USA > Pennsylvania > Ancient and historic landmarks in the Lebanon Valley > Part 14
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To come back again to the story of the first bell, it was less than a decade before this English product was hung in its place in the first church, when it began, like the old Liberty Bell of Philadelphia to "proclaim liberty throughout the land and to all the inhabitants thereof." Its sound must not have been very musical to the several hundred Hessian prisoners, who were quartered here for some time after their capture at the battle of Trenton, N. J., but it was about this kind of irony these hateful English allies deserved.
The pastors who have served this congregation since its foundation are here mentioned. We would like to give brief sketches of all, but have space only to give names and dates. The record is as follows :
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LANDMARKS IN THE LEBANON VALLEY.
Rev. John Casper Stoever (?) 1735-1773
" Fred. Aug. Con. Muhlenberg 1773-1775
" John William Kurtz . 1775-1794
" George Lochman, D. D. 1794-1815
" William G. Ernst, D. D. I815-1836
" Jonathan Ruthrauff 1836-1844 " William G. Ernst, D. D. 1844-1849
" G. F. Krotel, D. D. . 1849-1853
" John N. Hoffman I853-1854
" Henry S. Miller I854-1864
" B. W. Schmauk 1864-1876
" Geo. H. Trabert . 1877-1883
B. W. Schmauk .
Theodore E. Schmauk 1883-1895
It would be interesting to enter into an account of the arduous labors of these servants of God at this place, but that would require volumes, and is not the present purpose of these letters. Suffice it to say that as far as we know all have given diligent service for the up- building of this parish, and that the combined labors of all, together with the cooperation of the congregation, have resulted in building up one of the strongest and most influential churches of Lebanon.
Only one of these pastors is buried here, viz. : Dr. W. G. Ernst, who died in 1849. A small marble monu- ment near the rear entrance of the church marks his resting place. Upon it are epitaphs to the memory of his mother (Elizabeth Ernst, wife of Rev. John Fred- erick Ernst, born March 22, 1747, died January 31, 1826) and other relatives. His own reads thus :
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SALEM CHURCH AND GRAVEYARD.
In Memory of REV. WILLIAM G. ERNST, D. D., who was born in Sussex Co., N. J. October 30, 1786. He preached the Gospel for 34 years, 29 of which he was Pastor of this Congregation.
Through the merits of his Savior he entered into his eternal rest
Sept. I, A. D. 1849. AGED 62 yrs. 10 months.
"Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors : and their works do fol- low them."
The third pastor, Rev. Kurtz, a younger brother, we think, of the Rev. John Nicholas Kurtz, of Tulpe- hocken, also lies buried in the county, but at Jones- town, being then also a part of this parish.
The list of pastors numbers some of this denomi- nation's most noted and scholarly ministers. Rev. Muhlenberg was a son of the distinguished patriarch, and it is altogether probable that as his father was still living during this son's pastorship here, he visited him and thus most likely preached for him; so that although without a record stating the fact, we be- lieve that the illustrious Henry Melchoir Muhlenberg preached also in this city, and that in Salem's pulpit.
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LANDMARKS IN THE LEBANON VALLEY.
From this mother church have gone out Zion's in 1844 (from which has branched Seventh Street Luth- eran,) and Trinity in 1885. Though vast the influence it exerted for so long a period, the church to-day is abreast in numbers, influence and activity with the most active of the city, and does not have any signs of age, save in the influence it wields and the merited re- spect it receives from the younger churches of the city.
A step out of the rear door of this ancient structure and we are in the original cemetery, where are sleep- ing the first few generations of worshipers liere. What a book this is to read ! Familiar names that were once on every lip, have here been chiseled on cold marble with the significant "In Memoriam !" The truth is, despite the somberness, a cemetery has certain indescribable charms for most of us. It is the place for deep thought, for silent revery, for next to real com- munion with our departed friends.
This graveyard has the old enclosure of a stone wall to keep out the vagrant, the irreverent, the vandal and the busy world that surges by, with neither time nor in- clination to check its rushing gait for a thing so utterly foreign and chilling to its arduous zest as that of a burial place. It is a pity that this wall has too often shut out also the presence, the sight and the tender care of the surviving friends of these departed ones ; for there is not apparent here the tender care, which the worth of the departed, the name of this church, and the conspicuity of this street corner deserve. Could not
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SALEM CHURCH AND GRAVEYARD.
steps be taken to beautify this spot like Mt. Lebanon, and a fund be raised to keep it in repair ? We should
H
ANOTHER VIEW OF SALEM LUTHERAN CHURCH, LEBANON, PA.
be glad to give a transcript of many old tombstone in- scriptions found here, but we have space for but a few.
