History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Part 252

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 252

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M. K. Huber, who was at that time serving the Keely's congregation, now a part of the Wentz's charge. He was chosen on the 1st of January, 1867. At this time the membership numbered one hundred and ninety, of whom only one hundred and twenty-seven partook of the Lord's Supper at the first communion held by the new pastor. Success attended his unintermitted labors, and during the first year fifty-two persons were added to the church by confirmation, which number, through his activity, has been increased from year to year until it has reached two hundred and fifty, more than half of its present membership. During the first year of his labors, the great disadvantages resulting from the remoteness of the parsonage from the prin- cipal congregation became sensibly manifest both to pastor and people. After considerable deliberation the old parsonage property was sold on the 4th of September, 1869, and active efforts were immediately entered upon to erect a new parsonage upon a lot of ground, containing an acre and a quarter, adjoining the Wentz's church property, which had been pur- chased from Samuel Schultz. The work was carried forward to a successful completion, so that the pastor took possession of it on the 21st of March, 1870. The good results from the change of the location of the parsonage soon became manifest. The contiguity of the parsonage to the church enabled the pastor to look more carefully after the spiritual interests of his flock, and especially to give his personal attention to the Sunday-school work in his church. So great were the additions to the number of scholars and general prosperity of the school that the room in the school-house soon became inadequate to the wants of the school.

The subject of providing better and more suitable accommodations for the Sunday-school was agitated, and as the church itself was too small for the comfort- able accommodation of the membership, and also needed extensive repairs, the Consistory resolved to lay the entire subject before the congregation for its decision. Accordingly, it was almost unanimously re- solved that the new church should be built during the summer of 1878. On the 17th of March, 1878, the last communion season in the old church was held. It was a specially interesting and solemn occasion. Thedemoli- tion of the building was commenced the following Mou- day, and by the close of the week the third church ou this spot was a thing of the past. The corner-stone of the new building was laid on Easter Monday, the 22d of April, and was the same that had been used in the first building erected on this spot, in 1762. The following articles were placed in the box : the Minutes for 1878 of the Synod of the United States, the Synod of the Potomac and of the Pittsburg Synod ; German and English almanacs for 1878, monthly Guardian, Reformirte Hausfreund, constitution of the Reformed Church, English and German hymn-books and cate- chisms, English Bible, large issue of The Messenger, Christian World, United States coin to the amount of

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WORCESTER TOWNSHIP.

$3.14 of the coinage of 1878, a silver quarter of a dollar found in the old corner-stone, and a half-cent piece found in tearing down the old church. In a temporal point of view the congregation has made remarkable progress during the pastorate of the present pastor, and if the outward may serve as a basis for conclusions in regard to the inward, the necessary inference must be that a corresponding progress has also taken place in the spiritual condition of the membership. The congregation has been re- markably active during late years as regards its prop- erty. The greater part of the extensive sheds, for sheltering horses and vehicles, has been built, the dwelling for the sexton of the church has been en- larged and improved, the new parsonage has been built and the church provided with a new organ. At the time the erection of the new church building was entered upon the following were the officers of the congregation : Pastor, Rev. S. M. K. Huber ; Elders, James W. Slough, Tobias G. Hange and John Custer; Deacons, William G. Markley, Samuel G. Fensta- maker, Hillary M. Snyder, Henry Slough, Daniel Beyer and George F. Strong ; Trustees, Peter S. Fry, S. K. Kriebel and John Deckert; Building Com- mittee, Peter Fry, S. K. Kriebel, John Deekert, Reuben Scheffy, Eli Frick and Henry Slough.

The basement of the new church was dedicated on the first Sunday in September the same year, and the pastor was assisted by the Rev. S. R. Fisher, of Phila- delphia, who preached a very impressive sermon on Sunday morning, and in the afternoon addressed the Sunday-school, which was for the first time assembled in its new home. The work on the auditorium was resumed immediately after the basement dedication, and by the Ist of November the new church was 1 completed, and dedicated on the 9th and 10th of No- vember, 1878. The following clergymen took part in the dedicatory >ervices : Rev. Moses Godshalk, of Schwenksville (Mennonite); Rev. Frank J. Mohr, of Quakertown ; Rev. C. Z. Weiser, D.D., of Penns- burg ; Rev. J. A. Schultz, of Worcester ; Rev. J. H. A. Bomberger, of Collegeville (these last-named Re- formed); Rev. S. Coleman, of Centre Square (Luth- eran) ; Rev. H. Rodenbough, of Eagleville ; and Rev. C. Collins, pastor of Centennial Church, Jefferson (Presbyterian).

