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Souvenir History
of the
Parnassus Presbyterian Church
of New Kensington, Pennsylvania
FORT CRAWFORD
ERECTED MAY 1776
THIS STOCH ADE BORT WAS IRED
AS A MLNITION THANLY AND REFUGE POMI FROM 1776 THROUGH THE INDIAN RAID1 OF 1791-1793 NAMED TOR
COL WILLIAM CRAWFORD
PLACTO DY
ONE HUNDRED YEARS
1842
1942
2. 1. Statt.
THE HISTORY OF ONE HUNDRED YEARS
of the
PARNASSUS PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
NEW KENSINGTON, PA.
Published in connection with the Centennial of the organization of the Church-
MAY 12 TO MAY 17, 1942
DEDICATION
To the men and women who conscious of the effect religion would have on the com- munity, and who by their effort and sacrifice have made the One Hundred Years of the Parnassus Presbyterian Church possible, this History is gratefully dedicated.
Views of Original Church
2
THE FOREWORD
What power but the Years that make And break the vase of clay, And stir the sleeping earth, and wakes The bloom that fades away ? What rulers but the Days and Hours That cancel weal and woe, And wind the front of youth with flowers And cap our age with snow ?
Tennyson
The History of a church is different from any other history. It is the record of the struggle and progress of the spiritual life of the group that have made it and carried it on. It shows the hopes and ambitions for their children, the struggles and hardships they endured. The recital of the deeper feeling of those who have been associated with it.
The men and women a century ago lighted their torehes and ran well their race and handed them on to others and the torches still lighted and burning more brightly are handed on. They have not failed-they have not gone out.
The progress of the course, starting with the Indian History, with which it naturally had its beginning, then coming to the early members, the equipment and services not too regular by supplies to settled pastors.
A beautiful plant, well defined programs, feeling and responding to the educational, political and spiritual changes imperative from a growth of a half dozen scattered honses to a city of almost twenty thousand persons, with a bit of biography of the Ministers and others of the older persons, and some remi- niseences.
A hundred years seems like a long time, but it is not so long, when we trace the cow paths of the years gone, by the paved streets of today. From the horse so very necessary, to the automobile that has become common. From candle light to our well lighted honses and church.
The old Greeks had a game they called the torch race. A group of choice young men were chosen and placed two by two along the prescribed course. A torch lighted from the Sacred fire on the Altar was given to the first two, they were to run with all speed to the next runner on his side and hand the torch to him, still burning brightly; he ran to the next, and so on until the course was finished. Then the ones who reached the end first won the race. So the race of the century and its people, illustrated with some pictures of yesterday and today, is presented to you in this History.
3
THE INDIANS AND FORT CRAWFORD
As monumental bronze unchanged his look, A soul that pity touched, but never shook ; Trained from his tree rocked cradle to his bier, The fierce extremes of good and ill to brook A stoie of the woods-a man without a tear, Impressive-fearing but the shame of fear.
-Campbell
In no part of the country are Indian names more common, nor the remains of Indians more easily found, than in this section of Western Pennsylvania. Names of rivers, creeks and towns, Indian lookouts, camps, assembly grounds, and grave yards. In this region one hundred and thirty years ago, the scalping of the early settlers by the Indians was not uncommon.
The main trail followed by the Indian parties traveling from Ohio and the West, leaving the Allegheny about what is now Rochester, cut across to the Allegheny again just below Puckety Creek. The Creek then flowed into the river just below the present location of the Round Hill Cemetery. The name is derived from two Indian words, "Pack" and "Gita"; the meaning of these is "throw it away" or "abandon it". It is now usually called Pucketos Creek.
At this time life was very insecure, for many of these savage bands were going and coming, and crossing the river at the ford near Logans Ferry. Settlers were beginning to come into this region, and many were the white settlers who were slain by the Indians. This condition grew worse as more people came into the region until the autumn of 1777 when it was decided by the officer in charge of Fort Pitt (Pittsburgh) to erect a fort in this locality. The imperative need was considered and in 1778 the inroads of the savages increased to such an alarm- ing extent that Colonel William Crawford, who was then stationed at Fort Pitt, choosing a small party of men came up the Allegheny River to determine a suit- able site for the fort.