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LANDMARKS IN THE LEBANON VALLEY.
Some of the oldest have so faded that they are no longer legible. It is believed that such an one marks the grave of Mr. George Steitz ; for upon the most reliable tradition of his descendants, despite any former supposi- tion to the contrary, it is generally believed that this founder of our town, who died in 1769, lies buried here. His great-great-grand-daughter, Mrs. Allen D. Hoffer, told the author that she remembers having visited in her childhood this old graveyard in company with her grandmother, who used to point out an unmarked grave near the western wall as the spot where grandfather Steitz was buried. But even this is only tradition, how- ever reliable. Can it be that this old German founder of Lebanon was, like the great leader and lawgiver of Israel, buried by the angels of God out of human sight, and shall no one ever know the place of his sepulture? The graves of his daughter, grand-daughter and other rela- tives are here, and their epitaphs are quite legible. There follows that of his grand-daughter, Catharine Reynolds (Clark), to whom he bequeathed his property on condition she mnarry a Gerinan. But true love neither runs smooth nor according to prescribed lines of nationality, and so this heiress married a Scotch- Irishman, Thomas Clark, Esqr., and I suppose forfeited her legacy. After a comparatively long and (we sup- pose) happy life, they were here gathered side by side, and the two large flat marble stones covering their graves give evidence that they were not wholly without means. Her epitaph reads thus :
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SALEM CHURCH AND GRAVEYARD.
In Memory of MRS. CATHARINE CLARK Consort of Thomas Clark, Esqr., who was born on the 29th day of September 1756 and departed this life the 30th day of June 1817 Aged 60 years 9 months and I day.
"Blest are the dead whose souls are pure, Their sufferings past, their glory sure."
The daughter of this couple was the mother of Mr. David Hammond, who, with his family, is to-day num- bered among our residents-a direct lineal descent from Mr. Steitz, of quite a number of generations.
Here sleep also the wife and some children of Rev. Dr. Lochman, long the pastor. Likewise the elder Shindels, Embichs, Weidmans, Bickers, Reinoelils, George and Eleanor Reynolds (he a captain in the Re- volution, she the only daughter of George Steitz), Schantzes, Sixes, Uhlers, Stoevers and Yensels, besides many others. We give in conclusion a fac-simile of two more epitaphs-those of two children of pastors-the one the youngest son of the first pastor, and the other a daughter of the fourth, whose mother sleeps by her side, having died at 18, when the daughter was a babe of but a year :
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LANDMARKS IN THE LEBANON VALLEY.
Hier Ruhen Die Gebeinen des FRIEDERICH STOVER Esqr. Ward Gebohren in Libanon Tausp. Am 20 Sept. A. D. 1759 Und starb Am 24 May 1833 Brachte Sein alter
Auf 73 Ia. 8 Mo. 4 Da. Lei 2 Pet. I Ca. I V.
Joh. L. Stoner Ma.
IN MEMORY of
MARIA REIDENAUR wife of
MR. GEORGE REIDENAUR and daughter of the Revd. George Lochman, D. D., Died December 7, 1835. Aged 39 years, 5 months and · 2 days.
CHAPTER XXVII.
OUR EXIT VIA OLD CUMBERLAND STREET TO GLONINGER'S FORT.
There is enough of the antique left in Lebanon tliat has not yet been touched upon in these pages, to keep us busy here for some time longer. But, whilst it would be interesting to hunt up every relic of the pre- ceding century still to be found in the city, it is time that we shake off the dust that has gathered on our travel-worn feet since our halt here and again resume our journey beyond. And so, with thanks for every favor and encouragement received while the guests of the city, my army of explorers, like so many Common- wealers, would graciously bow themselves out and con- tinue their pilgrimage down the lazy windings of the Quittapahilla.
We shall go out orderly, taking the same way that the early visitors to Lebanon took, when making their departure, if their exit was towards the west-up towards Harris' Ferry, later Harrisburg. For let it be remembered that old roads are landmarks as well as old buildings.
