History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Part 244

Author: Bean, Theodore Weber, 1833-1891, [from old catalog] ed; Buck, William J. (William Joseph), 1825-1901
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1534

USA > Pennsylvania > Montgomery County > History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania > Part 244

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

prise was, possibly, not previously surpassed in the county. About one hundred and twenty-five acres of this estate are in Springfield township.

On the line adjoining Plymouth and Whitpain townships is an elevation kuown as Cold Point, where there is a scattered hamlet, containing on the White- marsh side more than a dozen houses. The Cold Point Baptist Church, located at this place, was first known as the Plymouth Church, and the locality became a preaching-place about 1842, when the Rev. Robert Young, then pastor of the Chestnut Hill Baptist Church, began service in the school-house, which then stood opposite the present church. The corner-stone of the old stone church edifice was laid in the sum- mer of 1845, and after completion was in use until 1867. The corner-stone of the present stone house, sixty by forty feet, was laid in August of that year and completed and dedicated in 1868 and is still used. It stands a short distance west of the old church. The Rev. Mr. Young retired from the charge of Chestnut Hill Church in 1849 and the Revs. - Wilson and Barnhurst preached at the place until 1854, when the present church was regularly organized and the Rev. Jesse B. Williams became the pastor. He was suc- ceeded by Alexander H. Folwell, - Trotter, J. B. Williams, H. Il. Lemy, - Oakley, Rolando Kocher and John C. Jacobs. The churches are at present without a pastor. The membership is about one hundred and fifty. The grounds occupy about two and a half acres and are kept in neat condition. We find on the tombstones the names of Freas, Rode- baugh, Lysinger, Fight, Phipps, Hellings, Williams, White, Sands, Bisbing, Hallet, Rex, Coulson, Moore, Robinson, Fisher, Nagle, Schlater, Yetter, Butler, Kirk, Radcliff, Getman, Wood, Jones, Childs, Wim- mer, Roberts, Heller, Gilbert and Dewees. From these grounds a fine view is obtained of the surround- ing country, particularly towards the north and west, embracing the greater portion of Plymouth township. Near this is the residence of the late Alan W. Corson, well known as a teacher, surveyor, nurseryman and botanist, who died June 21, 1882, aged ninety-five years.

The Union Church, as it is called from being held in common by the Lutheran and Reformed denominations, is situated in the lower part of the village of Whitemarsh, on the turnpike, and was originally built in 1818. In 1867 it was remodeled with a tower in front. It is built of stone, one story high, with stained-glass windows. The grounds com- prise about five acres and extend from the turnpike to the Church road. Quite a number have been buried here, as may be judged by the following sur- names transcribed from the tombstones : Van Winkle, Kehr, Shriver, Smith, Cox, Shaffer, Schofield, Francis, Aimen, Heist, Swimp, King, Bisbing, Grafly, Pierce, Trexler, Stout, Herrman, Hoover, Hallowell, Ruch, Robbins, Kühler, Wallace, Thompson, Baum, Det- weiler, Fisher, Prince, Rodebaugh, Dewees, Bolland,

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Keyser, Wentz, Armstrong, Steevy, Ball, Slingluff, Heydrick, Day, Bitting, Sorher, Wolf, Dager, Yetters, Quandrill, Dotts, Faringer, Everhart, Harmer, Cook, Carr, Engard, Hocker, Scheetz, Gilbert, MeClellan, Clemens, Nace, Jones, Graff, Wimmer, Hess, Heister, Redifer, Fries, Lear, Hallman, Benner, Ott, Heany, Frantz, Hersh, Fultz, Bryan, Heller, Cox, Carn, McNeill, Sechler, Farr, Davis, Neiman, Kline, Coar, Peterman, Hauss, Brooke, Daub, Shugard, Irwin, Bush, Yeakle, Burnet, Closson, Hemp, Kerper, Bowers, Hogg, Cooper, Shaw, Frederick, Steer, McClay, Jacoby and Roberts. A handsome monument has been erected here to the memory of General Scheetz, who died in 1848. On the part of the Lutherans, the pastors of Barren Hill Church had charge here until the Rev. Mr. Sentman's time. Since the erection of the Upper Dublin Church, in 1857, this congregation has been assigned to the same pastor, the Rev. Lewis Hippee having charge until August, 1859; Rev. Ed- ward Koons, from March, 1860, to May, 1863; Rev. George Sill, from September, 1863 to 1869, who was succeeded by the Rev. Mathias Sheeleigh. The Rev. George Wagner was the German Reformed pastor in 1858; the present is Rev. J. D. Dietrich, who re- ported that there were, in June, 1883, one hun- dred and sixty church members and one hundred and sixty Sunday school scholars.

