History of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 122

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Evans, Samuel, 1823-1908, joint author
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1320

USA > Pennsylvania > Lancaster County > History of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 122

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The first postmaster at Rothsville was Samuel B. Myers, and the second I. F. Bomberger. The name of Rothsville was given to the village in honor of the Roth family. Philip Roth, about 1790, bought a traet of land of about eighty acres, and started a tavern at the junction of the Lititz and New Holland with the Newport road. After the post-office was founded the Myers built three brick houses, one of which was a large store-house. This was the starting-point of the present village. Upon the building of the Columbia and Reading Railroad the Rothsville station was built, about one-fourth of a mile north from the post- office. The railroad gave the town a fresh impetns, and it grew rapidly. The village now contains about seventy-five houses, two churches (Lutheran and Evangelical Methodist), two blacksmith-shops, one coach-maker, one butcher, two stores, one tailor, fourteen tobacconists, one vineyard. The soil is a fine red shale and very productive. Its population in 1880 was three hundred and forty-four.

New Haven is situated two miles directly south of Lititz, on the Lancaster and Lititz turnpike. The land was taken up by Nicolaus Kissel in 1762, and the village was called Kissel Hill for a great many | years. About 1845-50 the name was changed to New Ilaven. The hotel and store is kept by M. S. Groff. There is no post-office, the mail being distributed from Lititz. Population, one hundred and ninety-four.

Pine Hill is a collection of houses two miles north- . east of Lititz; has a hotel called the Pine IIill Inn.

Warwick .- The village of Lititz was owned en- tirely by the Moravian Brethren, who would allow no one to settle there who were not Moravians. The people of other denominations formed a settlement adjoining the Moravian tract on the north. This

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HISTORY OF LANCASTER COUNTY.

village was called Warwick, and was laid out in lots in 1813. The first store in the village was opened in 1814 by Peter Bricker; after his death it was con- ducted by David Bricker. The Kemper House was first established about 1814. It is now kept by Eman- uel Carpenter.

Lexington .- A settlement was begun here at an early date, and about 1805 was called Dundee. When . the post-office was established the village was named Lexington. Samuel D. Shreiner is the postmaster. The population of the village is one hundred and

In the year 1744 a log church was built on Klein's fifty-six. It contains a hotel, conducted by Elias , land, at the instance of Rev. Lawrence Nyberg, a Scheets, a wagon-maker ( Henry Enck), a saddler (John H. Phillippi), an undertaker ( Israel Zartman), seven carpenters, two shoemakers, five butchers, one tailor, and two blacksmiths. The village is situated Lutheran minister from Sweden, who was stationed at Lancaster. ITis preaching was very acceptable ; under it a number of persons in this neighborhood, belonging to the Lutheran Church, were awakened, two miles due north of Lititz, on the Lititz and Lex- and desired stated preaching. The building stood ington turnpike, which is a continuation of the Lan- caster and Lititz turnpike. near the road to Lancaster, on the land now ocen- pied by the old graveyard on Broad Street. . It was called St. James' Church, having been dedicated by Nyberg on the festival of St. James, July 25, 1744.

Millport is situated four miles southeast of Lititz, and one mile north of Oregon. The last is part of the Carter tract, taken up by the Wister-, and deeded | Here he preached statedly once a month for two by them to Christian Kaufman, who laid out the vil- lage in lots in 1813. The village contains about forty houses. The nearest post-office is Oregon.

Rome is a small settlement about one-half mile east of Lititz; contains about fifteen houses and the Rome Inn. It contains a distillery established in 1815, and now operated by D. D. Burkholder.

The Moravians.1-In the month of December, 1742, in the course of a farewell visitation of the various groups of German settlers, among whom itinerant ministers from the Moravian settiement at Bethlehem had for several years been laboring, Count Zinzendorf came to the house of Jacob Huber, in Warwick township, a farmer residing near Carter's Run (now usually called Lititz Creek, having its head in the large spring), where he delivered an address in the evening. George Klein," Huber's next neighbor, knew of the meeting, but, having a prejudice against Zinzendorf, did not attend. It was a time of religious awakening among the Germans, and during the night Klein was disturbed on account of his conduet, and resolved to follow the count to Lancaster on the fol- lowing day. This he did, heard Zinzendorf preach in the court-house, and was deeply moved. At the meeting at Huber's house, Zinzendorf had been re- quested to send the people a minister. This he soon afterwards did, in the person of Jacob Lischy, a Swiss, and a very gifted preacher, who also took charge of the mission work3 among the Reformed at Muddy Creek.' Many persons were awakened under his

preaching, among them old George Kiesel and his two sons, who occupied the farm adjoining Klein's to the south. Lischy gradually became first estranged and then (1747) an open enemy of the Moravians. Other'itinerants were sent from Bethlehem to take up the work be had relinquished, among them Christian Ilenry Rauch (afterwards a noted missionary among the Indians and the negroes in the West Indies), David Bruce ( formerly a Scotch Presbyterian), Abra- ham Reinke (a Swede), and others.