The burial-grounds are large and well attended to; there are so many families interred here that it would seem invidious to mention but a few, and space forbids to name the many. The Hon. John Weber and wife are buried in these grounds.

nomination in the county. Joseph Pillmore, a minister from England, had the first charge. The present church was erected in 1845, and the old one torn down a few years afterward. The oldest stone in the graveyard containing an inscription is that of Johannes Supplee, who died in 1770, a short time before the first meeting-house was finished. The most numerous names on tombstones are the Supplees, Zimmermans and Bissons. For further information in regard to this meeting, the reader is referred to the chapter on Methodism in Montgomery County.

A German Baptist, or Dunker, Meeting-House is located at the corner of the township, where it ad- joins Lower Providence and Norriton. It is a small one-story building. The principal names on the tombstones are Harley, Cassel, Detweiler, Balser, Goshow, Rittenhouse, Damuth, Tyson, Dettra, Yost, Bauer, Baker, Garner, Stem, Coulston and Stauffer. The earliest stone observed bearing a date was that of IS09.

Worcester Schwenkfelder Meeting-House is sit- uated on the Township Line road, dividing Norriton from Worcester township, about two miles north of Norritonville. It is a plain stone building, with a seating capacity of from threeto four hundred persons. Quite a large congregation worships here. The one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the arrival of the Schwenkfelders in America was celebrated in this church September 24, 1884.

Among the notable persons present at the anniver- sary were General John F. Hartranft ; Rev. Chester D. Hartranft, D.D., of Hartford, Conn .; Revs. Dr. Rice, of the Moravian Church, Philadelphia; Moses Godsball, of Schwenksville; J. H. Hendricks, of Collegeville ; Eli Keller, of Zionville; Charles Wie- | and, of Pottstown; Charles Collins, of the Centen- nial Presbyterian Church; J. H. A. Bomberger, of Ursinus College; and others.

The morning services were mostly in German. Rev. William S. Anders, the pastor, opened the exer- eises by announcing the hymn, commeneing, --

" Great God of Nations ! now to thee Our hymn of gratitude we raise."

Rev. Howard W. Krieble, of Clayton, Berks Co., in the Upper District, delivered a sermon in English, partly historical in its eharacter.

Rev. Jacob Meschter, of Palm Station, also in the Upper District, delivered an able sermon from the text: "Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and forget not all his benefits."

Rev. Joshua Schultz, of Hereford, Berks Co., also in the Upper District, read a "Sketch of the Devel- opment of the Church in this Country."

The Bethel Methodist Meeting-House is situated on the Skippack road, a little over half a mile above the Whitpain line. The first house of worship was The singing of a hymn elosed the morning exer- eises. built in 1770 by Johannes Supplee, but for no partic- ular denomination, In 1784 a congregation was A recess was taken for dinner, which was served in the basement of the church, being furnished by the members resident in the neighborhood. Nine hund- regularly organized by the Methodist Episcopal Church, under whose control it has since remained. This was the first congregation organized by this de- | red persons in all were fed. The dinner consisted of

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

bread and butter, cold meat and other substantials, cold water being the only beverage.

The event of the afternoon was the able and ex- haustive history of the Schwenkfelders and their fouuder by Rev. Charles D. Hartranft. It was col- lated partly from manuscripts of Schwenkfeld. The paper treated of the works of Schwenkfeld, his wan- derings and those of his people after his death and also of the doctrines he taught. Speaking of the latter, he said,-

" Schwenkfeld taught the need of individual reformation before you cao have a reformation of society. The very revolution from Rome had increased the degeneracy of the age. The first great essential in Schwenkfeld's preaching is repentance. No wonder be loved the ancient prophets, and declared there could be no Christian life which did not flow from repentance. A man's Christianity must be seen in his actions and not heard merely from his lips, according to his doctrine. And what a sublime life was his ! Whether for strength, courage, gentleness, devotion or loyalty to Christ, I know not his peer. Who faced graver dangere without the shadow of fear? Who disputed more courteously ? Where do you find the breath of slander in him ? He was a Christian gentleman, who never forgot his maoners, nor did he give signs of a too prostrate seeibility. Many and many a reformer acknowledged his be- nign piety and they could not account for it ; his doctrine, they said, was 80 bad.

