USA > Pennsylvania > Lebanon County > Lebanon > Addresses delivered at the second stated meeting of the Lebanon County Historical Society, held in the court house, Lebanon, Pa., Friday, April 15, 1898 > Part 3
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LEBANON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Philip Peffer did the carpentering. They left a memorandum, written in red chalk on the inside of the sounding board, as follows :. Heinrich Pfeffer, Philip Pfeffer, Schreiner, haben diese Kirche Arbeit ge- macht in Juny Month 1767 ( Evangelisch Gemeind). The pastors of the congrega- tion during the eighteenth century, of whom we have any record, were John Casper Stoever, Fred. Augustus Conrad Muhlenberg, and Christopher Emanuel Schultz, who served it from 1765 to
1810. Michael Weber and Anna Barbara, his wife, presented the . con- gregation with a pewter communion service in 1764. The members of this con- .
gregation prior to 1800, as far as we have been able to ascertain names, were Mich- ael Weber and Anna Barabara, hus wife; Andreas Moore and Catharine Ehzabeth, h.s wife; Jacob Neff and wife, George Gullman, John Louser and Barbara, his wife; George Schwengel and Margaret, his wife; JolingGeorge Ulrich and Anna ( aur- arine, his wife; Casper lba and Gertrude, his wife; John Achey and .Catharine, his wife; Adam Waal, Valentine . Fieman, Frederick Albright, Andreas Rickert andi wife; Francis Smith, George Magnus Con- rad, Jacob Geib, Adam Schoener, Freder. ick Miller and wife; Philip Erb and Su- sanna Magdalena, his wife: Andreas Capp and Catharine, his wife; John Peter Rein and Susanna, his wife; George Albright and Eva Christina, his wife; Robert Brighton and Elizabeth, his wite; Peter Moore . and ('atharine ; Trion) his
wife;, David Kramer and Alice . his wife; Christian Gehret and Magdalena (bartman), his wife; Philip Iba, Adam Rech, John Beamesderfer, Samuel Bucks, and Magdalena, his wife; George Fessler and Elizabeth, his wife; Jacob Gass and Catharine, his wife; Henry Mock and Catharine, his wife; John Vatentie and Maria Eva, his wife; Michael Valentine and Magdalena, his wife; James Huston and Sarah, his wife; John Fletcher and Margaret, his wife; Jacob Moore, Jacob Philhpi and Magdalena ( Reist), his wife; John Adam Mock and Anna Sophia, his wife; Ludwig Fidler, and Barbara, his : wife;' George Trostle and Susanna, his wife; Jacob I'mbehend and Sophia (Fried), his wife; George Capp and Max- dalena, his wife; John Kapp, Anthony Kapp, George Strickler and Eva (Stiegel), his wife; Anthony Stiegel and Christina. his wife; Martin Albrecht and Sophia, his wife; Joseph Behringer and Hannah, his
wife; Heury. Gettle and Plnhipina, his wife.
THE LUTHERAN SCHOOL HOUSE.
- In 1799 Phihp Erb, by deed of gift, do- natex to the Lutheran congregation for its use as a school house and teacher's res-, idence a lot of ground on East Main street (now owned by Dr. J. W. Keith), being, as the deed recites, "zealously am- mated to promote the doctrines of the Christian religion and the instruction of youth im useful and necessary branches of literature." The school was kept by Yensel, Rehin, Gettle and Moller.
THE FOUNDER OF THE TOWN.
.. Alexander Schaeffer, to whom the honz pr belongs of having founded the towu which. now bears his name, was born
(probably in Wordtambure), January 8. 1712. lie emigrated to this country, ac- companied by his wife, Anna Engel, it is supposed, prior to 1738. He settled on a barren spot on the South Mountain, near The Poplar, Spring, where he built a house, set out an apple orchard, and made some attempts at farming. Finding the result not at all encouraging,, he abandoned the unpromising locality and moved into the valley to the north of town. He must have had some meaus, for he acquired several large tracts of land. In 1758 he bought two traets from Martin Thomas and Barbara, his wife, containing in the aggregate 204 acres of laud; and these two tracts included nearly all of the land on which the town is built. The town even at that early date con- tained many inha ants, but they were merely settlers and had no title to the. land on which they had made their homes. Schaeffer then laid out the town systematically, according .co a model mueb in vogue, reserving an open square in the center, around which it was expected the principal business places would be locat- ed; and he and his wife conveyed title to the lots, subject to a ground rent of stat- ed amount, to be paid yearly to the grant- or, his heirs or assigns forever, to the residents as well as to others who desired to own them. Ine ground rent in the ease of lots conveyed to the churches was nominal, being only a penny a year. Schaeffer followed the voeation of farm- ing for a number of years, and later con- dueted a general merchandise store. Ile and his wife, Anna Engel, were both un- able to write, and executed all deeds by making their mark. Anna Engel died in
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LEBANON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
1772, aged 64 years, and Schaeffer subse- quently married again. The name of his second wife was Catharine. He died Apr0 10, 1786, and his body reposes m the Retormed cemetery beside that of his first wife4
THE OLD CEMETERY.