The decision was that the Fort should be erected a short distance above the mouth of Puckety Creek, and it was called Fort Crawford, in honor of the inan who erected it. The purpose of the Fort, as given, "was to cover the Indian trail and the fort, to patrol the river from below the second bend and above to Fort Armstrong below what is now Kittanning, also to scout the Pucketos Creek Valley". To serve as a retreat for the settlers, when necessary, as a rallying point for the scouts who patroled the region when Indians were about, and as a pro- tection to the troops who garrisoned it. Fort Crawford was a Stockade Fort and seems to have consisted of a trench about one thousand feet long and from three to four hundred feet in width. It was of irregular shape and contained possibly two acres. The earth was thrown up to a height of from four to five feet and the parapet, or wall of defense, was some distance back from the trench.
It was a substantial wall of logs ten or twelve feet high, about a foot in diameter, pointed at the top and set securely in the ground. The logs were hewed on the sides so as to fit close together, fastened securely in place by beams on the inside. A great door for the entrance of wagons of provisions and a small door for the garrison to go in and out. Two or three substantial log huts were built.
4
one for the storage of provisions and ammunition, one for quarters for the garri- son, and some times an extra one in case of the fort being used as a retreat for settlers.
Mr. A. B. Copeland said he had come to Parnassus in 1856 and he saw still here, a part of the parapet of the old Fort, about two hundred feet due East from the Parnassus Church. That would place the fort very close to where the present manse stands. Mr. Kennedy said when the excavation for the foundation of the house was dng they found many flat stones set on edge close together, such as were not found anywhere near here except in the bed of the streams. Very probably a part of the floor of the fort.
The fort was not very substantial and proved hard to maintain. However. it seems it was maintained, more or less regularly, for about sixteen years.
Subsequent to 1793, after the evacuation of Fort Crawford, the Indians were more or less troublesome in this immediate vicinity until as late as 1810 when there are records of occasional murders of settlers.
A portion of the Manse grounds is an Indian Cemetery and several times graves have been opened and bones of the savages examined. Nothing was done to commemorate the historic site until in 1942 the Daughters of the American Revolution erected a large boulder and placed a bronze plate upon it with a fitting inscription.
MONUMENT AND INSCRIPTION
FORT CRAWFORD-ERECTED MAY, 1778
FORT CRAWFORD ERECTED MAY 1778
Named for COL. WILLIAM CRAWFORD
Placed by
MASSY HARBISON CHAPTER D.A R. 1942
THIS STOCKADE FORT WAS USED AS A MUNITION-SUPPLY AND REFUGE POST FROM 1778 THROUGH THE INDIAN RAIDS OF 1791-1793 NAMED FOR COL. WILLIAM CRAWFORD
PLACED BY MASSY HARBISON CHAPTER D.A.R. 1942
This stockade fort was used as a munitions supply and refuge post from 1778 through the Indian Raids of 1791-1793.
5
PARNASSUS
Individuals may form communities, but it is institutions, alone, that can create a nation.
-Disraeli
The first time "Parnassus" appears as applied to this region was April 3, 1769. One hundred and seventy-three years ago when one John Little, submit- ted an order for approximately three hundred acres of land, and the application was entered on April 3, 1769. The grants were given names. There is an old record that deseribes "Parnassus in Greece as rough ground between two hills". One of which was Olympus the home of the gods, and the other Parnassus, on the side of which was a spring, the water of which would bring perpetual youth.
Might it be possible that John Little having read that old description, and in making the applicaton when there was nothing here but woods and the only inhabitants Indians, saw that the description fit the locality and in his re- quest named the land "Parnassus". The country had not been organized then. The Revolutionary War had not been fought so the patent for this land was not granted to John Little by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania until July 20, 1781. The patent is deseribed "as beginning at a Spanish White Oak opposite the Sewickley Old Town, and bounded on the East by barren land". On April 3. 1769 John Little applied for three hundred acres of land lying on the east side of Allegheny River, about fourteen miles above Fort Pitt and opposite "Sewick- ley Old Town". As was the custom, the name Parnassus was applied to the land for which John Little filed his application.
Subsequently on the 20th day of July, A.D. 1781, and of the Common- wealth the sixth, John Reed, Supreme Executive Couneil of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for the consideration of thirty seven pounds eight shillings and two pence, granted to John Little a certain traet or pareel of land ealled Par- nassus, situated on the East side of the Allegheny river about sixteen miles above Fort Pitt and opposite Sewiekley Old Town, Westmoreland County, containing two hundred and sixty-three aeres, and nineteen perehes, and allowances of six percent for roads, etc., excepting and reserving only the fifth part of all the gold and silver ore for the use of the Commonwealth, to be delivered at the pits mouth, clear of all charges.