"The principles which Schwenkfeld emphasized have made themselves everywhere liviog forcee. In what sphere of Christian activity are they not prominent factors ? His doctrinesare remarkable for the conspicuous exaltation of the heavenly over the earthily, the living inward word over that which is written. They teach the nourishment of the soul hy the presence of Christ himself instead of the hollow observance of encra- ments.

" How immeasurably superior do the qualities of Caspar Schwenkfeld shine forth in comparison with his contemporaries ! It was but another indication of his possession of the new life. What he preached he first did. IIe was equipped on every point, and had a masterly eloquence. The press was his greatest pulpit. And yet not halt his mannscripts bave been published.

" He found bis vocation in the graces God had given him. How he lashed the priests in their notions that they were the successors of the apostles! He insisted on social worship. He could not but regard the ecclesiastical machinery of the church, even in the Reformation, as tyr- anny. IIis ideas are being practically carried out in the churches around

" He believed in liberty of conscience and the right of private judg- ment, with the Scriptures as a test. Everything was to be brought to this test. H . taught individual liberty among believers. How rich are his works in practical arguments against the interference of the State with conscience! He never used the State to advance his own views. How can I represent to you the sorrowe of his exile? With bis zeal to ad- vance the cause of Christ, to be hunted from village to village ! Ah ! that we might recall the afflictions of those bands of wanderers ! Sons and daughters of those noble sires, let us rise up and call them blessed. Was the seed, which Schwenkfeld planted, without fruit ? Behold ! to- day its fair fruits wave from every branch of Protestant Christianity. Let the children of such sires love Christ as they loved bim, and we need not fear for the future of the American Republic."

Christopher Heydrick, of Franklin, Venango Co., followed and read an account of the causes which led to the exodus, commencing with 1724. To prevent it the Schwenkfelders were forbidden to sell their property. They had sought the intervention of the States-General of Holland and of the sovereign of Great Britain. On July 30, 1725, the Schwenk- felders were handed over to the Jesuit missionaries by an ediet of the Emperor, after having been two hundred years in Silesia.

They loved their German Fatherland, but they craved only to be allowed to sell their goods and leave

the country. They addressed the Mennonites of Hol- land to intercede for them with their government, where liberty of couscience was allowed. The crisis had now come and they resolved upon flight.

Mr. Heydrick explained the reason of their coming to Pennsylvania, which was the similarity of their belief to that of Friends and the unexampled liber- ality of the offers made by Penn. They arrived here September 24, 1734, and at once set up the altar of their religion.

He dwelt upon the history of the sect since they came to this country, and elosed with the words,-

"Such were the distinctive institutions of the early American Schwenkfelders-tbe church, according to what the church should be, has its charities and schools. From these institutions planted by our fathers in the free soil of Pennsylvania and maintained by their prayers and sacrifices, have, under the divine favor, flowed blessings which we can- not over estimate. They have reached us who are here assembled at the end of one hundred and fifty years, in obedience to the injunction of our godly ancestors, to commemorate their deliverance from their persecu- tors ; they have reached us whether we have remained in the fuld, or from necident or choice. cast our lot with other communions; and by whatever name we may he called, we can to-day unite together in thaoks- giving and praise for them uoto him from whom all hlessings flow."

General John F. Hartranft prepared a paper for this occasion, and in his remarks said,-

"The Schwenkfelders have never surrendered, never compromised their religious liberty. They unwittingly became instruments with other sects, the Huguenots, the Puritans and others, in building up the civil government and establishing the civil liberty we enjoy. They estab- lished the grandest republic on earth."

Rev. Charles Collins offered the closing prayer.

Rev. J. H. A. Bomberger, D.D., made a brief ad- dress, expressing the satisfaction he had experienced in joining on so glorious an occasion.

The exercises then closed by singing the doxology. An Evangelical German Methodist Church built about 1850, is on the road from Fairview to Centre Point. It is a one-story stone building, with a seating- capacity of one hundred and fifty persons.

