USA > Pennsylvania > Beaver County > History of Beaver County, Pennsylvania, and its centennial celebration, Volume I > Part 49
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Previous to the erection of any presbytery west of the Alle- gheny Mountains, four Presbyterian ministers had become resi- dent on the field, and had gathered and were serving churches. These were:
Rev. James Power, who, after a visit to the western settle- ments in 1774, had moved with his family in 1776 to Dunlap's Creek, then Westmoreland (now Fayette) County, and after two or three years of evangelistic labors there, had, in 1779, become pastor of the churches of Mount Pleasant and Sewickley in that county.
Rev. John McMillan, who, having visited the country in 1775, and again in 1776, received and accepted a call from the congregations of Pigeon Creek and Chartiers (now in Washing- ton County), and after a detention of two years brought his family to the field in 1778, and became permanent pastor of those churches.
Rev. Thaddeus Dodd, who, also after a preliminary visit, brought his family out and settled as pastor of Ten Mile (now in Washington County), which was at first one church with two
1 Old Redstone, 285-7
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places of worship, but was afterwards divided into Upper and Lower Ten Mile churches. And
Rev. Joseph Smith, who was here in 1779, and in that year was called by the congregations of Cross Creek and Buf- falo (Washington County), and came the following year from York and was settled as pastor in the field named. He was a very Boanerges, and preached the terrors of the law so sternly that the irreverent gave him the sobriquet of "Hell-fire" Smith. His field embraced a part of what is now Beaver County, as will be seen from the fact previously mentioned,1 that Andrew and Adam Poe of Hookstown signed the call for his services.
The Presbytery of Redstone was the first presbytery organ- ized west of the Alleghenies, and became the mother of all those which were afterwards erected in this region. It was erected by the Synod of New York and Philadelphia, May 16, 1781,2 and formally organized at Pigeon Creek, Washington County, September 19th of the same year. This pioneer presbytery was not described by bounds by the body creating it, but only by the ministers and churches originally included in it, and hence it reached from the summit of the Allegheny Moun- tains to the then farthest western border of civilization. At first it consisted of the four ministers and the churches named above, but at the end of twelve years it had increased to such proportions that a division of its territory became necessary. Accordingly, by its own request, the Synod of Virginia (to which
1 See page 161.
2 From Synodical Minutes.
"At a meeting of the Synod of New York and Philadelphia, held at Philadelphia ye 16th. of May, 1781.
" The Rev'd. Messrs. Joseph Smith, John McMillan, James Power, & Thaddeus Dodd, having requested to be erected into a separate P. b. y. to be known by the name of the P. b. y. of Redstone, the Synod grant their request, and appoint their first meeting to be held at Laurel Hill Church, the third Wednesday of September next, at 11 o'clock A.M."
MINUTE OF THE FIRST MEETING OF REDSTONE PRES.
" WEDNESDY, September ye 19th, 1781.
"The P. b. y. met according to the appointment of the Revd. Synod of New York and Philadelphia, at Pidgeon Creek, as the circumstances of some of the members, by reason of the incursions of the Savages rendered it impracticable for them to attend at Laurel Hill. U.P.P.S.,* the Rev'd. Messrs. John McMillan, James Power and Thaddeus Dodd, Elders John Neil, Demas Lindley and Patrick Scott. Absent, The Rev'd. Joseph Smith. "The P. b. y. was opened by Mr. Dodd, with a sermon from Job xlii-5, 6.
"The P. b. y then proceeded to the choice of a Moderator and Clerk: Whereupon, Mr. McMillan was chosen Moderator, and Mr. Power Clerk for the ensuing year.
"Application was made in behalf of Muddy Creek and the S .- fork of Ten Mile, in conjunc- tion, for supplies, and also for liberty to apply to the P. b. y of Donegal. Adjourned to meet to-morrow morning at 8 o'clock. Concluded with prayer."
* U. P. P. S. The initials of four Latin words, which mean that "After Prayers" --- the persons whose names follow ("the Rev'd. Messrs. John McMillan," etc.)-"Took Seats."
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it had in 1788 been attached) set off from it in 1793 a new pres- bytery, to be called the Presbytery of Ohio, which included of churches in what is now Beaver County at least Mill Creek and King's Creek. In the long list of places mentioned in the min- utes of the presbytery as asking for supplies we find named, "McIntosh (i. e., Beaver), Forks of Beaver, Mt. Pleasant, New Salem, Mahoning, and Conaquanessing."