years. In 17-46 he was suspended from the ministry, owing to his independent course and the character of his preaching, so that during this year he preached every Sunday at St. James' Church, and opened his pulpit to the various itinerant Moravian ministers on their visits to this vicinity.

At a Synod of the Moravians, held in the court- house at Lancaster in 1745, a request was presented by a number of awakened souls in Warwick township, that they might have a pastor to reside among them. In September of that year Rev. Daniel Neibert and his wife, from Philadelphia, were sent to them. They . took up their quarters first at the house of Henry Stoehr, afterwards with Peter Kohl. Neibert's work was entirely pastoral, consisting in visits from house to house, and in the keeping of private meetings on week-day evenings.

In May, 1746, Neibert moved into a small room which Jacob Scherzer had built for his use, and in it these meetings were held. In September of this year a meeting was held at George Klein's house to consider the question of building a school- and meet- ing-house. The following were present : Nicholas and Frederic Kiesel, Hartman Vertries, Michael Erb, Jacob Scherzer, Jacob Neil, John Bender, Sr., Christian Palmer, Jacob Schetller, besides Revs. Ny- berg, Rauch, and Neibert. The unanimous conclu- sion was that they would each contribute towards building a " Gemeinhaus" > (literally " Congregation Hlouse") to serve as a dwelling for the minister and

1 By Rev. H. A. Brickenstein.

2 A native of Kirchart, Baden. Settled in Warwick township about 1740. Ile died at Bethlehem in July, 1783.

3 No attempt was made at prosely ting. Zinzendorf entertained the hope that at least a spiritual union could be accomplished among the many discordant sects, and he labored energetically for this end. For a time the plan seemed to succeed, but it failed eventually.

4 Neur the present Reamstown.'

6 This house stood on the en-tern edge of the land now owned by Ben- jamin Budarf, on the declivity of the hill. Subsequent to 1703 it was used as a schoul and as a stopping-place for osembers from the neighbor- hood when they came to church on Sunday. In February, 1766, it was taken down (being built of logs) and re-elected on the square opposite the present church. In 1768 an infant-school was commenced in the upper room. The building was destroyed by fire July 16, 1838, when three other houses were coustured,

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as a school- and meeting-house. Klein donated three and three-quarter acres1 of his land, at the eastern · end of his farm, for this purpose and for a garden and meadow. In November the cellar was dug.

March 29, 1747, the corner-stone was laid by Revs. Nyberg and Neibert.

May 24, 1748, Rev. Leonard Schnell, the successor of Neibert ( who was called to Heidelberg), occupied the house, and commeneed the school with four hoys and three girls, his wife teaching the latter. June 28th, Rev. Reinhard Ronner and wife arrived from Bethlehem as assistants in the school and the pastoral work here, Selinell being also charged with the work of preaching and visiting at Muddy Creek, Heidel- berg, Lancaster, Tulpehocken, Quittopehille, Donegal, and beyond the Susquehanna. August 11th the first love-feast was held in the Gemeinhaus by Bishop Na- thaniel Seidel, from Bethlehem. September 4th, the first Wednesday evening meeting was held. Novem- ber 13th, George Klein and Leonard Bender, who lived on the Conestoga, were received into the com- munion of the Moravian Church at Bethlehem, the first to be so received not only in Warwick, but in the colony, all the other members at Bethlehem and Nazareth being recent emigrants from Europe. No- vember 24th the following were received into the church while attending special services at leidel- berg: George Kiesel, Sr., and his wife; Frederic Kiesel and wife; Jacob Scherzer and wife; Anna Klein, wife of George Klein, and Verona Rudy. (Henry Rudy was received at Bethlehem, January 26th, and Nicholas Kiesel and wife, May 26, 1749. )

Feb. 9, 1749, Bishop Seidel and others from Beth- lehem were present to dedicate the Gemeinhaus and to organize "the Warwick country congregation." The first communion in this building was held on this day.