Pennsylvania, one of the original states of the American Union came into existence subsequent to the application of the name "Parnassus" to the dis- triet now comprised in the late Borough of Parnassus. Therefore, the name for the district antedates the Declaration of Independence, the Revolutionary War, and the birth of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. So it is perfectly natural that when the two towns combined under the name of New Kensington the Church should retain the original name of the Parnassus Presbyterian Chureh.
6
ORGANIZATION
The Church should have a tapering spire To point to realms, where sin's forgiven And lead men's thoughts, from Earth to Heaven, I like a tower, It speaks of strength, of might, of power- In emblem of the Church's strength To overcome the world at length.
It is not known just the exact time the first church services were held in the village. It must have been about 1836 or 1837. The services were held in a hall on Main Street. The building of the church was begun in 1840 and was built on land owned by John W. Logan. It was along the edge of a cemetery then in use for several years and later enlarged to become the Church Cemetery.
The church building was sixty by forty feet, with slab benches with the round side of the slab under, supported by legs of rough wood, one end smoothed and driven into auger holes in the rounded side of the slab. It was not an un- common thing during service for children to go to sleep and fall off the seat. It has also been left on record that older people sometimes did the same thing. The building was used before it was completed. Then having a Church, the ques- tion of organization naturally arose. There being no church in the village another question presented itself-what denomination should the new organization be ? A very definite way to decide presented itself and Mrs. Elizabeth Logan the wife of Hugh Logan, Sr., who was born and raised an Episcopalian, went around the community on horseback. personally interrogating the people as to what denom- ination they would prefer. She found the majority preferred the Presbyterian Church. She was loyal to the will of the majority and through the remainder of her life served faithfully in this Church and raised her family in the church of her adoption.
The first record to be found in the minutes of the Blairsville Presbytery concerning the church is the record of a meeting held in Poke Run on April 12. A.D. 1842.
"A petition from a number of persons was presented through Mr. John Byerly as commissioner, asking the Presbytery to organize a church in Allegheny Township, Westmoreland County, to be called "Parnassus". Their request was granted and Messrs. Graham and MeClung, with David Coon and Robert Caro- thers, Elders, were appointed to organize the said Church, as soon as convenient."
A later minute of the same session of Presbytery states. "the petitioners for Parnassus Church requested supplies, which request was committed to Messrs. Carothers and Hassinger as a committee on supplies" and in the report of that Committee, "at Parnassus, Mr. Laird the First Sabbath in July; Mr. Graham the First Sabbath in August, and Mr. McClung the First Sabbath in September".
Presbytery met then in April and October of each year and usually spent three days in the meeting-there were at least four sermons. These were on sub- jects assigned at the previous meeting and dealt with matters that were before the Church and the nation. A minute of the meeting held at Ebeneezer October 4. A.D. 1842, is this record: "The Committee appointed to organize a church, to be called Parnassus, reported, that they had attended to that duty on the 18th of May. The Church consisting of thirteen members and one ruling Elder. Their
7
report was accepted, and the congregation taken under the eare of the Presby- tery". Thus, the Parnassus Presbyterian Church was started on its century of service.
The Charter members numbered thirteen and three more were added be- fore the first record was made, officially. The first record of the Session of the Church is as follows :
Parnassus Church was organized in May, Eighteen Hundred and Forty Two. The following named persons were organized and constituted the members of the congregation in full Communion :
Eliza Logan, Sr.
Elizabeth Cunningham
John McElwain
John Frederick
Mary McElwain John W. Logan
Nancy Dugan Eliza Logan
Rebeeca Leslie
Elizabeth Armstrong
Mary Dinsmore
James McElwain
Julia Ann Shoop
Jared M. Irwin
Elizabeth Logan
Susanna Irwin
Eliza Logan, Sr. was the wife of Alexander Logan. Elizabeth Logan was the wife of Hugh Logan, who was the son of Alexander Logan; John W. Logan was the son of Alexander Logan; Eliza Logan, the wife of John Logan; and Elizabeth Armstrong, later Elizabeth Armstrong Stewart, wife of William K. Stewart, was a daughter of Rebeeea Logan Armstrong, wife of Sampson Arm- strong. Rebeeca Logan was the daughter of Alexander and Elizabeth Logan. Thus five of the Charter members were from the Logan family. No deseendents of this family are now members of the Parnassus Chureh.
John MeElwain and Mary MeElwain, his wife, and James MeElwain, his brother, were three of the Charter members. John and Mary MeElwain were the parents of John MeElwain and he was the father of the late Mrs. Annie E. Me- Elwain Glass, mother of Francis J. Glass, a member of this Church. Also the father of Mrs. Mary Crooks, a member of this Church. John McElwain's son. Andrew MeElwain, deceased brother of Mrs. Crooks, whose wife was Emma Eiler McElwain, deeeased, were the parents of Miss Claire MeElwain, a member of this Chureh.