Leaving Salem Lutheran church corner and proceed- ing south on Eighth street, we pass-at the south-east
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LANDMARKS IN THE LEBANON VALLEY.
corner of Eighth and Willow-the home of Mr. John H. Hoffer, the same building having formerly been used as a school-house (as well as another old building, formerly occupying the rear of said lot) in which the noted Miss Rose Cleveland, sister of the President of the United States, formerly taught our Lebanon boys and girls. A little beyond, at the alley, is the Salem Lutheran parsonage, in and out of which house, or one formerly occupying the spot, have gone the Lutheran pastors of this church since the year 1800. Across the alley from this parsonage is the fine Roman Catholic church, built in 1876, but which site was previously oc- cupied for 60 years by a chapel, where this congrega- tion worshiped in its infancy. Immediately opposite is the county Court House-the first erected structure since the establishment of the county in 1813. This building was completed in 1818, and ever since that time our county courts have been held here, where are kept all the official documents of the same. Some of the earlier records were supposed to be endangered here when Lee's army invaded Pennsylvania in 1863, and were taken to the Schuylkill county court house for safe keeping, from which they were afterwards re- turned, and I am told some have not yet been unpacked from the fugitive packages. Dr. Egle has published in his history an account of the first court records, showing that upon the establishment of the county-the court then held in the fine stone dwelling on south side of Cumberland street, between 9th and
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CUMBERLAND STREET TO GLONINGER'S FORT.
Ioth, now owned by Mrs. Boughter-James Buchanan, and Edward Godwin, and Thomas Elder, and Jacob B. Weidman, and the Wrights, and John Marks Biddle, and Edward Coleman, and John M. Forster, and the Fishers, and Hopkinses, and Henry Kurts, and Samuel Laird, and Moses McClain, and William Montgomery, and Nutz, and Morris, and Geo. B. Porter, and Chas. Richards, and the Smiths, and Francis R. Shunk, were among the most prominent attorneys at the bar that practiced here, and that Walter Franklin was the first president judge, and John Gloninger and David Krause were first associate judges.
Diagonally opposite, on the south-east corner of this street intersection, stands the Central Hotel, formerly the old "Buck Hotel, " in charge of Joseph Reinhard, where Wm. Henry Harrison stopped during his presi- dential campaign visit to Lebanon.
Leaving this corner of the city, where the legal busi- ness of the county centres, and where every half or quarter of an hour the electric cars of the city meet, let us go westward on Cumberland street. But we shall not take time to do more than point out a few more build- ings of note. And one of these is the Ross house, where the flourishing Dr. Ross' drug store is located, noted because this is said to have been the first three- story house erected in the city. What a contrast with that early advanced architecture is the fine Nutting building with its six stories that has recently arisen by its side! Another building which savors of age and
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LANDMARKS IN THE LEBANON VALLEY.
has doubtless an interesting history, is the stone build- ing occupied by Shiffler's green-grocery store.
But we cross again the central square and now come to the fine stone dwelling house of Mrs. Boughter. It is very old, but one of the most roomy and hospitably built old mansions in our city. It has associated with it a history that decks it with a new garment of inter- est, viz : That it was used from the erection of Leba- non county, 1813, until the completion of the court house in 1818, by the county as a temporary court house. It was here that those early legal lights of our court, already mentioned, then practiced law. In its original construction it was built as a farm house and had extensive grounds and all the necessary farm out- buildings. Thus there remained to within a year an old building used as a pig-sty, corn-crib, etc., which is said to have secreted and sheltered for a short time, in the ante-war period, certain fugitive slaves, who, being here befriended, made their escape lience to Canada in safety. To add to the justice and judicial reputation of this old homestead, it might be added that it was the residence at different periods of several legal lights of our court, viz : Jacob B. Weidman, Esq., Levi Kline, Esq., Amos R. Boughter, Esq., and the late Judge of the county, Hon. John B. McPherson.
Immediately opposite this fine old dwelling, where the late C. Henry's residence is now situated, used to stand the public house of Abraham Doebler, where usually stopped the lawyers from other counties that
CUMBERLAND STREET TO GLONINGER'S FORT. 281
practiced here in that early period. The writer recently learned from one of our best-informed citizens an inci- dent which helps to bring to view the old-fashioned times then lived in this hostlery. The incident was related by Mr. James Buchanan, who told my informant how the loquacious and somewhat officious mistress of this house on one occasion, while he was boarding there, took him (Mr. Buchanan) to a cheaply-drawn portrait of her husband, hanging on the parlor wall, and began to recount the different steps of his successful, self-made career, following the story with an earnest admonition to the young aspirant to be good and self-reliant and persevering in his efforts, and he too might perchance some day shine as brilliantly as her husband. It is said that Buchanan never forgot that advice, and the self- complacent manner in which it was given.