The Methacton Mennonite Meeting-House .- This meeting-house is located ou a public road lead- ing from the Germantown turnpike to the Skippack road, about one-half mile northwest of Fairview vil- lage. It is a plain, one-story stone structure, and was early founded by the denomination worshiping there. There is a large burial-ground connected with it, and some of the oldest settlers of the locality and many of their descendants are buried there. It was a well-attended place of worship as early as 1812, and many interments were there made prior to that date. Prominent among the names noticed on the tomb- stones may be mentioned the following: Drake, Rit- tenhouse, Wismer, Detwiler, Longacre, Gallagher, Landes, Funk, Baughman, Styer, Conard, Roosen, Freed, Fenstermacher, Beyer (1744), Beard, Wagner (1760), Yeakel (1768), Gearhart, Zimmerman, Clouard, Schrack, Casselberry, Stem, Sower, Steiger, Custer, Vanfossen, Heebner, Reiff, Bean, Clemmens, Cassel, Heyser, Wanner, Sechlar, Schwartz.

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WORCESTER TOWNSHIP.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

DAVID CUSTER.

delphia ofye first part and Adam Van Voson of ye second part.

In the early part of the last century Jacob Custer built the old house which still stands upon this farm fronting a by-road leading from the Reading turn - pike. Here he lived and died. The stone over his grave in the burying-ground at the old Mennonite Church in Skippack shows that his death took place December 4, 1804, and that he was in the seventy- third year of his age. He and his wife Elizabeth Van Voson were the parents of Jacob, the father of our subject. He was born upon the farm in 1778

The family of David Custer, of Worcester town- ship, is both upon his side and his wife's, a very old one in the county of Montgomery. The great-grand- father of the citizen whose name forms the caption of the present brief article was Jacob Custer,-or, as the name was originally spelled, Kister,-a native of Holland, who was among the earliest settlers of that nationality to locate in Pennsylvania, and with the i and died December 4, 1854, aged seventy-six years.

David Gustaw

Van Vosons took up a large quantity of land in Skip- pack and Worcester, extending from the farm now owned by David Custer to Skippack Creek.

His son, Jacob, owned the farm on which David now resides, which was originally a portion of the large property acquired at an early day by his father-in-law, Adam Van Voson. An old parchment in the possession of Mr. Custer, recites that the "in- denture was made the eighteenth day of May, in the sixth year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord, George, King of Great Britain," etc., A. D. 1720, " between Thomas Shute of ye county of Philadelphia, and James Steel of ye city of Phila-

His wife was Mary, daughter of David Gouldy, who owned the David Rittenhouse farm. Jacob's religious affiliation was with the Mennonites, while his wife was a member of the Lutheran Church, and they brought up their children to revere those great principles of Christianity which are the precious property alike of the two sects or denominations, and of many others. They were the parents of three sons and five daughters, all of whom save one are now living. Samuel, the first-born, died without issue; Charlotte (Tyson), is a resident of the county ; Rebecca (Heiser), lives in Skippack ; Jacob, in Lower Providence ; Mary (Davis), in Philadelphia ; Elizabeth (Getty), in the county ,

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

David, upon the homestead farm and Barbara (Det- wiler), in Lower Providence.

David Custer was born April 21, 1820, and served upon the farm, gaining under his father's directions an accurate and practical knowledge of the vocation which he has successfully followed. Of school advan- tages he enjoyed but few, and the deficiency of his early education had therefore to be supplied through the later and slower, but perhaps better, processes of general reading, of observation and of mingling with men. After his marriage he carried on his father's farm on shares, and inherited it in part upon his death in 1854. By his skillful management of these one hundred and twenty-eight acres he was en- abled, not only to bring up his family under conditions far superior to those which had governed his own early life and to contribute liberally to the needs of others, and advance the interests of good institution, but to secure a second farm of one hundred and forty- six acres. Mention of this property, located in Nor- riton township, not far from the Schuylkill River, suggests an incident which is fairly illustrative of one of Mr. Custer's energy and activity. In the autumn of 1884 the barn upou the Norriton farm caught fire and was quickly consumed, with all of its contents, causing a very considerable loss. Mr. Custer went immediately to work to replace the burned building, and in less than six weeks a handsome and commo- dious structure seventy-four by fifty-two feet-a com- bination of stone and frame-was completed, greatly to the surprise of his friends and neighbors. It is this faculty for quiet, quick organization and execu- tion which has been one of the largest factors in his success. A substantial and hospitable appearing home was erected upon the Worcester farm a few years since. Mr. Custer holds a high place in the re- gard and esteem of his fellow-citizens. He is a Re- publican in politics, but has never been an aspirant for place within the gift of the party or people, and his interest in public affairs being entirely unselfish, is only such as it is the duty of every man to take in them. His religious predilections long since led him into membership with the Lower Providence Presby- terian Church, of which he has been a consistent ad- herent and supporter, for nine years subsequent to 1860 a trustee, and since the close of his service in that office until the present, an elder.

