USA > Pennsylvania > Montgomery County > Historical sketches : a collection of papers prepared for the Historical Society of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, 1921-1925, Volume VII > Part 15
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The town has existed, no doubt, for more than two cen- turies. Most of the early settlers were Germans, who prob- ably spread out from the earlier settlements of Germantown and Philadelphia into the country farther north.
In May, 1698, the Great Road to North Wales was laid out upon petition of Nicholas Scull, at one time Surveyor- General of Pennsylvania, to the Provincial Council, and was afterwards incorporated as a turnpike road by Act of As- sembly on March 5, 1804, almost one hundred and twenty
*Read at an outing of the Society, October 6, 1923.
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years ago. This road is now the main thoroughfare through our time-honored town. In regard to the name Flourtown, an old tradition, and we think not very reliable, says that it received its name from the story, that a man having stolen a bag of flour, in passing through the village, some of the flour leaked out through a hole in the sack, and hence the name Flourtown. This story, however, is hardly credible.
The most reliable, and altogether the most probable, origin of the name is the fact that in the history of the town, from early times to almost within the recollection of the oldest inhabitant, this village was the great wheat market of the eastern counties of the state, around and north of Philadelphia. The numerous mills that at one time were in operation along the Wissahickon creek, from above what is now the Borough of Ambler to the confluence of this creek with the Schuylkill river, obtained a great supply of the wheat for grinding into flour, at Flourtown.
Twenty years ago, Thomas Bitting, of Ambler, whom some of our older citizens may remember, and who was then at the advanced age of eighty-seven years, and has since died, aged ninety years, told me he well remembered the farmers coming, with four-horse loads of wheat, in great numbers to Flourtown, stopping at his father's hotel, from the counties of Lehigh, Berks, Northampton, Bucks and upper portions of Montgomery county, to meet the millers, who would negotiate with them for the purchase of grain. Most of these transactions, he related, were car- ried on in Pennsylvania Dutch (or German). The large teams would take their loads of grain to the different mills to be ground into flour. This undoubtedly gave the true name to Flourtown.
Down this "Great Road," as our main thoroughfare was called in earlier times, before the era of railroads, the farmers of the country north of Philadelphia would pass in great numbers, originally going to market on horseback, then later in carts or wagons (but now in auto trucks). This explains, no doubt, the existence of so many hotels in the town, as the traveling public needed entertainment and accommodation.
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The hotels of Flourtown all claim a long history, and we will give it as we have gathered it. Mr. E. Matthews, now deceased, who contributed much local history through the columns of the "Ambler Gazette," and otherwise, has written of these hotels and their history, and from this source I have obtained some facts in relation thereto.
At the northern end of the town is the "Hotel Spring- field." In 1804, John Bitting bought this property, and car- ried on the hotel business until 1850, when his son, Thomas Bitting, took charge, and kept it fifteen years.
The second hotel, going south, now called "The Central Hotel," was at one time called "Kline's Tavern," after Nicholas Kline, who kept it forty years. Christopher Mason was an innkeeper here in 1779, and it was a licensed hotel before the Revolution, being opened by Christopher Rex in 1765.
The next hotel, called, within my recollection, "Slifer's Hotel," and now used as a dwelling-house and store, was first kept as a public house about 1760, and at one time bore the sign of "The Eagle." In 1835, Abraham Slifer bought the property, and was succeeded by his son, Charles C. Slifer, whom some of the citizens still remember, but now dead. He carried on, during his ownership, an extensive feed business, in connection with a very thriving hotel en- tertainment for the numerous market people stopping there.
The hotel now kept by Robert J. McCloskey, and called the "Black Horse," has a record complete, as a hotel, for over one hundred years; it was probably a hotel a long time before, and during the early part of the nineteenth century it bore the sign of "Samson and the Lion."
The "Wheel Pump" hotel, so-called, having a pump with a wheel attached, if it can be considered within the limits of Flourtown, was also an ancient hotel, and it is recorded that Jacob Neff kept a hotel here before the Revo- lution. This hotel with farm and other dwellings was owned by Abraham Heydrick, son-in-law of Neff, and son of Abra- ham Heydrick, who built and lived in the old house still standing opposite this hotel, which house was built about 1767, and kept as a store by said Abraham Heydrick.
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At one time, it is said, Garrett Simmons kept a hotel on the west side of the turnpike, above Haas lane (which is now, or was, the property of Stevenson Crothers).