But we must hasten on. The north-east corner of roth and Cumberland used to contain an old house in which Dr. Marshall of some local fame used to reside. On the south-west corner of this street intersection stands the Farmers' Hotel, which must have been erected more than a century ago. It was built by one Han Georg Focht, about a decade before the Revolutionary war, inasmuch as this pioneer afterwards moved about four miles east of Lebanon on a farın still in the family's hands, where the house built, prior to 1770 still stands, which date marks the erection of an addition to it a few years later. This Mr. Focht was the great-grandfather of Mrs. John Reinoehl, of our Lebanon.
19
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LANDMARKS IN THE LEBANON VALLEY.
But we come now into the very oldest section of the city, where abound most of the ancient landmarks. Old Cumberland street, which led the way out of town before the Berks and Dauphin turnpike chose another and better way, still contains many of these first build- ings. They are mostly low, one story log huts-some
OLD CUMBERLAND STREET, LEBANON, PA.
( Looking east )
now encased with boards-whose erection must date to the days of Steitz himself. One house here has the tradition of having been used as a church for some time. It is the one numbered "1122," and the shape of the same much resembles the Hebron Moravian Church. It is two-storied, with peaked roof and di-
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CUMBERLAND STREET TO GLONINGER'S FORT.
vided into apartments like the one at Hebron. Was it here that the local Lutherans and Reformed tempo- rarily worshipped before the erection of their first churches in town ? Quite likely. For in our last chap- ter we learned that, because the Lutherans "found the worship of God in private houses inconvenient" they made efforts in 1768 to build a church.
But Steitz ! where did he live? There has been much surmise, but as yet we have found nothing more authentic than a tradition that the Uhler residence or " Meadow Bank " of Mr. Geo. Hayes and his family marks the spot. There is much of circumstantial evi- dence to corroborate this story. It was on the banks of the creek, fronting on the south and east, just the kind of site we always find these old Germans have selected for their homes. Besides, we find here a portion of a very old log building and an arched cellar or cave of such antiquity as to antedate the childhood of our oldest citizens. There is also a tradition that there are logs and beans of a larger building that formerly stood here, used in the construction of the present brick house, built years ago by Mr. Uhler, and that these were said to have been taken fron Steitz's old house. Altogether the story is quite probable, and we shall henceforth think that Mr. Steitz spent his American life here, and that a fine meadow along the Quittapahilla stretching before his house (where now the C. & L. trains go to and fro) furnished the best hay for his cattle.
The old Cumberland road (now blocked by the C. &
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LANDMARKS IN THE LEBANON VALLEY.
L. R. R.) used to follow close to the banks of the Quit- tapahilla creek, at the base of the knoll now crested by Mr. Hammond's fine home (through whose occupant's veins flows the blood of the town's too-mnuch-forgotten and too-little-known founder), and led on through the Gloninger farm, past the old homestead, on to Sunny- side and the Stoever mills. Were we to make a call at Mr. Hammond's palatial residence, we should find it filled with a collection of rare and invaluable family heirlooms, descended through both lines of an equally prominent ancestry.
But we must make a short halt at the Gloninger home in earlier days, commonly known as the Glon- inger "Fort." The house is still standing on the south bank of the creek. George Gloninger must have erected it somewhere in the decade between 1740-50. Old histories speak of it as having been used as a place of refuge from the Indians during the period of warfare and their greatest depredations from 1750-65. It is a good specimen of the solid architecture of those days, with its piked roof and original port-holes for windows, and serves as an interesting landmark, because here the first American Gloninger immigrants settled, from whom has descended locally quite an illustrious family. It seems that the names of the American Gloninger an- cestors were Peter [Philip(?)] and his wife, Anna Bar- bara, and that Valentine, Jolın, George and Peter were among their sons. Of these George may have been the oldest and remained on the old homestead as farmer.
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CUMBERLAND STREET TO GLONINGER'S FORT.
The others distinguished themselves in other avenues of life. Jolın, born in 1758, took an active part in the Revolutionary war, rose to official rank, hield official positions in his native (then Dauphin) county by ap- pointment and election, and served a number of years as Associate Judge upon the erection of the county of
THE GLONINGER "FORT. "
Lebanon. He was married to Catharine Orth, a daughter of Adam and Catharine (Kucher) Ortlı. Their son Philip, born in 1788, was a minister in the Reformed church, very brilliant, with a promising future before him, when he was cut down by an un-
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LANDMARKS IN THE LEBANON VALLEY.
timely death in 1816. He had been stationed at Har- risburg previous to his death, and had been married to Eliza Clark, the daughter of Thomas Clark, Esq., and a great-granddaughter of Mr. George Steitz. His widow later married Col. Hammond and became the mother of Col. David Steitz Hammond, who resides in Leb- anon. Concerning the ability and fine pastoral spirit of this minister, the following lines written and dedi- cated by him to his flock and sorrowing friends, a few days before his death, bear ample testimony :
"Meinen Jesum lass ich nicht, Jesus wird mir helfen siegen Vor dem letzten zorngericht! Und hier in den letzten zuegen, Ich weiss, nimmt der Tod mich hin Dass ich doch bey Jesus bin.
