. David Jones, the Baptist preacher of the Great Valley Church, in Chester county, holding a service there during the Revolution, was so incensed by the sight of several able-bodied and active young men sitting comfortably in their pews that he disregarded his
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sermon entirely, threw back a heavy cloak he wore, disclosed himself in an American uniform, and launched a terrific philippic at their indolence and lack of patriotism, demanding to know why they were not in the American army. The old man himself later entered the army as chaplain. The poet Longfellow, during the national centennial, visited the old church and was so impressed by the beauty and dignity of the edifice, with its arched windows and ivy-covored walls, sheltered protectingly on all sides by overhanging trees and surrounded by tombstones marking the graves of its former members, that he immortalized the sanctuary in a short poem entitled "Old St. David's at Radnor," characterizing it as "an image of peace and rest."
The Roman Catholic church had its first mission in what is now Delaware county, about 1730, in Concord township, at the home of the Wilcox family, the congregation later building St. Thomas' Church. The followers of this religion have become more numerous in past years, and one of the county's large educational institutions, Villanova College, was founded by the Catholic church.
The causes for mentioning the above churches in more detail than the others, are not because they are more important than those of other denomina- tions, but because of their priority of erection and the interest which is naturally attached to them as land-marks. Baptist, Presbyterian and Methodist churches are numerous throughout the county, owning many large and pretentious house, "of worship., Another of the county's educational institutions, Crozer Theo- logical. Seminary, is ir Baptist origin, mentioned elsewhere in this work.
ยท The first organized church to exist in (now) Delaware county, was the Swedish Lutheran, founded by the Swedes, who settled on the Delaware in 1637-804 10.12 :: While Lutheran was a term at first applied to all Protestants believing in the :doctrines taught by Martin Luther, it had become the estab- lished state religion of Sweden, and was adhered to by the early settlers of that race, who made early settlement. After them came the English Friends, and members of the Established Church of England. With the Scotch-Irish came Presbyterianism, then Catholicism-all of which religions took strong root in the county and have prospered. At a later day the Methodists and Baptists entered the field, and have borne an active part in the religious de- velopment of the county. Other religious sects have also established in the county and have aided in the upbuilding of a strong religious community. There has been no persecution on account of religious faith. The carly set- tlers, fleeing from intolerant conditions, did not in Pennsylvania emulate the example set by the Puritans of New England, but gave every man the right to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience. Common sense and freedom have gone hand in hand, resulting in a religious history in which there is nothing to conceal, and in the upbuilding of a strong Christian senti- ment in all parts of the county.
One of the first efforts to Christianize the American Indian was made by Rev. John Campanius, in the little log Lutheran church at Tinicum, over which he officiated until May, 1648. In order to be able to give the best of
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D ---. m by C. P Tholey
CATHOLIC CHURCH OF ST THOMAS, IVY MILLS, ASTON
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ASTOR, LENCX AND TIDEN FOUND ATIONS.
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FIRST MEETING HOUSE OF FRIENDS AT CHESTER.
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himself in his work, he undertook the study of their language and mastered it sufficiently to make a translation of the Lutheran Cathechism into the dialect of the Lenni Lenape family of the great Algonquin tribe. He was the first person to translate a book into the Indian language, although his work was not published until 1696, when, by command of royalty at Stockholm, it was printed; nevertheless, his efforts were made a few years previous to Eliot's Indian translation of the Bible, made in New England, and published thirty years before the former work.
Joseph H. Lewis, in his "History of Chester County," relates how the Swedes in those early days used to attend church at Tinicum "to which they came in canoes from New Castle and other places along the Delaware, both above and below the Island." The church was on land belonging to Armegat Printz, a proud and haughty woman who had inherited it from her father. In her pride and arrogance she had great contempt for those of poorer station, and to show her disregard for the humble Swedes who worshipped on her property, she sold the church bell by which they had formerly been called to worship, but the devout and earnest congregation repurchased the bell, paying therefor "two days' labor in harvest time."
The old Birmingham Friends meeting house which stood in old Birming- ham township before its site in that political division was made part of Chester county, was erected in 1722, on grounds donated for that purpose by Elizabeth Webb, and about its ivy-covered walls tradition has woven many a thread of fanciful history. One of the stories connected with the ancient edifice is linked with the battle of Brandywine, in which conflict the American riflemen tised the stone-walls surrounding the burial-ground, for breastworks. The dark blots on the oaken floor were said to have been made by the blood of wounded soldiers, as the building was used as a hospital for nearly a week, until the British army marched to the Boot Tavern. Another story asserted that a young British gentleman, a close relative of the Duke of Northumberland, was killed near the meeting house, a report which was later denied by relatives in England.