Before the time of railroads, stage coaches, drawn by four horses and carrying the mails, passed through Flour- town from Philadelphia to Bethlehem and return. Every ten miles the horses were changed, and the rate of travel was about ten miles per hour.
In earlier times, much hay was hauled through Flour- town, by the farmers in the country above, to the Phila- delphia market. Now the number of loads of hay passing down is comparatively few.
Below the junction of Wissahickon avenue with the Bethlehem pike, as it was then called, and in the east side thereof, stood, until about twenty years ago, an old log house. This was one of the old-time log houses built by the early settlers, and was bought and occupied, in 1776, by Captain Balthasar Heydrick, a Revolutionary soldier. I was told that some years ago there were other houses of this type existing on the opposite side of the turnpike road. Captain Heydrick was buried in Union Church Cemetery.
There are other old houses still standing in Flourtown, but in some cases changed in their outside appearance, and substantially built of stone. A house belonging to the Raney estate, standing at the top of the first hill north of Wheel Pump, has upon its front, on a stone in the wall, C.O .- M.O. 1743, built, as these letters indicate, by Christian and Mary Ottinger. It is said that this house was at one time used as a hotel. Farther north, on the east side of the turnpike, is an old house with a log end, owned and occupied by Mr. Lesseig. The plastering is partly broken off, revealing the old-style log house. Still farther north, on the same side, is a house lately renovated, which bore, a few years ago, a date-stone with the figures 1741-1901, indicating, no doubt, the earlier date of building, and the later date of addition or change in the building.
I remember there stood an old house, bearing a date prior to 1700, and owned by Jacob Sorber, on what is now the property of Mr. Campbell, the florist. Still farther
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north, and on the west side of the turnpike, and nearly opposite the hotel kept by Robert McCloskey, is an old and apparently substantially built house, now used as a public library under the care of Carson College, which was owned some years ago by Andrew Bartle. Among the old houses I would mention the fine Colonial mansion belonging to the estate of Henry Auchey, near Wheel Pump, which was built in 1728, rebuilt 1787, and enlarged in 1820. Some of the original house still stands; it was, for many years, in possession of the Yeakle family. Mrs. John Faber Miller, a descendant, was born here.
Of the Revolutionary history of Flourtown there is not much recorded that we can find. There is no doubt, how- ever, that the American troops under General Washington, as well as some of the British troops, passed over the turn- pike and through this town. After the battle of German- town, in October, 1777, which resulted adversely to the American Army, the forces under General Washington re- tired to the country farther north, and later returned and camped along the hills of Fort Washington, from October 31st to December 11th, 1777, previous to taking up their march to the encampment at Valley Forge. The Bethlehem turnpike was in the line of march of this Army.
Some years ago, Charles Yeakle, who lived to be over ninety years of age, and a resident of Flourtown at that time, told me of an incident occurring years before, called the "Battle of Flourtown," not between contending armies, but an encounter between the young bloods of Flourtown and those of Chestnut Hill, being a hand-to-hand fight, resulting in favor of the Flourtown boys, but with no seri- ous casualties.
Jacob Bisbing, also an old resident, now deceased, who lived on the west side of the turnpike, and below the old Ottinger house, told me that the tradition was that General Washington tied his horse to a ring in a large tree in front of the Ottinger house, and that Bisbing had, at that time, the ring in his possession.
On the west side of Bethlehem pike, and directly oppo- site where the East Valley Green road joins the pike, is an
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old mansion, built in 1804-5 by Peter Dager for a hotel; but about fifty or more years ago it was bought by Franklin A. Comly, former President of the North Penn Railroad, who lived there, I think, until his death; and the property is now owned by the Pennsylvania Railroad. It was at one time part of the Judge Longstreth Estate.
Flourtown, it seems, has never made much advance in the way of manufacturing plants or other industries of this character, possibly owing to its lack of direct rail com- munication with Philadelphia.
About fifty years ago, and perhaps previous to that time, much iron ore was mined in the vicinity of Flour- town, and for a long time was hauled, by large teams, to the furnaces at Spring Mill and Conshohocken, until the Plymouth Railroad was built. The mining industry has since ceased altogether.