In 1872 Mr. Custer was united in marriage with Margaret, daughter of Christian and Catharine (Heebner) Detwiler, who was born January 26, 1829. Her father was from Perkiomen township and her mother from Norriton. The latter was the daughter of Abram and Catharine (Rittenhouse) Heebner, who were the descendants of very early Montgomery settlers of the Schwenkfelder faith.

Mr. and Mrs. Custer are the parents of five children, all now living,-Christian, who married Susannah, daughter of Ephraim Boorse; Jacob, married Belle, daughter of Samuel Lewis ; and Urias, married Annie,

daughter of George Hallman. He is of the fourth generation of the family who have lived on the home- stead farm. David graduated from the Medical Department of the University of Pennsylvania, in 1834, and is a promising physician at Manayunk. The youngest of the family, Mary, resides with her parents.

ANDREW MORGAN.

Andrew Morgan, the well-known farmer and tanner of Worcester, is of Welsh descent and a representa- tive of the fourth generation of the family in Mont- gomery County. His great-grandfather, William Morgan, a native of Wales and one of the earliest settlers of his nationality in this country or region, located, on his arrival here, in Hatfield township, he- tween the Hatfield road and what is now the Bethel turnpike. His grandparents were Andrew and Re- becca (Levering) Morgan, and his father, Daniel Morgan. Their eldest son1 was born February 6, 1770. He married Jane Wigton, daughter of Samnel and Elizabeth Wigton, of Bucks County. They made their home in Lower Providence township, and it was there that their seven children, five of whom grew to maturity, were born. Their names and dates of birth were as follows: Samuel, born July 10, 1803, (died in infancy) ; Rebecca, born August 2, 1805 ; Mary, born October 14, 1808, (died in infancy); Theodore, born November 26, 1811, (died March 20, 1870) ; Andrew, born September 28, 1814; Elizabeth W., born April 2, 1817, (died October 20, 1883); and Mary Jane, born December 26, 1818.

Rebecca was married February 24, 1824, to John Casselberry, one of the sons of William Casselberry, of Lower Providence township, Montgomery County, Pa., and he died September 4, 1834, leaving issne, four children, as follows : D. Morgan, D. Hearn, Melville L. and Catharine J. D. Morgan Casselberry was born April 3, 1825, and was married March 25, 1852, to Ann Eliza, daughter of John and Susanna Heebner, of the same township, and have eight children living, as follows : John H., M. Alice, Ann Rebecca, C. Wig- ton, Catharine J., Theodore M., Hannah Amelia, Leo- nora Russel, with two who died in infancy. The eldest, John H., married Clara, daughter of Emanuel and Kate Gouldy, who have two children living, Flora and Arthur. Ann Rebecca was married to D. M. Y. Weher, of the same township, and have two children, J. Stroud and Morgan C. D. Hearn Casselberry was born April 27, 1827, and was married in 1854 to Ann Elizabeth, daughter of Henry and Sebora Loucks, of the same township ; said Ann Eliza- beth died February 11, 1857, and left two children, who both died in infancy. Dr. M. L. Casselberry was

1 The other children were William, Mary, who married Seprimi & Evans, Benjamin, Andrew. The last-named married Elizabeth daughter of Jesse Beans, and he has one daughter, Elizabeth, surviv- ing, who resides on her grandfather Bean's farm, in Warminster town ship, in Bucks County.

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WORCESTER TOWNSHIP.

born November 29, 1830, graduated at the Homeo- pathic College in 1853, removed to Morgantown, W. Va., where he married Mary, daughter of William and Ellen Willey, on the 10th of May, A.D. 1859. She died September 24, 1862, without children, and in October. 1866, he married Margaret, daughter of John Prutzman, of Morgantown, W. Va., and have three children,-Mary, Byron and Jobn. Catharine J. was born October 27, 1833, and was married March 6, 1856, to Henry W. Bonsall, attorney-at-law, Norris- town, Pa., and had two children, Alice C. and J. Bar- tram. She died August 2, 1861, aged twenty-seven years.

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History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Part 252

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