Friends' Mecting Houses .- The first recorded meeting of Friends in the Province of Pennsylvania was at the house of Robert Wade, at Upland, in 1675, when William Edmundson, an eminent minister from England, then on a religious visit to America, was present. Previous to the coming of Penn, at a monthly meeting held II mo. 7, 1681, it was agreed: "A meeting shall be held for ye service and worship of God every First Day at ye Court House in Upland." In the old meeting house erected by Chester Monthly Meeting, William Penn often spoke, and services were held therein for forty-three years until 1736, when a larger building was erected. The Friends meeting house at Shoemakerville, was built in 1828, on land donated by Enos Sharpless.
The Friends meeting house in Birmingham township was first erected in 1722, of cedar logs. About 1763 a stone building was erected, to which later additions were made. When Delaware county was erected, the ground on
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which the old church stood fell to Chester county, but for nearly two centuries Friends of Lower Birmingham have there worshipped.
Concord Friends meeting house is erected on land leased to trustees in 1697. At a monthly meeting held at the house of George Pearce, 4 mo. 10 1697, it was agreed to build and subscriptions taken. The building, however, was not completed until 1710. In 1728 the modern structure gave way to one of brick, which in 1788 was destroyed by fire. The walls, however, were left intact, and were used in the new and larger building at once erected. The question of human slavery was often discussed in the old meeting, but not until 1800 was it possible to make the announcement that Concord Quarterly Meeting was "clear of importing. disposing or holding mankind as slaves."
The records of Darby Meeting, begin 2, 5 mo. 1684, but "there is somc evidence that the business of a monthly meeting had been transacted at Darby a short time prior to the date of the first regular minute." The meetings were held in private homes until 1687, when John Blunston acknowledged in court a deed "for one acre of ground in the township of Darby to build a meeting- house thereon." The first building, presumably of logs, was replaced by a more substantial structure begun in 1699, but not completed until 1701. This buikling stood for a full century, then gave way to a stone structure completed in 1805. The first marriage in Darby Meeting was that of Samuel Sellers and Anna Gibbons, in 1684; the first marriage in the first meeting house was that of John Marshall and Sarah Smith. The first marriage in the third meet- ing house was that of Hugh Mellvain, of Philadelphia, and Hannah Hunt, of Darby.
In Haverford township, Friends erected the first place of worship in now Delaware county, about 1688 or 1689. The first marriage solemnized therein was that of Lewis David to Florence Jones, 20, Ist mo., 1690. An addition was erected in 1700, and the older structure replaced by another in 1800. In 1700 William Penn preached in the new building, but as Welsh was principally spoken by the members, many could not understand him. A Friends meeting house is also located on the grounds of Haverford College.
Media Monthly Meeting was founded in 1875 by Friends who were resi- dents there, withdrawing from other meetings. They erected a stone church on Third street, wherein they worship. In an iron safe in this building, the rec- ords of Chester Meeting are preserved. Providence meeting house (Hicksite) is also located in Media. The old house of worship was torn down in 1812 and replaced by the structure now in use.
In Middletown township, a Friends meeting was authorized by Chester Quarterly Meeting, held 3. 3 mo. 1686. Early in 1700 the appointed com- mittee reported that they had decided upon the burial lot in Middletown as the site for a meeting house, a building being erected that was finished in 1702. This was followed many years later by another that is still used as a house of worship. After the division in the society in 1828, the Orthodox branch of Middletown meeting held their meetings in a school house until the completion of their meeting house in 1835.
$ _ Radil
Drawn by B.H. Smith.
FRIENDS MEETING HOUSE, HAVERFORD, BUILT 1700, REBUILT 1800.
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THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY 1 ASTOR, LENOX AND TILDEN FOUNDATIONS.
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The earliest mention of a Friends' meeting in Newtown township is found in the records of Haverford Monthly Meeting under date of 14-II mo. 1696. This record states that "William Lewis and some friends having proposed to this meeting to settle a meeting at Newtown they were left to their freedom therein." The meeting was established, services being held at the residence of members, but under the control of Chester, and later Providence monthly meetings. On the 30th day, 8 mo., 1710, "Newtown meeting laid before the meeting their intentions of building a meeting house by Friends "burial yard in Newtown," which met with the approval of Providence meeting. In 171] the building was completed, replaced in 1791 by the structure now in use.