Naney Dugan, a Charter member, was born July 12, 1799 and died November 5, 1885. She was a daughter of David Alter. Naney Dugan was the mother of John W. Dugan and he was the father of Wilmer G. Dugan, present Clerk of Session, and Miss Clara Luella Dugan, members of the Parnassus Chureh.
Rebeeea Leslie was born in 1787 and died in 1857. She was one of the Charter members to unite with the Church by certificate. Her husband operated a ferry at Valley Camp. Of her children James was the father of the late Thomas G. Leslie, and his wife Mrs. Letitia Moore Leslie, and their son, Arthur A. Leslie, are members of the Parnassus Chureh.
Rebecca Leslie's son David was the father of D. A. Leslie, deceased, whose wife Irene M. Leslie is a member of the Church and Miss Agnes Leslie, a daugh- ter of David, is a member of this Church. Another son of David was George R. Leslie, deeeased, whose daughter, Mrs. Edna Leslie Reimer is a member of this Church.
8
6
Church Property
MANSE
DEED
Nº 11
350189'
DEEO Nº 12 FEB 1.1939 JOHN ME CARTNEY KENNEOY, EST
TO
THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF PARNASSUS
HOUSE
DEED Nº6 MAY 9. 1885 JOHN P KENNEDY
TO
TO
TO
TO
CHURCH
THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF PARNASSUS
THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF PARNASSUS,
TO
CHURCH
-CREEK -
STONE
TO
"DEED N'8'
~ ~ "MAY 22 1907 MRS
SARAH L. KNOWLAND .CHURCH
DEED Nº 2 AUG. 27 1883
JOHN W. LOGAN
TO
THE PRES- CRIAN CHURCH OF PARNASSUS
PARNASSUS PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH NEW KENSINGTON WESTMORELAND CO., PA. MAY 18 1942 - SCALE 50 = 1" . J J JARVIE
P. R . R.
LITTLE
ALLEY
ST.
P. R.H.
OCEDN'T JULY 18 1901 ORIGINAL MANSE
SOLO AUG 23-1939
MAIN
MASTERS WAY
MILL ALLEY
.- DEED Nº 9 3& 10 5
SOLD
DEDICATED FOR ST OCT 17 1917
20
0
DEED Nº 5 FEB 25-1885
DEED 9 28 10
JOHN W LOGAN
OEED 3 &4 JOHN W. LOGAN
DEED Nº 9 FEB 25-11-4
" 10 - 27 11-4
I J MIC KENNEDY
OEED Nº 11-1 MAR 19-1918 JOHN MS CARTNEY KENNEDY
FREEPORT STREET
1
MRS ELIZABETH DUGAN
CHURCH
HIFEET DEDICATED FOR STREET
STREET
PARNASSUS PRESBYTERIAN -
CHURCH
DEED Nº 1 JAN 16 1847 JOHN W. LOGAN
JOHN MSELWAIN GEORGE HOFFMAN TRUSTEES DAVID M. ALTER
DEED Nº 11 3 MAR 11-1918
JOHN M'CARTNEY KENNEDY TO
PUCK ETY
THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Of PARNASSUS, PA.
CHURCH
Mary Dinsmore, who was born April 3, 1804, and who died on September 22, 1865, was a Charter member. She was the mother of Benjamin Scott Dismore, deceased, whose son Robert S. Dinsmore and daughter Dorothy are members of the Parnassus Church.
Julia Annie Shoop was born in May 1809, and died October 9, 1887. She was the wife of Michael Shoop, who was an elder from 1844 until 1870. A number of grand children reside in the Springdale, Tarentum, Leechburg, and Apollo district but none of them are now members of the Parnassus Church.
Elizabeth Cunningham was a Charter member, as was Jared M. and Susanna Irwin, but it has not been possible to obtain definite information con- cerning them.
John Frederick was a Charter member. Some of his relatives are thought to be still in this vicinity but none of them are connected with the Church at this time.
Thus ten lineal descendants of these original members of this Church are carrying on in the Church and sustaining the tradition of their ancestors of a century ago.
PROPERTY
The first church building was begun about 1840 or 1841. We are unable to find the date of the first use of the cemetery but we know it was used about or before 1800.