Barren Hill has a high location on an eminence of this name, which appears to be a spur of Edge Hill, and affords a fine view of the surrounding country. The Chestnut IIill and Perkiomen turnpike and Ridge turnpike approach here within a quarter of a mile of each other, and between theat the village is chiefly situated. It contains three stores, three hotels, several mechanic shops, school-house, a three-story hall, post-office, mill and about fifty houses, St. Pe- ter's Lutheran Church, a handsome edifice, founded in 1761, of which a further account will be given. The post-office was established before 1827. A steam grist-mill was built in 1858. The public school-house is a large two-story building. A passenger railway was completed from this place to Roxborough about ten years ago, over which five or six daily trains are drawn by two horses. The elections for the Western District of the township have been held here since 1875. That this place has improved, the following statistics will show: In the Revolution it contained a church, school-house and four or five houses ; in 1858, thirty-three houses ; and in 1880, four hundred and sixteen inhabitants. A meeting of the people of this county was held in December, 1799, to raise by sub- scription a sufficient sum to have the hill here on the Ridge road graded, when Colonel Andrew Porter, Abraham Webb and Andrew Norney were appointed a committee to make a survey and to report thereon. The work was accomplished by the middle of the fol- lowing April and dnly paid for. In the summer of 1883 an effort was made by some of the citizens resid- ing here to have the name changed to that of Lafay-

ette Hill, which, being assented to by the post-office department, took effect January 1, 1884.

Spring Mill until recently was the most populons village in the township, but owing to the demolition of its furnaces and several manufacturing establish- ments, its prosperity has been impaired. It is situated on the east side of the Schuylkill, with two rail- roads having double tracks passing through it from Philadelphia. It contains at present four stores, one hotel, two clay-works, a grist-mill, several mechanic shops and about fifty houses. The census of 1880 gives seven hundred and eighty-eight inhabitants; if this is no typographical error, it is entirely too high; the number of houses will not admit of half this popu- lation. Mr. Hitner has sold his two furnaces here to the Schuylkill Valley Railroad Company to give room to their improvements. The village received its name from several copious springs of water near by, the principal ones being five or six in number. They are all situated within an area of half an acre, and flow into one stream, which, after a course of a quarter of a mile, empties into the Schuylkill. In this distance it has sufficient power to propel the whole year round the grist-mill mentioned, which was built here before 1715, and then owned by David Williams, next by Robert Jones. Thomas Livezey, in Jannary, 1812, advertised it for rent, stating that it was affected by "neither frost nor drought." Mr. Hitner's furnaces were erected here in 1844 and 1853, with an estimated capacity to produce annually twelve thousand tons of iron, John Meconkey ad- vertised the tavern and ferry here for sale in Decem- ber, 1803, stating that the house was thirty-five by eighteen feet, two stories high, with an ice-house at- tached, and that the ferry had the advantage of not being fordable at any time of the year. Edge IIill crosses the Schuylkill just below the village, and continues up the other side of the river to West Con- shohocken, where it turns to the southwest. The river is quite narrow where it flows through the hill and rises on both sides to an elevation of upwards of two hundred and fifty feet, contributing to the beauty of the scenery. Its flourishing neighbor, Consho- hocken, bids fair to absorb the entire place, it being no easy matter now to a stranger to tell where the one begins or the other ends. The post-office here is called William Penn, and was established before 1876.

Marble Hall is situated on the Germantown and Perkiomen turnpike and extends within half a mile of Barren Hill. It contains two stores, a marble-mill, several mechanic shops and above twenty houses. The census of 1880 gives it one hundred and twenty- two inhabitants. Daniel Hitner, the father of Daniel O. and Henry S. Hitner, was the founder of the place; he died here March 3, 1841, aged nearly seventy-six years. It was some time before the Revolution when Patrick Menan kept school here and taught the higher mathematics. Daniel O. and Henry S. Hitner hold

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

considerable real estate, and have long carried on the iron and marble business. The latter, according to the report of Henry D Rogers, the State geologist, secured from his farm of two hundred and thirty-five acres here, in 1852, ten thousand tons of good ore, and in the following year over twelve thousand tons. The village appears to have improved very little since 1858.