" Wann dich die Last der Leiden drueckt Schau drum nicht Muthlos nieder ;
Schau frei empor, sprich, mich erquickt Der Herr doch endlich wieder.
Der Christen hohes Burger-Recht Ist dort im Vaterlande. Der Christ, der irdisch denkt, denkt schlecht Und unter seinem Stande.
"Dort ist das rechte Canaan, Wo Lebens Stroeme flieszen ; Blick oft hinauf, der Anblick kan Dein Leidens-Kelch versuesszen. Dort oben ist des Vaters-Haus Gott theilt zum Gnaden Lohn c11 Ueberwindern Cronen aus ; Kaempf euch um Ruhm und Crone.
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CUMBERLAND STREET TO GLONINGER'S FORT.
"Wann ich auch gleich bald scheiden Vou meinen Freuden soll, Das, mir und ihn'n bringt Leiden Doch tröstet dies mich wohl Dass wir in groessern Freuden Zusammen kommen dort ; Und bleiben ungescheiden An einem bessern ort."
Another son of John and Catharine Gloninger was John W., the physician, whose attainments and skill gave him early in his long practice a first rank in the profession. He was a celebrated surgeon and oculist specialist, with a wide reputation. He was a frequent contributor to medical journals, and an honored mem- ber of many medical societies. He left a family of children, viz .: Eliza, wife of Dr. David B. Marshall, al- ready alluded to in this chapter ; Matilda, wife of John Wetherill, of Philadelphia ; Dr. Cyrus D., a noted phy- sician, whose widow and son, (Dr. Andrew H.), now occupy the old residence (corner of 9th and Cumber- land) ; Dr. David Stanley, of Philadelphia, and Alice, wife of Dr. A. H. Light, of Lebanon.
We have recently seen the portrait painting of this old Revolutionary Gloninger worthy, which reflects much of the Saxon honesty, frankness and stern integ- rity for which he was noted. In the antiquarian collec- tion of our friend, Mr. E. W. S. Parthemore, of Harris- burg, we saw also an honorable discharge from militia duty of a fellow citizen that bears his signature, as follows :
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LANDMARKS IN THE LEBANON VALLEY.
The bearer, Henry Meyer, of Cap- tain Stover's Company of the Second Battalion of Lancaster County Militia, having made ap- pear to me that he is above the age of 53 years, is discharged honorably from all militia duty, this 19th day of November, 1782. JOHN GLONINGER, Sec. Lieut. for Lancaster Militia.
Nearly all the Gloningers that have departed this life sleep in the First Reformed Cemetery of this city, in the shadow of the church, which the earliest genera- tions were so active to establish. There we found the graves of Valentine, born June II, 1766, died December 24, 1844 ; Peter and Elizabeth, his wife ; John and all his family. Fitting monuments, or marble slabs, mark their resting places. Two of these are to the memory of Dr. John W. and Mary Ann, his wife. Another monument has its four faces occupied with memorial inscriptions of the Hon. John, born September 19, 1758, died January 22, 1836 (on the east) ; his wife, Cathar- ine, born October 31, 1767, died June 17, 1848 (on the west) ; his son, Rev. Philip, born February 17, 1788, died September 10, 1816 (on the north), and his son Cyrus, born December 25, 1804, died December 22, 1821 (on the south). Suitable epitaphs accompany each.
It is fitting that the memory of such worthy ancestors be preserved, and we trust that whatever improvements inay chance to be made in the old Gloninger farm in the hands of the new syndicate, the old homestead inay
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CUMBERLAND STREET TO GLONINGER'S FORT.
be long kept as a relic, and that somewhere a park, or street, or institution, may preserve the name of its first white proprietors, as that name is preserved by the far- famned spring that gushes with clearest water from lime- stone rocks on the plantation. To this spring let us now repair, to drink to each other's healthı as we part company for another interim.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
A VALUABLE LIBRARY HISTORICALLY HOUSED.
"Tread softly here, as ye would tread In presence of the honored dead, With reverent step and low-bowed head.
" Speak low-as low as ye would speak Before some saint of grandeur meek Whose favor ye would humbly seek.
"Within these walls the very air Seems weighted with a fragrance rare Like incense burned at evening prayer.
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