From November 20-23d a Provincial Synod was held in Warwiek. During its sessions the follow- ing were received as members of the church: Paul and Louisa Lessons, Christian and Barbara Palmer, Jacob and Catharine Heil, Andrew and Susan Frey, Christopher and Mary Frey, Valentine and Barbara Grosch, Christian and Eva Mary Kling, Gottlieb and | Christina Veil, Francis Seib, Margaret Bihler, Bar- bara Plattenberger, the Widows Elizabeth Bechtel, Stoehr, and Elizabeth Palmer. During this year the following itinerant ministers preached here : Christian Henry Rauch, Leonard Schnell, Samuel Utley, and Abraham Reinke. Teachers of the school until 1756 were Reinhard and Elizabeth Ronner (already men- tioned), until June, 1751 ; George and Susan Nixdorfl, until September, 1753; Frederic and Barbara Schlegel, until February, 1755, who were succeeded by Michael and Regina Zahm.

1 A draft of the land belonging to the " Gemeinhaus," nuvle in 1754, gives the aren as eight acres, twenty-three percben, so that Klein must have made an additional grant.

Sept. 5, 1751, the first marriage in the congregation took place, that of Peter Ricksecker, from Donegal, to the Widow Barbara Bort.

August, 1757, Bishop Matthew Hale arrived on a visitation.

Nov. 7, 1753, on the occasion of the burial of Michael Erb in the graveyard at the St. James' Church, a beginning was made in dividing off the ground into sections, so that those of the same sex and " class" might be interred together, an arrange- ment which is found in all the older Moravian ceme- teries. Before this time interments had been made promiscuously. Sections were also reserved for " so- ciety" members and for strangers. On December 9th, Bishop Peter Boehler organized a "society" here, that is, a class of persons who, whilst not men- bers of the Warwick Church, were still to be under its pastoral charge, and entitled to the privileges of the various services in the same.

Oct. 7, 1754, the church council was organized by Bishop Spangenberg. At this first meeting the Breth- ren George Klein, who had in fact acted as such from the beginning, and Valentine Grosch were elected stewards of the congregation, an office corresponding to that of trustee at the present time.

The Warwick congregation was thus fully organized as a " country congregation," that is, a congregation composed of members who lived scattered on their farms, and not in a close settlement, as was the case at Bethlehem and Nazareth. These latter congrega- tions were peculiarly constituted in many particulars, a cirenmstance which had its origin in the special purpose which they were to serve as centres of the activity of the Brethren among the Indians, and in what we should now call their home mission activity in Pennsylvania and the neighboring colonies. In a new country, with a large number of missionaries to provide for, and at constant and large expense in the establishment of mission stations among the Indians, the West Indies, and even in Surinam, in South America, it was only possible to raise the necessary means by living in close quarters and with the greatest economy, surrendering many individual rights, and putting their earnings into a common purse. Not every one was fitted for the labors, restrictions, and . self-denials of such a social and religious community, and as emigrants continued to arrive from Europe who might not be suitable members of it, or might object to submitting themselves to the necessary conditions of residence there, it was resolved by Zinzendorf to provide a third church settlement (Gemeinort) in Pennsylvania.

In the year 1753, George Klein had made an offer to Bishop Spangenberg to donate his entire farm of about six hundred acres for the use of the church. Upon the return of Spangenberg from Europe, in the spring of 1754, Klein repeated this offer in positive terms, annonneing his purpose to retire with his wife (they had only an adopted daughter) to Bethlehem.

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HISTORY OF LANCASTER COUNTY.

Aug. 20, 1754, the legal transfer of the property1 to the Unity of the Brethren was made.2 In the spring of this year, before he had fully formed the above-men- tioned plan, Klein had built a two-story stone house 3 beside his log house, without having any definite purpose in regard to it. This house afterwards gave the direction to the main street of the village, and accounts for the fact that it does not run due east and west. It was used as a dwelling for the ministers,t and as a meetingaplace for the congregation until December, 1761.