Fort Washington is situated near the Upper Dublin line, at the intersection of the Spring House turnpike and North Pennsylvania Railroad. It contains two stores, hotel, post-office, railroad-station, coal and lumber-yard and about eighteen houses. The post- office was removed here from Whitemarsh village in 1873 and A. H. Carn appointed postmaster, who still retains the position. Its title was changed from White- marsh to its present designation January 1, 1879. A woolen-mill and a silk-factory are in the vicinity, but have not been in operation for some time. Near this is also Isaac & Albert Conard's anger manufactory, who have been in the business many years. What was known in 1702 as the wide marsh, on the early North Wales road, and gave name to the township, begins at this village and extends southwardly nearly a mile. The venerable stone bridge over Sandy Run bears the date of 1792, and gives fair promise soon to be a centenarian. About half a mile south of Fort Washington Station a terrible collision between two trains took place July 7, 1856, by which forty persons were instantly killed, twenty died subsequently and nearly sixty were wounded. The accident was occa- sioned through the up train being behind time with a Sunday-school excursion, and the down train not waiting here, as it should have done. What pleas- ing anticipations that party must have had but a few moments before, when the object of their journey was almost in sight!

Undoubtedly the oldest settlement in the township is the village of Whitemarsh, situated on the Spring House turnpike, thirteen miles from Philadelphia. It contains two merchant mills propelled by the Wissahickon, two churches, school-house and seven- teen dwellings. A considerable quantity of lime is burned here. An account of the Episcopal and Union Churches is given elsewhere. The Skippack road, laid out in 1713, was turnpiked from here, in 1855, a distance of five miles. It was at this place where the elections were so long held and the White- marsh post-office established before 1816. The lower portion of the place has for some time been denom- inated Valley Green. Here resided, from 1837, Morris Longstreth, appointed associate judge of Montgomery County, in 1841, afterward elected canal commissioner, and in 1848 defeated by a very small majority for Governor by William F. Johnson. A few years after this he died here on his farm. The buildings and a portion of the land are now owned by Franklin P. Seltzer, the balance by Franklin A. Comly, president of the North Pennsylvania Rail- road, who resides herc. This is a populous sec-

tion of country and abounds in fine, productive farms.

Lancasterville is situated near the Whitpain line, and formerly owed its prosperity to the manufacture of lime, but since the completion of the Plymouth Railroad to Oreland the business has been removed to its proximity, and the place has gone to decay. Here resided Thomas Lancaster, a Friend, who, in 1774, emancipated his negro man, Cato, aged forty-six years, and, in addition, gave bond that he should not fall for his keep on the public charge. He was assessed in 1780 for holding a farm of two hundred acres and keeping four horses. He had a son of the same name, who inherited the property. It was from this family that the place received its name. The numerous ne- glected kilns and quarries abounding here attest the industry that once prevailed.

Lafayette is the name of a station a mile below Spring Mill, on the Norristown Railroad. An exten- sive paper-mill was built here in 1856 by Mr. Cope, of Germantown, who carried on the business for sev- eral years. It is now owned and operated by W. C. Hamilton & Sons, who employ about one hundred hands. The census of 1880 gives one hundred and thirty-nine inhabitants. In 1858 there were but four or five dwellings and the ruins of agrist-mill that had been propelled by a stream that empties here into the Schuylkill.

At Plymouth Meeting, on the Perkiomen turnpike, in this township, are now some twenty houses, and it appears to be an improving place. An Evangelical meeting-house was commenced here in 1876, but not dedicated until July 22, 1883. It is a two-story stone edifice, with a capacity to seat five hundred persons. The pastor is the Rev. H. M. Capp.1

St. Thomas' Episcopal Church .- This congrega- tion ranks among the earliest of the denomination in Pennsylvania. The Farmar family, who were its founders and principal patrons, arrived in Septem- ber, 1685, and had probably settled here the following year. Tradition derived from several sources states that between 1690 and 1700 a church was built, of logs, which, in 1710, was destroyed by fire, when a stone building was erected in the northeast corner of the old graveyard, on land given for the purpose by Edward Farmar, and which stood there and served all the purposes of a house of worship to the congregation for the long period of one hundred and seven years. Who was its first pastor remains undetermined. It was not, however, till about 1695, that the Rev. Mr. Clayton first established the services of the Church of England in Philadelphia ; his death occurred only three years later. He was fol- lowed by the Rev. Evan Evans, who came to this country in 1700, and was for many years rector of

1 The writer acknowledges himself under obligations to the Hon. William A. Yeakle for some information relating to Whitemarsh, having written a series of interesting sketches on the subject, recently published in the Norristown Herald.

"RIVERSIDE PAPER-MILLS." W. C. HAMILTON & SONS.

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WHITEMARSH TOWNSHIP.

Christ Church. He was frequently invited by those that visited his church to make journeys of fifteen and twenty miles from the city to minister to their spiritual wants, which opportunities he did not neglect, and thus an interest was maintained for wor- ship.

The Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, in 1718, appointed the Rev. Mr. Wey- man as their missionary at Oxford and Radnor. He came to this country and entered upon his ministry with diligence and made his residence at the former place. He shortly afterwards informed the society " that there is a congregation at Whitemarsh, about ten miles distant from Oxford, who are desirous of a minister, and have, for the decent performance of divine worship, erected a goodly stone building." This certainly implies that at that early date the con- gregation could not have been small, and that they had a creditable church. Mr. Weyman now resigned the Radnor charge and confined his labors chiefly to the Oxford and Whitemarsh congregations, which came thus to be associated for a long period. He was succeeded, June 24, 1733, by the Rev. Alexander Howie, whose ministry lasted nine years, when he left for the West Indies. The Rev. William Currie assumed the duties in 1742, at which time the wardens were John Barge and Hugh Burk, and the vestry- men Thomas Bartholomew, William Malchior, Ed- ward Burk, Francis Colley, William Dewees, Jr., and John Burk.

From a record of the business proceedings of the wardens and vestrymen for 1742 the following inter- esting extract is taken :

" It was agreed that James Whiley, for officiating as Clark, cleaning the church and keeping things in decent order, should receive five pounds per annum. That the old tiles be sold for the best price, and the roof covered with cedar shingles. That a new pew and pulpit be made in the northeast corner, and new hannesters round the communion table. Also to fence in the graveyard with red cedar posts and cedar boards, and make three gates, one on each side, and the other at the end of the graveyard."

This establishes the fact that the original roof had been covered with tiles. The expense of repair was met by some forty contributors. The accounts show that Samuel Gilkey repaired the roof and Jacoby Whiley and George Lawrence attended to the carpen- ter-work.

The Rev. Eneas Ross came over from London in June, 1741, and became pastor of Christ Church, Philadelphia, which he resigned in June, 1743, to take charge of the churches at Oxford and White- marsh, in which he continued until 1758. He was the first minister to make any record of baptisms and marriages ; unfortunately, his example was not fol- lowed for over half a century afterwards. Mr. Ross having been transferred to New Castle, Del., the Rev. Hugh Neill became his successor, who stated, on entering on his duties, that the attendance at wor- ship was about one hundred and fifty, of which not more than thirty were members, the rest being Dis-

senters, or Germans who had received some knowledge of English. It is supposed that on the removal of Mr. Neill, in 1766, that the Rev. Dr. William Smith, provost of the college at Philadelphia, officiated occa- sonally until 1779.

From the following entry made April 17, 1786, it will beobserved that all early records of the church have been unfortunately lost, except one book from 1742 to 1766: " Ordered, That proper books be provided for keeping the registers of this Parish, the old books and registers having been destroyed during the late war." At the aforesaid meeting of the con- gregation John B. Gilpin and Andrew Redifer were elected wardens, and Edward Burk, Levi Stannerd, William Hicks and Frederick Hitner vestrymen. Efforts were at once made to repair the injuries re- sulting from the war. It is therefore " Resolved, That, as the church is much gone to decay and the fence round the graveyard totally destroyed, the church be immediately put into decent repair, a communion table provided and a desk made for the clerk. Also, that a rail-fence of cedar be made round the graveyard." The Rev. Joseph Pilmore was, on this occasion, chosen minister and John Stewart ap- pointed clerk. For the long space of twenty years, extending from 1766 to 1786, they had no regular pastor and but irregular worship, the members being scattered and the building and grounds in a ruinous condition.

Mr Pilmore retained the charge until 1794, when Rev. Dr. Wm. Smith succeeded until 1796, followed by the Rev. John H. Hobart to 1797, who afterwards became bishop of the diocese of New York, next the Rev. Slater Clay until 1812, then his son, Rev. J. C. Clay. The Rev. Bird Wilson, rector of the church in Norristown, officiated until 1821, followed by Rev. Mr. Robertson for a short period. He was followed by Rev. John Rodney, in connection with St. Luke's Church, Germantown, to 1833, the Rev. Dr. Cruse and Rev. John Reynolds to 1836, Rev. Wm. H. Deihl to 1852, Rev. George Foote to 1855, Rev. David C. Millett from 1856 to 1864, Rev. Charles Bonnel to 1869, Rev. Mr. Stryker to 1876, who was succeeded by the pres- ent rector, Rev. H. I. Meigs.