The Wissahickon Lodge, I. O. O. F., was organized on the 21st day of April, 1846, and Thomas Bitting, before referred to, was a charter member; he was also the first Noble Grand. Other officers at the time of its organization were: Vice Grand, Kline Shoemaker; Secretary, Dr. J. A. Martin; Assistant Secretary, C. A. Aiman; Treasurer, S. H. Aiman (long since passed away). This is the second oldest Lodge of its kind in the county. The meetings of this Lodge were held in the building which is now the Central Hotel, until the present substantial structure was erected on the west side of the turnpike, just north of the junction with Wissahickon avenue, in the year 1878.
The Springfield Presbyterian Church, immediately north of the crossing of the Plymouth Railroad, is the only house of worship actually in the town. This congregation was organized December 5, 1855, by the Fourth Presbytery of Philadelphia, and the church edifice was built in 1857. The manse belonging to the church was built in 1861. The names of the pastors of this church, since its beginning, are as follows: Rev. Alfred Snyder, from 1857 to 1866; Rev. George Hammer, stated supply, 1867-70; Rev. Henry Mason, pastor, 1871-73; Rev. Joel S. Kelly, pastor, 1874; Rev. William Travis, stated supply, 1878; Rev. William E.
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Westervelt, 1882-86; Rev. A. W. Long, from 1886. John Sorber and Amos Dungan were two original elders (both deceased).
The first coal yard in the town was opened by George Sechler, shortly after the Plymouth Railroad was built through the town, the other yard having been built much later, by Edward McCloskey.
The blacksmith shop in the town was managed for years by William Knipe and John Thompson, afterward by Milton Hoffman; now no such business exists. The Flourtown Post Office has been in existence for fifty years or more. Rev. J. D. Detrick, while pastor of the Reformed Church of White- marsh, also conducted here very successfully a model dairy farm for a number of years. The present public school building was erected upon the site of the old building in 1879.
The limits of Flourtown have not been definitely set- tled. It never has reached the dignity of a Borough, but is in the first-class township of Springfield. In a general way, we speak of Flourtown as extending from Wheel Pump on the south to Valley Green on the north, as far east or west of the turnpike as the population is found; and the town has grown very rapidly in the past few years. The main cross-roads of the town have long been laid out. Haas lane, Wissahickon avenue and Mill road. There are other cross- streets, since laid out.
The Plymouth Railroad, now leased by the Philadelphia and Reading Railway Company, crosses the town from east to west. This railroad was built in 1869-70, and has been used principally as a freight road.
The trolley road running along the Bethlehem pike and through the town, was built in 1901, and the first trolley ran from Flourtown to Wheel Pump on the 9th of June, reaching the latter place at 7.25 A.M .; and at 3.30 P.M., on Friday, November 21, 1902, the first car ran through from Flourtown to Allentown; and in the summer of 1903, the cars ran across the tracks of the Plymouth Railroad, from Wheel Pump to Allentown, without change.
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Any subsequent history connected with this ancient town is modern, and within the recollection of most of the inhabitants, and it is not our purpose to refer to it in the present paper.
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Historical Sketch of the Union Church of Whitemarsh, Montgomery County, Pa .*
By SAMUEL YEAKLE
In preparing this historical sketch of the Union Church of Whitemarsh, we must remember that the name "Union Church" was no doubt assumed at the organization in 1818, because the two congregations, the Lutheran and the Re- formed, held joint ownership of the property, but existed as separate church organizations.
The union of the two congregations existed until July 2, 1894, when the sale of the church property to Zion Luth- eran Church was confirmed by the Court; the Lutheran con- gregation purchasing the part of the property consisting of the present front portion, and back far enough to include the ground on which Zion Lutheran now stands, and the ground on which the sheds are located.
The remaining portion of the original tract is still being held as a cemetery under the name of Trustees of the Union Church of Whitemarsh.
The management of the Union Cemetery, which consti- tutes the only remaining property of the Union Church, is vested in a board of six trustees, three of them being selected from the trustees of each congregation.
The Reformed congregation, after the sale above re- ferred to, erected a church building and parsonage at Fort Washington, known as St. Paul's Reformed Church, where they are at present located.
The Reformed and Lutheran congregations owned and worshipped in the same building for seventy-seven years in
*Read at an outing of the Society, October 6, 1923.
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brotherly unity and with commendable good fellowship during that time, and when the time of separation came, it was by mutual agreement, believing that the best in- terests of both congregations would be better served by the severance of the old union that had so long existed.