The general superintendence of the country church in this section had been committed to Bishop Hehl, and as the new church settlement was to be a centre for them, it might have seemed natural that Ilch) should take up his residence here." The question, however, was again formally decided in a conference of the elders of the church on the 18th of August, The above-stated Lititz was established as a "church settlement," that is, the land could only be owned by members of the church, and these agreed to govern themselves personally and as a community by strict religious and moral principles. The whole social, busi- ness, and even in some particulars the domestic life were placed under the supervision of the church au- thorities, practical affairs being attended to by a warden, who was an ordained minister, assisted by a committee of laymen chosen annually by the congrega- tion. Each individual controlled his own earnings, but was liable to be removed from his place and from the community in case of negligence, or for any moral de- linqueney, and the number of tradesmen was limited so that there should not be undne competition. The 1755. Bishops Spangenberg, Boehler, and Hehl were proposed, and the reasons pro and con for each one's appointment were stated. Finally, after the invari- able custom of the church at that time, the decision was left to the Lord by the use of the lot. Four folded slips of paper were provided, on one of which the Latin word est (he is the one) was written, >0 that it was possible that neither of them might be designated. After a fervent prayer each one took up a slip, Bishop Ilehl receiving the one with the est. He was accordingly charged with the organization and guidance of the new settlement, in external as well as spiritual affairs, as also the supervision of the various country churches,6 November 9th he arrived from Bethlehem and took up his residence in the pastors and the warden were maintained, and the

1 George Klein held three proprietury patents, dated 1741, 1747, and 1735, in all for five hundred Aud cleven acres. In 1752 he sold twenty acres to Jacob Heil, so that four hundred and ninety -one acres remained, which commised the land donated to the Unity. He received a penistout of seventy pounds, which was charged as the rent of the land, and paid by the Lititz Church to the administintor for his use.

2 Aug. 1, 1755, Hlegry Haller arrived from Allemengel (or Lyun) to take charge of the farm. He tunk up his quarters in Klein's log house "at the spring." Brother Nixdorf, from Lancaster, bad had temporary charge since June, und was the flist ocenpaut of the stone house.

3 This house was toin away in the year 1866. It occupied the site of the house now owned by Peter S, Reist.

4 The first of these was Rev. David Bischoff, a carpenter by trade, who assisted in finishing the inside woud-work and making the necessary furniture.

' Ilis supervision extended over the following churches : Lititz, War- wick, Allemaengel (Lynn township, Northampton Co., Mill Creek (twelve miles from Heidelberg), Muddy Creek (neat the present Reams- town), Donegal (near Mount Joy), Heidelberg and Oley (in Berks County), Quittopehille, Hebron, and Bethel (in Lebanon County), L.In- caster, Yorktown (new York), Monocacy (now Graceham, Mld.), and Cat- roll's Manor (Md ). Bishop Hehl labored at Lititz for twenty-eight years, visiting the churches ol his district regularly. He was also a member of the provincial board at Bethlehem. He died Dec. 4, 1787, and was buried on the 9th, at the upper end of the Lititz graveyard lle Was i ments of great theological learning, a graduate of the University of Tubingen, in Wurtemberg, an eloquent preacher, a hue hymn- writer, a judicious counselor and futhful pastor.

6 " In hoc respectu sedem Ignatianum," Zinzendorf had called the new artilement, referring probably to the church at Antioch, over which Bishop Ignatius preskled, and which was a centre of early Christin activity in the country roundabout.

stone house,7 which it was the custom thereafter to call the Pilgerhaus (house of the pilgrims).

In the beginning of the year 1756 a number of refugeqs arrived from Donegal and Bethel," fleeing from a threatened incursion of the Indians. Some of them brought a portion of their effects with them, which were stowed away in the apparently never crowded Pilgerhaus.

June 12th letters had been received from Zinzen- dorf in which he gave the name Lititz" to the new set- tlement, after the barony ( Lititz) in Bohemia, where the infant church of the Ancient Brethren, by per- mission of George Podiebrad, king of Bohemia, had found a refuge in the year 1456. During this year Rev. Daniel Neibert commenced the building of a small stone house for the possible use of some mem- ber of the congregation.

church expenses were met, partly by voluntary con- tributions, partly, and after a time, mainly, from the rents of the farms and " out-lots," any surplus being devoted to general church causes, principally that of foreigu missions. No strangers were at first per- mitted to live permanently in the settlement, and ! when this restriction was removed, they could not own property until the entire abolition of the old system was accomplished, in the year 1855. Each family that chose could rent small lots of ground and a meadow at low rents.

It is, of course, easy to find faults in such a re- ligious social system, and in the course of time the members themselves came to see that it had outlived its purpose and utility ; but it was unquestionably of

7 Iu the church diaty of 1756 mention is made of the fact that three families lived in the house, Bishop Hehl, Bishop David Nitschman, und Rev. D. Neibert. IL served, besides, as mentioned above, also as meet- ing-place for the congregation.

d From Donegal came the Baumgartners, Paul Lepons, and Terhuidy families ; from Bethel, the Jungblut, Williams, and the w blows Spittle und Alberts fatushes. The majority of these remained hete petite nently

" The original spelling was Litt:, as it is in Bohemian, In German : is pronounced as ta, and for convenience in writing the t was often dropped, just as Warwick was frequently written Warwik, The two spellings were med interchangeably in early times. For English tongues the original spelling is necessary for correct pronunciation.