About 1838 or 1839 a Mission Church was conducted in Parnassus and the work of subscribing money and working out plans for the building was begun. Services were held in the partially completed building, rough benches were im- provised for comfortable seats. The building was completed early in 1842. It was a church above the average for the period. Indeed most of the original churches of the day were made of logs, extremely crude, often with puncheon floors, no heat except hand or foot warmers the folks brought with them, rough benches and little or no glass in the windows. So Parnassus began with a very modern church. It was built on the property of John W. Logan and was erected along the edge of the Cemetery. In 1847 the deed for the property was given to the Church. The first deed is now yellow with age and in several pieces.
This deed was made the 16th day of January 1847. Between John W. Logan and Eliza, his wife, of the first part, and John McElwain, Sr., George Hoffman and David M. Alter, Trustees of Parnassus Congregation, of the second part, in consideration of the sum of one dollar. It was for the property marked 1 on the plot. This land was "part of the Tract called Parnassus", patent, dated July 20, 1781, granted to John Little, and held by him, until it was transferred to John Woods, May 11, 1789, and held by him and his wife, until transferred to Alexander Logan, April 20, 1803.
The Church, following its organization, passed through a period of eight years without a regularly called and installed pastor. The only records we have are the session records and they simply record the meetings held, about two per year, and the names of those who were received into the membership of the Church. Mr. John Logan was elected a ruling Elder on the day the Church was organized and was ordained the first Sabbath of September, 1842.
10
While the Church was without a regular pastor the Presbytery sent a minister to supply the Church one Sunday each month and to Moderate the meet- ings of Session. The other Sundays, if they wanted service, they procured their own supplies. Reverend Samuel Caldwell was selected by the congregation to be their regular supply from July 1. 1842 for one year for one fourth of his time.
The first Communion service was held in the Church the first Sabbath of November, 1842, and there were nine accessions to the Church.
The first record of Baptisms is, apparently on the same date. The follow- ing children were Baptized :
one of John Martins one of John Carsons-aged 1 year one of Michael Shoops-aged 1 year 6 months
Communion services were held about twice a year-in the spring and fall. If the Church did not have a regular supply, Presbytery sent usually two minis- ters to conduet the Communion. A preparatory service was held on Saturday afternoon at which tokens were given. If you did not have your token on Sabbath you were not allowed to partake of the elements. The closing service of the Com- munion then on Monday morning. At each of these services a sermon was preached. and these sermons were from one to one and one half hours long. The Minister "explained" the Chapter he read. This required from fifteen minutes to one hour. Service was usually about three hours long. Most of the sermons were writ- ten and more or less closely read.
Often it saved some of the small boys from going to sleep to count the pages of the manuscript the preacher turned over. If he filled the pulpit fre- quently you could tell how he was progressing by remembering the number he had the last time he preached.
The first annual report of the Church was submitted to Presbytery at the meeting April 9, 1844. Total number of communicants-24; Baptized adults- 2: Infants-3; total-5.
The Presbytery at this meeting gave permission to the Church to engage Reverend JJames Mease Smith as stated supply beginning about November 1. 1843. He divided his time between Tarentum and Parnassus until some time in 1848.
On the 17th of May, 1844, an election for an elder was held and Michael Shoop was elected. He was ordained on the 18th and entered on the duties of his office. An interesting minute to show that the Church took their task of discipline seriously in that day, is of May 8, 1847. "Session met at the home of John W. Logan and wasopened with Prayer, the Reverend J. M. Smith, Moderator; Elders, Michael Shoop and J. W. Logan present, and whereas, reports, being in eirenlation, derogatory to the Christian character of a member of the Church, Messrs. Smith and Shoop were appointed a committee, to wait on the said mem- ber, to ascertain the faets in the ease, and if guilty to endeavor to bring him to repentance. Session then had recess, until the next Sabbath. After sermon when the Session convened, the Committee reported, that they had waited on said mem- ber, and that he confessed he was guilty of intemperance, and that he had used profane language, and had a disposition to quarrel. He declared his intention, to
11
appear before Session and to acknowledge his sin and sorrow for his conduct. The Session in view of the aggravated nature of the offense, and the failure of the member to appear before Session, according to his promise, that he ought to be judged, and is hereby suspended from the privileges of the Church, until he gives satisfactory evidence of his repentance, and that this decision be read from the pulpit, which was done." Session closed with prayer.
On October 2, 1848 Thomas Armstrong, who had been an Elder in the Plum Creek Church, was elected a ruling Eller.
The reports submitted to Presbytery do not give much information.
The report of 1844-Members 2.4
Adults Baptized 2
Infants Baptized 3
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