The Presbytery of Erie .- As the country north of the Ohio was now rapidly filling up with settlers, the territory was too large to be covered by a single presbytery, and on October 2, 1801, the Synod of Virginia, in session at Winchester, erected "the Rev. Messrs. Thomas E. Hughes, William Wick, Samuel Tait, Joseph Stockton, and Robert Lee, together with all the congregations north and northwest of the Ohio and Allegheny rivers, unto the place where the Ohio River crosses the western boundary of Pennsylvania, into a separate presbytery, to be called the Presbytery of Erie." The first meeting of this pres- bytery was held at Mount Pleasant Church (Greensburg), Beaver County, April 2, 1802.
These three presbyteries were now by action of the General Assembly, in 1802, erected into the first Synod in the West- the Synod of Pittsburg, which held its first meeting in Pittsburg, September 29th the same year.
The Presbytery of Beaver .- In 1808 the Presbytery of Hart- ford, which was afterwards changed to Beaver, was organized. Its boundaries were thus described :
Beginning at the mouth of Big Beaver creek; thence up said creek and up Neshannock to the mouth of Little Branch; thence northerly to the mouth of Walnut Creek, on Lake Erie; thence along the lake to the west line of New Connecticut; thence to the southwest corner of the Connecticut Reserve; thence east along the south line of the Connecticut Reserve to the Tuscarawas branch of the Muskingum river; thence in a direct line to the Ohio river at the mouth of Yellow creek thence up the Ohio river to the place of beginning.
We shall not attempt to follow further the presbyterial changes in the territory of Beaver County, except to say that at present four presbyteries share its occupancy : the part which lies on the south side of the Ohio River being divided between the presbyteries of Pittsburg and Washington, and the part north of the river being divided between the presbyteries of Allegheny and Shenango.
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Other Presbyterian bodies: Reformed, Associate, Associate- Reformed, and United Presbyterian.
These are the lineal descendants and representatives in the United States of the old Scottish churches of the Covenanting and Seceder faith. In Scotland, during the reigns of Charles II. and James II., the Covenanters had been harried and hunted " like the partridge upon the mountains." After Bothwell Bridge they were outlawed, and with arms in their hands they had held secret meetings in the furze-covered hollows and caves of the hills, and were popularly known as the "Hill Men" and "Mountain Men." The Revolution of 1688 brought William of Orange to the throne and James was banished. Persecution ceased, and the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland met again in 1690 and re-established Presbyterianism. The major- ity of the Covenanters united with the Kirk, but a minority refused to do so because of William's assumption of supremacy over the church. These "Old Dissenters" remained for many years without a minister, but at last were able to organize them- selves into a presbytery. This they did in 1743 and styled it the "Reformed Presbytery." During the persecution in Scot- land many Covenanter families fled to the north of Ireland, whence later, probably as early as 1720, or earlier, some of them emigrated to America, settling chiefly in southeastern Pennsyl- vania. To these transplanted Covenanters the mother presby- tery in Scotland, in 1751, sent the Rev. John Cuthbertson, who remained with them and did an apostolic work for them for nearly forty years. On the Ioth of March, 1774, he, with two other ministers who had come over, and several ruling elders, met at Paxtang, Pa., and constituted themselves as the Reformed Presbyterian Presbytery of America. Thus the Re- formed Presbyterian Church took her position as a distinct ecclesiastical body in North America.
In 1753 another division of the Scottish church-the Asso- ciate Synod of Scotland-"missioned" two ministers, Messrs. Gellatly and Arnot to those of their faith in America, who were living principally in the valley of the Susquehanna; and in November of the same year they organized themselves, as they had been directed to do, into a presbytery, which they styled the Associate Presbytery of Pennsylvania.
These two churches-the Reformed and the Associate-re-
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mained in subordination to the mother churches, but when the struggle between the colonies and Great Britain commenced their members generally and their ministers entirely took sides with the former, and they soon got the idea that if political independence was a good thing, ecclesiastical independence would also be good. The question began at once to be agitated, therefore, whether both branches of Scottish Dissenters in this country could not be united so as to form one national church organization, independent in government of all foreign control -a free Church in a free State. Conferences upon the subject of organic union between the Reformed and the Associate Pres- byteries of America continued for several years, and finally, in 1782, the union was effected, and on the 3Ist of October that year there was formally organized the Synod of the Associate Reformed Church.