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very great practical service in a new and poor com- munity in a thinly-settled country, and it presented some special advantages in the way of religious cul- ture and the maintenance of correct morals. So long as the membership accepted cheerfully the conditions of the system and the average standard of religious feeling was high, so that there was a willing surren- der of individual rights for the sake of the general good it subserved many admirable uses. The mo- ment it no longer commanded general consent its real power and usefulness ceased.

In such a condition of things the history of the church and the community became one. This is most briefly and clearly proven by a few extracts from the church diary :

1756, 4Aug. 13. Rev. David Bischoff, of his colony, from Bethlehem for North Carolina, anived here and proceeded on the 16th.

Aug. 14. Brother Nathaniel ( Bishop Smodel, from Bethlehem) inspected the site of the proposed mill. It was decided to erect the house for the workmen on the hill between the schoul-house and Ileil's.

-lug. 20, 21. Brother Haller, with his assistanty, removed the old house from the large spring to this sput. On the 23d the logs were put in place.

Nov. 6. Brother Christian Frederick Steinman and his wife, A. Re- gina, from Bethlehem, occupied the house. They me to board the workmen ut the mill.

Nov. 26. We had bread baked from the flour made in the North Cato- lina mill, brought here by the two returning wagons.1

D.c. 24. The Lititz members kept a love-feast, at which several invited guests from the Warwick society were present.

At the close of the year the membership at Lititz and Warwick num- bered one hundred and twenty -four adults and one hundred and twenty children.

1757, Jun. 10. George Klein concluded the purchase of a small piece of land below Jacob Heil's, on which @ohn Bender's sons had built a small snw-mill. Our grist- nud saw -mifl is to be built on this race.

F.b. 9. Brother Nathaniel and Brother Reuter began the surveying and measuring out of the streets and lots. On the same day Brother Christensen arrived from Bethlehem to superintend the erection of the mill. Feb. 12th the site was finally determined, and on the 13th the felling of trees way commenced, On the 22d quarrying was begun. Amil 18th four unmarried men occupied the house, which was included in the purchase of the till-sito. A special liturgy was arranged for theu. .

.April 18. Lewis Cussler anived from Philadelphia and took up n house lot, and made an agreement to build a house, the first private house in the place (probably on the site of Istael Erb's present residence).

Muy 2. Nicholas Jungblut and family arrived as refugees from Heb- ron (near Lebation), und ocenpled the little house on the upper sale of the large sjning.

May 28. John Garrison, carpeuter, from Bethlehem, arrived, in order to assist at the building of the mill.

Aug. 15. The mill was runsed without injury to any one.

Aug. 24. Bishop Spangenberg, with the assistance of Brother Reuter, laid out the square and the lots in front of the houses which are to be erected for the single brethren and single sisters In the evening, after service, the young men with Brother Spangenberg repaired to the ground which had been staked off for the new building, and sang a number of hynins.

In October, Brother Neibert commenced to wall up the cellar of his new house, a few lots beyond the Pilger hans.

Nov. 11. The mille was started, and on the 18th our Lititz fautly had bread from some of the first dom made.

At the close of the year the whole membership at Lititz und Warwick, cluldren included, numbered two hundred and hfty-three.

1 Simliar entries occur frequently. The North Carolina wagon passed through Lititz regularly every few months to and from the Motavian colony there.

" This mill (a log structure) was destroyed by fire early in the morning of Nov. 26, 1775. Over one thousand bushels of gram were destroyed, -u great Jobd. It was immediately rebuilt of stone.

1758, Jun. 18. A council was held and the members were asked what building timber each one would euntributo fur the two " choir hondes, 93 as also what labor in quairving stone.

14b. 12-18. The Warwick Brethren were busy hauling wood to the Bitw-mall for the choir-houses. Nicholas Henry Eberhard arrived April 1, as superintendent of building operations at these houses, and other workmen arrived to continue work at the building of the mill. Eber- hard was also charged with the special pastoral oversight of the boys and young men.

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History of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 122

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Evans, Samuel, 1823-1908, joint author Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : Everts & Peck Number of Pages: 1320

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Evans, Samuel, 1823-1908, joint author
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1320