Providence Friends meeting was authorized by Chester Quarterly Meet- ing, 3 mo., 1696, the minutes stating that it was agreed to settle a meeting "At Thomas Minshall's every First and Fourth day." On 9 mo. 4, 1700, the first day and week day meeting was ordered to be removed from Thomas Min- shall's to the meeting house, and on 12 mno. 12, 1700, the meeting at Randall Vernon's was also "removed to the new meeting house." The building of logs erected in Nether Providence township was improved by a stone addition in 1727. In 1753 the remains of the original structure were removed and a stone addition erected in its place.
While Radnor Friends did not commence to build their first meeting house until 1693, there was as early as 1686 a sufficient number of Friends in the township to establish an independent meeting. The early meetings were beld at the home of John Jerman, a Quaker minister, and at the residence of John Evans, where the first marriage was solemnized, 2, 3 mo. 1686, between Richard Ormes, of Philadelphia, and Mary Tyder, of Radnor. In 1693 the Radnor Friends built their first meeting house, and in 1718 began the erection of a new building which was not completed until after 1721, a later addition being erected for school purposes.
The first Friends' meeting house in Springfield township was erected in 1700 at Friends' graveyard, at the junction of the Springfield and Darby toads, on the line between Springfield and Marple townships. Friends in the township had, however, held meetings at the homes of Francis Stafford and Bartholomew Coppock as early as 3d mo., 1686, under authority granted by Chester Quarterly Meeting. The first meeting house was destroyed by fire in 1737, the erection of a second building beginning the following year. This second building was of stone, with a date stone bearing the inscription "Re- built 1738." After serving for one hundred and thirteen years, it was torn down and a third structure erected, yet used by the Springfield meeting. In the second building, tradition states the future of Benjamin West, the great painter, then a boy, was discussed. He was a birth-right member of the So- ciety, and the painter's art was not sanctioned by them. It was, however, agreed that young West, in view of the great talent he displayed, should be given the sanction of the meeting, strong friends pleading his cause. A private meeting was appointed at the house of his father, which was largely attended. After addresses had been delivered in a strain of extraordinary eloquence, "the
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women arose and kissed the young artist, and the men one by one laid their hands on his head and prayed that the Lord might verify in his life the value of the gifts which had induced them, in spite of their religious tenets, to allow him to cultivate the faculties of his genius." The after carcer of this great artist must have been in some measure the result of this solemn meeting of the simple, earnest Friends of Springfield meeting.
In Ridley township, Friends were authorized to hold meetings at the house of John Sinnock, by Chester Monthly Meeting, held 7 mo. 11, 1682. The meeting was later changed to "Walter Faucet's house on Ridley creek." Friends never erected a public meeting house in Ridley, nor were the meetings at Faucet's house continued after the erection of the Chester meeting house.
Protestant Episcopal Churches .- St. David's Episcopal Church at Radnor, Newtown township, in point of age ranks second in Delaware county, Haver- ford Friends meeting house being the oldest. The exact date at which a church organization was effected in Radnor is not known, but it was prior to 1700. A certificate given by the church wardens of Radnor, dated July 28, 1719, Rev. Evan Evans, states, "that the Rev. Dr. Evans has preached the Gospel at Radnor at the home of Mr. William Davis, one of the subscribers, once a fort- night from November in the year 1700, all the time he was resident in Phila- delphia, without any reward from us; and since his return from England, which was on the 22nd day of March, 1716-17, until the latter end of June past, he preached at St. David's Church at Radnor." Rev. Evan Evans, in a letter to the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, Lon- don, England, states that he "preached in Welsh once a fortnight for four years, till the arrival of Mr. Nicholas, minister, to Chester in 1704." He recommends : "Could a sober and discreet man be procured to undertake that mission, he might be capable by the blessing of God to bring in a plentiful har- vest of Welsh Quakers." This resulted in the appointment of John Chubb, a Welshman, who had been a schoolmaster in Philadelphia. He had occasion- ally conducted services at the church prior to 1714. when he was appointed mis- sionary to the Radnor and Oxford churches, he being in the latter ycar iu England. lle reached Philadelphia in August of that year and reported to the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts (who sent him out ) that the "people of Radnor" had met him "unanimously and heartily engaged to build a handsome Stone Church." The laying of the corner stone is described by Acrelius :
"The Laying of a Corner Stone-But something peculiar is to be seen among the English at the laying of the foundation of a church. On the 9th of May 1715, Pastor Sandel was invited to attend the laying of the foundation of Radnor Church sixteen miles from Philadelphia. First, a service with preaching was held in a private house; then they went in procession to the place where the church was to be built-There a prayer was made: Clergymen laid a stone according to the direction of the Master Mason."