· Alexander Schaeffer and Anna Engel, .... wife, by deed, dated August 30, 1763, granted to Joan Wolfersperger and John Lanser, in trust for the Reformed and Lutheran congregations of the town of Heidelberg and viemity in common, to be used as a graveyard, lot numbered 225 in the general plan of said town, and bound- ed by lands of Mehael Kapp and Theo- phuus England. This lot had probably been used before that date by the people ot the neighborhood for the burial of their dead. Most of the early graves were only marked with undressed and un- lettered slabs of limestone placed at the head and foot ends. 'These, of course, cannot be identified. A few, however, have headstones with 'inscriptions; but the stones being of red sandstone, much worn by time, the lettering in most cases is almost effaced. I have deciphered them at great pains, and present them here just as they are, without attempting to cor- reet grammatical or orthographeal errors therein : .
"Machtelena Seillin. Wart geboren den 10ten November, 1774. Sdarb Selig im Herren den 6ten Mertz, 1777. Ruhe sanft in dieser Gruft bis dir Jesus wieder mutt."
"lier ruht .Margreda Wolferspergerin. Ist geboren im Jahr 1697, den 21 Sebtem- ber; ist gestorben den -1. Christmond. 1775."
"Hier ruht Susanna Cappin geboren X August; gestorben XH December, 1772. Ruhe sanft in dieser Gruft bis chr lesus wieder mft."
"Hier ruht Catharina Heissm. Ist ge- boren den 25ten Juni, 1772; ist gestorben Hten November, 1774."
"Hier ruht Adam Wolfersperger; ist ge- boren den 20 Hornung 1772, und ist gest. orben den 15 November, 1775."
"Hier ruhet unser liebe Tochter. Maria Miewabeth Aerpfin, Philip AVerpf u. Su- anna Magdalena cheliche Tochter: ist geboren anno 1756 Febru. 7 tag; gestorben anno 1769 Janu. 13 tag. Alt worden 12. Jahr Il mond und 8 tag. (This stone has a seraph with wings outspread, artistical- ly sculptured in bass relief at the top, and the symbolic skull and crossed bones at the bottom:)
Hier in dieser Gruftte Rues ruhet un- ter diesem Stein durch Christi Blut von Suenden rein Anna Engel Scheferin ges- torben und ruhet hierin- den 22ten No- vember 1772; ihres Alters 64; geboren 1708. (This is the epitaph of Alexander Schaeffer's first wife.)
Copy of a paper found among the Re- formed church records:
Eine unterhaenige Bitte an alle Lieb- haber der. Wahrheit, welche einen An- theil haben an der Allgemeinen Christ- lichen Kirche, welche zwar in mancherley Verfassungen und Abtheilungen, oder Re- ligionen, bestehet, aber doch nicht des- toweniger all zu der wahren Kirche im Geist berufen sind durch das Evangelium in Jesu Christo unserm . Heylande.
LIEBE BRUEDER UND FREUNDE IN DEM HERRN CHRISTO: Nach dem wir, als ein Haueffein von der sogen- anten Reformirten Evangelischen Ge- meinde uns untereinander vor etlichen Jahren haben gemeinschaftlich vorgenom- men zur Ehre Gottes, und zum Genuss der Seelen, so wohl unser als auch der hernach auwachsenden Jugend, eine Kirche zu bauen in der Stadt Heidelberg, im Lancaster County. Weilen aber da's Bauen, wie bekand ist, sehr viel kostet, so .sind wir dadurch in eine grosse Sehnk gerathen, und zu reparirung des Schni- hauses weiter in Schulden kommen weilen wir mehrentheils arme Leute sind, so sind wir genoethigt guthertzige Seelen demue- thigst zu ersuchen and bruederlich zu bitten inn eine Beysteuer, damit wir doch das angefangene Werk, so wie wir hotien zur Ehre unsers grossen Gottes moechten ausfuehren. Wir wollen es auch ansehen als ein Werk von grosses Wichtigkeit. welches wir shuldig sind, wo moeglich in solchen Fall wieder zu vergelten, wohl wissend dass der Herr ein Vergelter ist. und dass einen jeden nach seinen Werken.