On the erection of the church, in 1817, the tower and spire were not completed until between the years 1847 and 1857, when the parsonage and school-house were built, additional ground purchased and a bell of eleven hundred pounds weight and a communion service presented. The church was forty by sixty feet in dimensions, built of stone, one story high, with a spire of one hundred and thirty feet. So weak at times has been the congregation that in 1817 the membership was only fifteen and worship was held only once a month. A drawing was made of this building in May, 1857, which may now be the only one extant. The distance to the Oxford Church does not excced nine miles, and it was not till 1734 that the road was opened between them and declared a public

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

highway, which has ever since horne the name of Church road. The remains of Edward Farmar, who died in 1745, were placed in the upper part of the north aisle; the original slab retains its position, thus denoting the site of the old church. Tradi- tion states that several Indian chiefs were buried here, but the exact place of their interment is un- known.

The church in the Revolution was occupied by both parties. During Washington's encampment in the vicinity soldiers were quartered in it, who made hearths of the grave-stones for their cooking purposes, which will account for the loss of head-stones from the earliest graves, fragments of which may be still discovered with lettering on them. On the retreat of the Americans from Germantown, the British, in their pursuit, occupied it, and again on their march out here to attack Washington. On this last occurrence they made use of it for several days. The late church, be- lieved to be the third erected here, was torn down in 1868, and the present large and beautiful edifice com- menced in the previous year, which, however, was not used for worship until 1877, and not fully completed until 1881. It is built of dressed red sandstone, pro- cured in the neighborhood, forty-two by one hundred and twenty-four feet in dimensions, with a tower at the east end eighty-two feet in height. The windows are of stained glass and of the most elegant designs. From this elevated churchyard a fine prospect is af- forded of the surrounding country, including Flour- town, Chestnut Hill, Barren Hill, Camp Hill, Fort Washington and the romantic valley of the Wissa- hiekon. It is undoubtedly one of the handsomest church buildings in the county.

The grounds embrace all of six acres, substantially inclosed and kept in a neat condition. As may be expected from its antiquity, many have been buried here, probably above two thousand. The oldest stone bearing a date is that erected to the memory of James Allison, who died in 1727, aged forty-five years. Sev- eral quaint and curious epitaphs are here, bearing the dates of 1732, 1738, 1749, 1755 and 1763. Among the numerous surnames to be found here can be mentioned Burke, Barge, Wells, Farmar, Allison, Woolen, Brant, White, Shay, Houpt, Ingleman, Cleaver, Bisbing, Robinson, Nash, Acuff, Donatt, Taylor, Nague, Loeser, Bradfield, Hayes, Hinkle, Lukens, Smith, Jackson, Hickling, Young, Warley, Comly, Corson, Aimen, Stackhouse, Hersh, Summerfield, Grafly, Hart, Gibbs, Janney, Dodson, Kifer, Platt, Foote and Vancourt. In the spring of 1883 this church was represented in the Episcopal Convention by William H. Drayton, John H. Bringhurst and Hamilton Taggart as lay delegates. The present communicants number nearly one hundred ; the children attending the Sunday and parish-schools number about eighty. Of the eleven Episcopal Churches now in the county, this was estab- lished the earliest, the next being St. James', in Lower Providence, in 1721.

St. Peter's Lutheran Church .- The origin of this church appears to be greatly due to the early and ac- tive efforts of the Rev. Henry M. Muhlenberg, which is thus acknowledged in the minutes : "Our collectors having, in his name and with his letters of recommen- dation, raiscd contributions to defray the expenses of the school-house, and having, after these were paid, also, by means of his written petitions, collected money in Philadelphia and in the Provinces of New Jersey and New York for the building of St. Peter's church, he himself having, at the same time, as far as it was pos- sible for himself and his fellow-labourers, served us in the preaching of the gospel." From the deed of the school-house, dated March 15, 1758, we learn that Christopher Roberts, Philip Cressman, Valentine Miller, Philip Hersh and Adam Snider, of White- marsh, had commenced the building, but, through a

ST. PETER'S CHURCH, BARREN HILL.

majority of votes, transferred their rights to Rev. Richard Peters ; Charles Magnes Wrangel, D.D., pro- vost of the Swedish Lutheran Churches in Pennsylva- nia and New Jersey; Henry M. Muhlenberg, first minister of the United German Evangelical Congre- gations in Pennsylvania ; Henry Keppele, Sr., of Philadelphia ; John Koplin, of Providence; Valen- tine Miller, Ludwig Kolb and Mathias Sommer, mem- bers of the church in Whitemarsh.

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History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Part 244

Author: Bean, Theodore Weber, 1833-1891, [from old catalog] ed; Buck, William J. (William Joseph), 1825-1901 Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Peck Number of Pages: 1534

Author: Bean, Theodore Weber, 1833-1891, [from old catalog] ed; Buck, William J. (William Joseph), 1825-1901
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1534