A few of the societies of the Reformed Presbytery did not join in this union. To these pastors were sent from the Cove- nanters of the old country, a presbytery was organized, and thus the Reformed Presbyterian organization was also perpetu- ated. It continues to this day, as represented in the two Synods of the Reformed Presbyterian Church-the Old and the New Schools.
A remnant of the Associate Presbyterians also held aloof from the union, and through them and additions afterwards received, the organization of the Associate Church was con- tinued down to 1858.
Thus the union of 1782 left three churches in the field: the Reformed Presbyterian, or Covenanters; the Associate Presby- terian, or Secession; and the Associate-Reformed.
But gradually the Associate and the Associate-Reformed Presbyterians were drawn towards each other, and after many negotiations, on May 26, 1858, in the City Hall, Pittsburg, Pa., a union was happily consummated between these churches, and the body thus formed was called "THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF NORTH AMERICA." Further details of the history of these churches are given in the notices of individual con- gregations in other parts of this work.
Reformed Presbyterian Church.1-Different names have been used to designate this body, each with its own significance, such
1 Data furnished by Rev. J. W. Sproull, D.D., of Allegheny City, Pa.
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as "Covenanters," "Society People," "Mountain Men," "Hill Folk," "Anti-Government Men," "Old Dissenters," "McMillan- ites," "Whigs," etc. The official designation is Reformed Pres- byterian. This was decided on at the first meeting of the presbytery on the Ist of August, 1743, at Braehead, Scotland. They claimed to be the lineal descendant of the Church of Scot- land, and by the name endeavored to show their connection with the Presbyterian Church in that country and the Reformed Church on the continent.
The one distinctive principle of this body is its attitude with reference to Civil Government. It maintains the position that nations should recognize the existence of Almighty God as the source of all power, Jesus Christ as King of nations, and the Bible as the supreme standard. In 1833 a division in the body in America took place, one party, known as the Synod, forbid- ding members to exercise the right of suffrage or hold office under the Goverment until such recognition was made; the other, known as the General Synod, leaving this a matter for the individual conscience.
As early as 1804 a few members of the Reformed Presbyter- ian Church were residing within the limits of Beaver County. In 1814 they were organized into a congregation known as Little Beaver Congregation. A church building was erected near the present village of New Galilee. In September, 1819, Rev. Rob- ert Gibson, a most eloquent preacher, was installed as pastor. On account of failing health he resigned in October, 1830, and was succeeded by the Rev. George Scott, who was installed in April, 1831. Mr. Scott identified himself with the General Synod. The congregation of which he became pastor, the only one of that branch of the denomination in the county, worships in a church building located a short distance from Darlington. Rev. Alexander Savage is its present pastor.
In November, 1845, Rev. Joseph W. Morton was installed pastor of the congregation that was under the care of the Synod. He remained a little over a year and a half, and was succeeded by Rev. Samuel Sterrett, who was installed in June, 1848. He remained in charge until May, 1860. In April, 1864, Rev. Nathan M. Johnson became pastor and remained in charge for twenty-two years. Under his administration a new church building was erected in the town of New Galilee. Rev. James
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R. Wylie, the present pastor, was installed in May, 1888. A few years ago a comfortable parsonage was erected on the church lot.
For many years there were in Rochester a few members of the church, who were supplied with preaching by the pastors of Little Beaver Congregation. These were the nucleus of the Beaver Falls Congregation, which was organized on the roth of November, 1874. Rev. R. J. George, D.D., was installed as pastor in June, 1875. A lot on the main street (Seventh Avenue) was purchased and a church building was erected. In 1892 Mr. George resigned and was succeeded by Rev. W. M. Glasgow, who was installed October 11, 1893. He resigned October 10, 1899, and was followed by the present pastor, Rev. J. S. Thomp- son, who was installed on the 4th of January, 1901.
Geneva Congregation, on College Hill, Beaver Falls, was organized on the 4th and 18th of November, 1892. Rev. F. M. Foster was installed as its pastor on the 26th of June, 1894, and is still in charge. The services are held in the college chapel.
College Hill Congregation was organized July 1, 1896. Rev. R. H. Martin, the present pastor, was installed February 1, 1899. Soon after the organization was effected a lot was pur- chased and a neat church building erected.