Damit es aber ordentlich moechte be. handelt werden, or richtig moechte zu- gehen, nicht allein vor Gott sondern auch olme Aergeniss bey den Menschen. "> haben wir verordnet diese zwey Maenner. nelnnlich den Schulmeister, Johap Theo- dor Hotrus and Johannes Wolfesperger. welche das Zeuegmiss haben dass sie auf- richtige und getrene Leute und bekandte Freunde der Wahrheit seyn, welche auch bey ihrem Gewissen versprochen diesen Verleissenen Seegen in der Furcht Gottes einznsamlen, und ein ordentliches und ge- wissenhaftes Register davon anzeigen, che Gaben mit den Nahmen des Gebers ein. bringen. Damit nicht jemand eine Ur
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LEBANON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
sache haette zu laestern, und wir, die uit. terschriebene Vorsteher und Aeltesten der oben genelten -Reformirten Gemeinde, versprechen nach 'aller Treue das jenige wie vorgemelt nach besten Vermoegen zu Gottes Ehre und zum Nutzen der Mit- glieder oeffentlich in der Allgegenwart (io.tes zu beliandeln.
Zum Zeugniss dieses haben wir im Nah- meu der gantzen Gemeinde unsere Nan- men eigenhandig unterschrieben, so ges- chehen den 25 tag Monaths Aprill in dem Jahr unsers lierrn ein Tausend sieben Hundert und sechs und sechtzig.
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Alexander Shafer, Durst Dume, Jacob Schaub, Peter Wolffersperger, Philip Wolffersperger, l'aul Gemberling, Johan- nes Ogsennian, George Tranttmann,. Cas- par Schweitzer, Jacob Berger, Ileinrich Kring, Wilhelm Besch, Abraham Stumb. (Acknowledged April 25, 1766, by Alex- ander Schaeffer and Durst Dume before J. P. de Haas, J. P.)
Bond of indemnity by the Ref. Cong. to J. Wolfesperger and Durst Thomas.
Kund unt su wissen sey heirmit Jeder- mann dass wir endes underselireiber, mit- glieder der Reformirte Gemeine in der Staat Heydelberg, in Lancaster County, einmutiglich im namen der ganzen Gem- eyne, so wohl auch Aeldeste wie anch for- steher derselben gemeine, festiglich besch- lossen und sind einig worden, und haben der Lutherischen gemeine in der Stat . - Heytelberg ihren Theil was dieselbige for ein Recht und Antheil an der Kirche und "Schulhaus und Lott wo die Kirche und Schulhaus darauf gebant ist, gehabt hab- en. abgekauft, for und um die Snma acht- - zig. Pund gut und lawfoll Gelt fou l'ensil- vania, auf fier Zieler zubezahlen.
Damit aber das gemelte Gelt, namlich achtzig Pund, gemeinschaftlich moechte nach Lanf des Accords richtig bezahlt werden, dessentwegen ist gemeinschaft- lich beschlossen worden dass zwey Men- ner aus der Gemeine, nahmlich Johannes Wolfensperger und Dorst Tomen, sind
gewehlet worden, welche. im namen der ganzen Gemeine sollen gute Bande geben so wie der accord lautet. Dessentwegen wir, die underschriebene, versprechen und verbinden uns, wie auch unsere Erben, Executor, Administrator, festiglich durch disses gegenwerdige Schreiben, dass wir, die oben gebundene zwey Menner, nahm- lich Johannes Woffensperger und Dorst Tomen, auf kemerley weiss wollen Scha- den leiden lassen der obige gemelte fer- bindung wegen, sondern allen Schaden und Gefahr so der oben gemelte Johannes Wolfensperger und Dorst Tomen dadorch haben sollen versprechen wir, endes un- derschreiber, gemeinschaftlich, nach eines jeden Vermoegen zu tragen und zubezah- len bis die felige Suma, naehmlich achtzig l'und, in fol- bezahlet sind .- Zu dissem, so wir oben gemelt, haben sich alle Glieder der Reformirten Gemeine. welche Theil haben, somw ah Hojeniger die noch Theil an der oben gemelten Kirche und was dazu geberet haben wollen, eigen- haendig unde schrieben, und haben sich an die oben gemelte zwey Menner, namlı- lich Johannes Wolfensperger und Dorst 'Tomen, wie oben gemeltet, gemeinschaft- iglich verbunden in eine Suma fon eln Hundert und segtzig Pund oben gemeltes Gelt, und for besser Securety sollen die zwey oben gemelten Menner, naehmlich Johannes Wolfensperger und Dorst To- men den Diet oder Kaufbrief in ihrer Verwaltung haben bis die oben gemelte Suma felig bezahlet ist. Das bezengen unser cigene Hende wie oben gemeltet.
. Alexander Schaeffer,
Peter Wolffersperger, Wilhelm Heinrich Leineweber. Heinrich Schram, Johannes Schaeffer,
Nicholaus Swinger, Wilhelm Besch, Heinrich Keller, Casper Schweitzer, Hyronimus Trauttmann, Johannes Ochsenmann.
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