We find in the old records that are still extant, that the first movement to organize and build a church was made on the 14th day of June, 1817, at the house of Philip Sellers, in the township of Whitemarsh, by the members of the different churches of Germantown, Philadelphia, and perhaps from the surrounding community, when a com- mittee was appointed to fix upon a place whereon such meeting-house should be erected. Rev. Caspar Wack, of the Reformed Church, was chosen chairman and Jacob Gilbert, of the Lutheran Church, was chosen secretary of this meet- ing. Resolutions were drawn at this meeting, and after- wards incorporated in the deed of purchase, stipulating that said church building, or meeting-house, as then called, was to be for the use of the Lutheran and Reformed denom- inations, and to be used and kept in repair jointly by both congregations.
At a meeting held at the house of Philip Sellers, on the 24th of January, 1818, Rev. John C. Baker, of the Luth- eran Church, presiding, and Jacob Gilbert, secretary, it was resolved that a committee of four be appointed, to purchase a piece of ground adjoining that which Philip Sellers had presented to the congregations for the erection of a church, and to enclose said ground with a fence. A committee was appointed at this meeting to carry the same into effect; viz., Jacob Gilbert, Henry Scheetz, Christopher Grafly and John Haney. These four men were also chosen, at a meeting held April 17, 1818, as the first trustees. At a meeting held October 8, 1818, in the Union School, in Whitemarsh, the first church officers were elected. At a subsequent meeting in the same year, it was arranged to solicit funds for the erection of the church building.
At the meeting held on January 24, 1818, it was unani- mously agreed that the size of the church building should be forty-five feet by thirty-eight feet, as recommended by
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the committee on plans, and a committee to superintend the building of the church was appointed.
The committee to solicit subscriptions for the building of the church consisted of Rev. John C. Baker, Lutheran, and Rev. Caspar Wack, Reformed, to be accompanied by Jacob Gilbert, Philip Sellers, Philip Keefer, John Haney, John Katz and John Bitting, names within the memory, perhaps, of some present.
The records show the names of the subscribers and the amounts subscribed towards the building of the first church. In the list appear such names as Aiman, Amey, Bisbing, Bitting, Berkhimer, Conard, Detwiler, Earnest, Faringer, Fitzwater, Harner, Heist, Heydrick, Hocker, Kehr, Kerper, Katz, Lower, Nace, Nash, Ottinger, Peterman, Rittenhouse, Rex, Scheetz, Shafer, Stout, Streeper, Schlater, Van Winkle, Wentz, Yeakle-names still familiar to many.
The cost of the first church, purchase of ground, church furnishing and cost of building, we find to have been $3,409.20, Henry Scheetz being treasurer.
The deed of conveyance of ground, still in an excellent state of preservation, is dated October 17, 1818, and is from Philip Sellers and Hannah, his wife, in trust, to Jacob Gil- bert, Christopher Grafly (Lutheran) ; and Henry Scheetz and John Haney (Reformed), for two acres of land, ex- tending from the Bethlehem pike to Church road, in the township of Whitemarsh, for a church and burial-ground. While this deed calls for two acres of land, and the pur- chase price mentioned is $160.00, yet one acre was donated by Philip Sellers, and the other was really sold for the above-mentioned sum.
The charter for the Union Church was granted, on March 30, 1823, by the Legislature of Pennsylvania, and was approved by Joseph Hiester, Governor of Pennsyl- vania; and the corporate title was The Trustees of the Union Church of Whitemarsh.
A piece of land extending along the south side of the above tract was purchased, April 4, 1853, consisting of three-fourths of an acre and two perches, extending from Bethlehem pike to Church road, from Adam Fries and wife,
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UNION CHURCH OF WHITEMARSH (The original building.)
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by the Union School and Library Association, and was after- wards sold to Union Church, Whitemarsh. Another addi- tion to the property was bought in 1876, about five acres for $2,000, for the enlargement of the cemetery, and ex- tending from Bethlehem pike to church road, on the north side of the original tract. These tracts of land complete the present church property and cemetery adjoining.
Until about 1856 to 1858, the provisions recited in the original deed of the property, and also incorporated in the early by-laws of the church, were observed; then it was mutually agreed to change the method of supporting the pastors, and each congregation thereafter maintained its own pastor.
We also find that a Sunday-school was begun in this church at an early date, and was under direct control of the church officers, and the expenses of same were in charge of these church bodies.