Methodism .- The sources of information for writing the his- tory of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Beaver County are extremely meager, although here as elsewhere this denomination has been one of the most active and enterprising in the work of Christ. The reason for this is not far to seek. The itineracy has made the stay of the individual pastors brief, and they have seldom taken the pains to collect or preserve the history of the churches under their charge.
The pioneer ministers of this faith in the earliest times came from the east to the frontier over the old Braddock Road to Fay - ette County, striking the Monongahela River at Fort Burd, now Brownsville. From there they worked down the river to Fort Pitt. Their field of labor being the same as that of the early Presbyterians,-viz., in the "Redstone Settlement," the first Methodist "circuit" took its name from that settlement as did the first presbytery, and was called the "Redstone Circuit." I
1 The expression "Redstone Settlement," then, and for many years afterwards, was employed to denote most of the country, whether claimed by Pennsylvania or Virginia, which lay west of the mountains. It derived its origin from the name of a creek which enters the Monongahela below Brownsville. This place was long known by the name of "Redstone Old Fort."-See Old Redstone, page 311, note.
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This circuit embraced nearly all of southwestern Pennsylvania. The first mention of Methodist preaching in this county is in the first volume of the Pittsburg Conference Minutes, where it is recorded "that Abel Robinson and Daniel Davisson are appointed to preach within the territory of Beaver County." This was about 1808. Some difference of opinion exists as to where the first preaching services of this denomination were held in the county, the rivals for the honor being the churches of Beaver, Bridgewater, and Sharon. There seems to be good ground for saying that Sharon was the place in which there was first a regular congregation holding the Methodist form and faith, and that the Methodist people of Beaver and Bridge- water were accustomed to go there for public worship for some years. Hon. Daniel Agnew, in a sketch of Methodism in Beaver and Vicinity, says: "In 1829 there was no station in Beaver, but a circuit, in which the Rev. George S. Holmes, then residing in Bridgewater, revolved; preaching in Beaver, Sharon, Bridgewater, and perhaps elsewhere. There was then no church building in Beaver, though one was in progress. I remember well the little frame church in Sharon, standing on the hillside, midway between the lower end of Sharon and Brady's Run."
This little church stood for some years on ground to which the congregation had no legal title, but in 1826 Daniel Leet of Sewickley, Pa., donated to the congregation the lot on which it was built, making a deed to the trustees.
The congregation at Sharon was probably in existence as early as 1820 or 1821. There was a "class" in Beaver which had been gathered together about that time by the Presiding Elder, William Swasey, William Cunningham, and others, and which met in a house which had been earlier known as Coulter's tavern, on Second Street, near Elk. There was also a class at Bridgewater, and these two, together with the one at Sharon, formed the congregation at Sharon. It may be that none of these early Methodist churches had any formal organization; but, as remarked above, Sharon had already a church-building several years prior to 1826, and regular preaching services, while, although there was a class in Beaver then and the State had, by Act of Assembly passed April 10, 1826,1 made a grant of land on one of the public squares for the erection of a church, no
I P. L., 352
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building was begun until 1829, and in that year Beaver was not a "station." Bridgewater was probably not organized until 1838 or 1839, a building being erected in the latter year. The priority of the Sharon organization must, we think, be conceded.
Of the early Methodist ministers in this neighborhood there is record of the following: Jacob Gorwell, 1813; John G. Cicil, 1814; James Watts, 1815; Henry Baker, 1816; Ezra Booth 1817; Jacob Hooper, 1818; John C. Brook, 1819; William Cun- ningham, 1820-1821; John Graham and William Tipton, 1822; Dennis Goddard and B. O. Plimpton, 1823; Ezra Booth and Albert Richardson, 1824; Samuel Adams and R. Hopkins, 1825; Charles Cooke, 1826; David Sharp, 1827; A. Brunson, 1828; Jonathan Holt, 1829; and George S. Holmes, 1830. Of this number, but two were residents of Beaver, namely, Charles Cooke and Jonathan Holt, both good and able men. Further details of Methodism in Beaver County will be found in the notices of individual congregations under the head of the bor- oughs and townships.
The Methodist Protestant body has never been very strong in Beaver County, being represented by but two churches, one at Beaver Falls and one at New Brighton, each of which will be mentioned in the chapters on those boroughs.