For over a half century after the church was built, no floor was laid, and no pews, the worshipers being seated on benches, at first furnished by the
T
Drawn by C L. Smith . Feby 4 4 1862
ST DAVID'S CHURCH, BUILT 1717.
Bowen &. Co lith Philada.
TH PUDLO
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THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTOR, LENOX AND TILDEN FOUNDATIONS.
From a Daguerreotype
VIEW OF ST PAUL'S CHURCH, CHESTER, BUILT 1703
Bowen & Co lith Philada
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occupant, but later placed there by the vestry and leased to the congregation. The old record states: "William Evans and Hugh Jones are to have ye upper bench above ye door for two pounds." Later pews were introduced, the cus- tom being to sell the ground, the purchaser to make the improvements, thus: "At a vestry held December 5, 1763, the vestry granted to Robert Jones the privilege to build a pew on a piece of ground in St. David's Church, adjoin- ing Wayne's and Hunter's pugh, he paying for ye ground four pounds ten Shillings." In 1765 the church was floored ; in 1767, a vestry house built on the site of the later Sunday school, and in 1771 a gallery was added. Captain Isaac, father of "Mad" Anthony Wayne, was the chief mover in the latter improvement, and under his direction it was built. The church suffered greatly during the Revolution, and seldom during that contest were religious services held within the building. In 1783 Rev. William Currie again took charge, and collected funds to repair the old church building and graveyard wall. In 1786 the church was admitted to membership in the Diocesan Convention of Phil- adelphia. In August, 1792, while Rev. Slaytor Clay was rector, the church was incorporated, and during his incumbency the body of Gen. Anthony Wayne was removed from Presque Isle to Radnor churchyard, by his son, Col. Isaac Wayne. On July 4, 1809, a plain marble monument was erected at his grave by the Pennsylvania Society of the Cincinnati, although the body was placed there at a later date. On July 30, 1820, the first confirmation ever held in St. David's was conducted by Bishop White, sixteen persons being admitted to membership. In 1824 the Sunday school was organized, and about 1830 that part of the old gallery which passed over the front door was taken down, the highbacked old fashioned pews taken out, the pulpit enlarged, and the sounding board removed. In 1844 the present rectory was built. There is a tradition that Queen Anne presented the Radnor church with a communion service. This service was taken by a marauding party of soldiers during the Revolution and was never recovered. In 1861 the corporation of St. David's purchased an acre of land and enlarged the graveyard. In 1871 the church was repaired and a new vestry-room erected. In 1876 the poet Longfellow visited Old Radnor Church, and was so impressed that he wrote his poem entitled "Old St. David's at Radnor." In 1881 he said in an interview, relat- ing the story of his poem :
"1 was stopping at Rosemont and one day drove over to Radnor. Old St. David's Church with its charming and picturesque surroundings attracted my attention. Its diminutive size, peculiar architecture, the little rectory in the grove, the quaint Church- yard, where Mad Anthony Wayne is buried, the great tree which stands at the gateway and the pile of gray stone, which makes the old Church and is almost hidden by the climbing ivy, all combine to make it a gem for a fancy picture."
Old St. Paul's Church, in Chester, was built in 1702, on land on the south side of Third street, east of Market Square, the land having been first donated to the Swedish church early in the history of the settlement of Upland. Where the first St. Paul's Church was erected, there was previously a burying place for the Swedes in Upland. This is established by the report of Mr. Ross to
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the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts in 1714. The foundation of the ancient structure was laid in July, 1702, and January 24 of the following year, St. Paul's Day. Rev. John Talbot preached the first ser- mon delivered therein. The church was of stone, twenty-five feet in height. with a wooden steeple containing the bell. In 1835 extensive repairs werc made, the number of pews was increased, the large pews subdivided, the old fashioned highbacks lowered, a gallery built in the west end, and under it a large main entrance made. In 1850 agitation was started among the congre- gation for an entirely new church structure, preparations were made, and the corner stone was laid July 25, 1859, on the north side of Third street, ad- dresses being made by Right Rev. Alfred Lee, D. D., Bishop of Delaware, and Rev. Charles W. Quick. The building was built of pointed stone, in Gothic style, with a spire one hundred and twenty-four feet high. In 1872. the building was once more remodeled, later suffering two accidents, being struck by lightning on June 3, 1777, and catching fire on March 9, 1884.
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