We also find from the records that the choir leader received a salary of from $15 to $25 a year for conducting the music.
We also find that, about 1853, certain difficulties arose in the church, not between the denominations, but from other causes, and that a portion of the members bought a property, and maintained a separate organization, known as the Union Sabbath School and Library Association.
It was about this time, or a couple of years later, that a number of these former members of the Union Church left this church and organized the Springfield Presbyterian Church, in Flourtown, in 1857. Thus this Presbyterian church may be considered as a branch of the Union Church, and with the people of this church have long existed friendly relations.
Quoting from the history of the Lutheran congregation, as prepared by Rev. D. M. Sheeleigh for the "History of the East Pennsylvania Synod of the Lutheran Church"; "From the beginning to the year 1892 the Lutheran pastors have been the following: Rev. John C. Baker, 1818-1828; Rev. Benjamin Keller, 1829-1835; Rev. C. W. Shaeffer, 1835-1841; Rev. Fredk. R. Anspach, 1841-1850; Rev. Wm.
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H. Smith, 1850-1852; Rev. Prof. Henry Haverstick and Rev. Luther E. Albert, supplied about three months in 1852; Rev. Wm. M. Baum, 1852-1854; Rev. David Swope, 1855- 1856. The last named was the first pastor settled in the place, the church having previously been served succes- sively by pastors of St. Michael's, Germantown, and St. Peter's, of Barren Hill. This was the beginning of the pas- toral charge composed of the Whitemarsh and Upper Dub- lin congregations. Then followed Benjamin Suesserott, 1850-1857; Rev. Lewis Hippee, 1857 to 1859; Rev. Ed. J. Koons, 1860-1862; Rev. George Sill, 1863 to 1869, and Rev. Matthias Sheeligh, D.D., April 27, 1869, to the separation of the two congregations and one year later, twenty-six years in the pastorate."
Rev. C. S. Santee, present pastor of St. Paul's Reformed Church, of Fort Washington, which congregation was for- merly a part of the Union Church of Whitemarsh, has given the following list of pastors who served the Reformed Con- gregation from its beginning until the separation : Rev. Cas- par Wack, 1817-1826; supplies, 1826 to 1831; Albert Hel- fenstein, 1831 to 1837; Rev. Osborne, 1837 to 1838; Rev. C. W. Shaeffer, the Lutheran pastor, supplied 1838 and 1839; Samuel Helfenstein, 1839 to 1842; Jacob Helfen- stein, 1842 to 1844; William E. Cornwell, 1844 to 1850; Jacob B. Keller, 1850 to 1855; Rev. Samuel G. Boeling, 1858 to 1868; supplies, from 1868 to 1869; Rev. George D. Wolff, 1869 to 1871; Rev. R. Leighton Gerhart, from 1871 to 1873; Rev. J. D. Detrich, 1874 to 1894-twenty years as pastor.
From the records we find, and would mention as a mat- ter of interest, that Revs. Anspach and Helfenstein each received $131.12 per year for their services as pastor.
In early years, some of the church services were con- ducted in the German language, but later the services were entirely in the English language.
The original church was built of stone, and had galleries extending along the front and sides of the church. The writer still remembers these galleries, but they were re- moved, in 1861, when the church was remodelled, and con-
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UNION CHURCH OF WHITEMARSH (Present building. Part of original building shows at left.)
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siderable change was made in the appearance of the build- ing.
In 1882, some alterations and changes were made; as also, in 1896. In 1848, shedding for horses and carriages was erected at a cost of $347.83. These were later removed and the present shed built.
In this brief sketch, we have endeavored to give some of the principal events in the earlier history of our church, which we trust will be of interest to all who desire to know how this church was originally started in this locality, and remains a landmark in the neighborhood where church services and worship of Almighty God have been main- tained and continued uninterruptedly until the present time.
WWWTOVE
Philadelphia Silversmiths *
By SAMUEL W. WOODHOUSE, JR.
Soon after the Quakers settled on the banks of the Delaware, we find some of Penn's colonists working in the white metal. Three of these silversmiths are mentioned in Penn's manuscript account book preserved in the Philo- sophical Society's Library; Caesar Ghiselin, who died in 1733, Johannes Nys (or in his French form, John Denys), and Francis Richardson, who was born in New York in 1681, and removed to Philadelphia in 1690, where he died in 1729, the first native-born American silversmith in Penn's colony.
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