The United Brethren in Christ Church has had a scattered membership throughout the county, but has not succeeded in establishing many congregations. Those now in existence in the county are one in a suburb in Rochester, popularly called East Rochester, one in Beaver Falls, and one at Industry. These will be spoken of in their appropriate places.
The Church of God has but one congregation, located at New Brighton. (See New Brighton borough.)
The Baptist Denomination .- This body of Christians, large and active in other portions of the country, has not been so successful in establishing its work in Beaver County as else- where. The beginnings of the history of its churches in the county are lost entirely in some cases and at best but meagerly recorded. From a brief history of the Beaver Baptist Associa- tion, published in 1860 under the supervision of Messrs. A. G. Kirk and J. B. Williams, we learn that the Association was organized
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August 25, 1809, in the Providence Church, North Sewickley, Beaver County, Pa., as the result of a preliminary conference held at Sharon, Mercer County, Pa., the previous 24th of June. Ten churches were represented by twenty-five delegates, five of whom were ministers. Henry Frazure was chosen moderator, and William P. West, clerk. Thos. G. Jones preached the introduc- tory sermon from Psalm cxxxiii., I. At the meeting in Sharon, Jeremiah Brooks was the moderator and Clover Snow, clerk; and there were then in force a Constitution and Rules of Decorum, which were presumably adopted at the meeting in the Providence Church. In 1819 this Association embraced all the Baptist churches in Pennsylvania west of the Allegheny River, and all the churches in Ohio, east of Wooster, and as far north as Lake Erie. In that year two other associations were formed in Ohio, leaving to the Beaver Association the territory in Pennsylvania, extending from the Ohio River on the south to Jamestown on the north, about sixty miles, and from Butler on the east to the Ohio State line on the west, about forty miles, including the Achor Church in Columbiana County, Ohio, with twelve churches, three hundred and thirty-one members, and three or- dained ministers.
The oldest Baptist church established in Beaver County is the Providence Church, located at North Sewickley. A full account of this church will be found under North Sewickley township, and the history of the other Baptist congregations, so far as obtainable, will be given in that of the various boroughs and townships in which they are situated.
The Christian Church (or the Disciples of Christ), so strong elsewhere, has here but two congregations, one in Beaver Falls and one in Beaver, both of rather recent origin. Their history will be found under those boroughs.
The Evangelical Association .- This body of Christians, popu- larly known as "German Methodists," has three congregations in this county in connection with the Erie Conference, the oldest of which is at Freedom. From Freedom the mission in Roches- ter was begun about the year 1860. The work in Beaver Falls followed, being begun in 1876. Beaver Falls is now joined with Freedom in one pastoral charge. (See the boroughs named for history of these churches.)
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The First Congregational Church at Rochester is the only church of this faith in Beaver County. (See Rochester borough.)
Lutheranism has grown to considerable strength in Beaver County. Owing to the fact already stated, namely, that the early immigration to this region was mainly composed of people whose religious faith was Presbyterian, Lutheranism was some- what late in cultivating the field here, but it is now represented by some fourteen or fifteen congregations, ranging in member- ship from one to four hundred. Notices of the various churches of this communion will be found in the later chapters. Ten of them are strictly English, two German, and three mixed English and German.
The Protestant Episcopal Church .- This church is not very strongly represented in Beaver County, but here, as everywhere, it has among its adherents some of the most worthy people of the several communities in which its congregations are located. The first Protestant Episcopal clergyman in Beaver County was the Rev. Francis Reno, who was also one of the first clergymen of any faith to labor west of the Allegheny Mountains. The first church which he organized was St. Luke's at Georgetown.I
The churches of this faith afterwards organized in the county are, in order of time, Smith's Ferry; St. Paul's, at Fairview; St. Peter's, Beaver Falls; Christ Church, New Brighton; Trinity, Rochester, and St. Mary's, Beaver Falls. Not all of these con-
1 St. Luke's at Georgetown has been thought by some to be the oldest Protestant Episcopal Church west of the Alleghenies, but this honor belongs to St. Thomas's Church, Washington County. St. Thomas's Church was built in 1777, when this territory belonged to Yohogania County, Virginia. It is seven miles from West Brownsville in West Pike Run township. In this church met, September 25, 1803, the first Convention of Episcopal clergymen held west of the mountains. A minute of this Convention has been preserved among the papers of the Rev. Joseph Doddridge, and reads as follows:
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