USA > Pennsylvania > Warren County > History of Warren County, Pennsylvania, with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of some of its Prominent Men and Pioneers > Part 45
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The Methodist Episcopal Church. - In 1806 Rev. R. R. Roberts, afterward elected bishop, visited Warren and other portions of Warren county, and was without doubt the first Methodist minister that preached the gospel in this county. In 1812 Rev. Jacob Young, presiding elder of the Ohio District, held a quarterly meeting on the banks of the Conewango, a short distance above the village of Warren ; at this meeting Bishop McKendrie was present, and preached with great eloquence and power. In 1817 Rev. Ira Eddy preached a sermon on the banks of the Allegheny River, two or three miles below Warren, and quite a revival of religion took place, and a class was formed consisting of Jo- seph Mead and wife, Mr. Owen and wife, Martin Reese, wife and mother, Ben- jamin Mead and David Mead. Soon after this class was increased to twenty-
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six members. Of this number the venerable Benjamin Mead is the sole sur- vivor ; a hale man of ninety-one years, who through all these years has led an exemplary Christian life. In 1830 the Rev. James Gilmore was appointed to Youngsville charge, and, coming to Warren, found the small class spoken of above still worshiping below the village; but there was no Methodist preach- ing in the village. During the year an extensive reformation occurred in War- ren and the class, numbering some seventy members, was transferred to the village ; and this was the first organization of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the new borough of Warren. Until the church was built they held divine worship in the village school-house. The charter of the present church is dated in January, 1836, and recites that at a meeting of the male members of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Warren Station, borough of Warren, Pa., pur- suant to notice, in the east wing of the court-house on Monday, the 5th of Oc- tober, 1835, Rev. Samuel Ayres in the chair and John P. Osmer secretary, it was resolved, on motion, to appoint a committee to draw up a charter to be submitted for approval to the attorney-general of Pennsylvania, according to the provisions of an act of the Assembly of April 6, 1791, and that the com- mittee consisted of Rev. Samuel Ayres, William L. Snyder, and Benjamin Bar- tholomew. The style of the charter is "the Methodist Episcopal Church of Warren Station, borough of Warren, Pennsylvania." By its provisions the trustees of the church-viz., John Andrews, Albinus Stebbins, Joseph Mead, James Morrison, Robert Arthurs, Martin Reese, and Judah L. Spencer, and their successors-were to have all the care and management of all the property of the church, real and personal. The early history of the church, subsequent to the dedication of the first building in 1833, cannot better be given than in the words of the recent pastor, Rev. W. W. Painter, as they appeared in a ser- mon which he preached upon the occasion of the removal from that church fifty-two years later (May 24, 1885), and with a few introductory remarks in the Warren Mail of the following week. This article reads as follows :
" Another old landmark is gone, or is going. The old M. E. Church edifice was vacated last week, and will soon be torn down to give place to a new and larger house of worship. It has done its work, and now goes into the past after a service of half a century. On Sunday of last week, May 24, Rev. W. W. Painter preached the last sermon in the old church and reviewed the his- tory of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Warren, most of which was pub- lished in the Ledger. He showed when this church was dedicated, fifty-two years ago, the M. E. Church in the United States had 2,265 ministers, and 638,787 members. In 1884 it had 12,900 ministers, and 1,800,000 members. Of this church he said :
"'Great are the changes in any church in a period of fifty-two years. Probably not in many churches have the changes been so great as in this church in Warren. Not one of those who were members of this society when this
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church edifice was dedicated in 1833 is a member of this society to-day. Mrs. Jane Waters, the oldest member of the society at present, united with it four years subsequent to 1833, when S. Gregg was the pastor. Benjamin Mead, for many years a member of this church, and one of the first members of the M. E. Church in Warren county, at the time this house was built was a mem- ber of a society organized a few miles west of Warren at a place then known by the name of Brokenstraw. E. P. Steadman was the pastor, and Joseph Mead, James Morrison, and Martin Reese were the trustees who superintended the erection of this house of worship.
" From what we can learn, the little band who composed this society when this edifice was erected, toiled hard and sacrificed nobly, some of them giving more than one-tenth of what they had of this world's goods. Even then they could not have succeeded had it not been for the liberal assistance of those outside of the church membership. They labored nobly and well, and we have entered into their labors. The time has come for us to show ourselves worthy to be their successors in the erection of a new church edifice ; a house of wor- ship not only for ourselves, but for our children and all who shall come after us to worship within its walls. A precious privilege I trust we shall esteem it, to bring to a speedy and successful completion this now prospective house of worship. May the same spirit of self-sacrifice that actuated that little society fifty-two years ago prompt us to give and work and pray until we shall to- gether rejoice in the success that God gives to every self-sacrificing, believing worker in his vineyard !
" It is a source of regret to me that I have been unable to find the names or the number of members who composed this society in 1833 ; we trust their names are all written in heaven. In 1833 this region of country was a part of what was known as Pittsburg Conference. In 1836 the Erie Conference was organ- ized. The following is a list of the names of the pastors stationed in the M. E. Church in Warren since the date of the dedication of the church edifice : 1834, A. Plimpton; 1835, S. Ayres; 1836-37, S. Gregg; 1838-39, B. S. Hill; 1839, in part, L. Kendall; 1840, A. Barnes and B. S. Hill; 1841, A. Barnes; 1841-42, E. J. L. Baker ; 1843, John F. Hill ; 1844-45, J. E. Chapin, 1946-47, N. Norton ; 1848, J. K. Hallock; 1849, J. O. Rich ; 1850-51, R. J. Edwards ; 1852, R. S. Moran; 1853-54, H. H. Moore ; 1855, A. C. Tib- bitts; 1856, E. B. Lane; 1857, D. C. Osborne ; 1858-59, J. Robinson ; 1860- 61, J. S. Lytle ; 1862-63, O. L. Mead ; 1864-65, P. Pinney ; 1866, T. Stubbs ; 1867, C. R. Pattee ; 1868-69, R. W. Scott; 1870-71, E. J. L. Baker ; 1872- 73-74, A. J. Merchant ; 1875, O. G. McEntire ; 1876-77-78, R. M. Warren; 1879, W. F. Wilson; 1880-81-82, J. M.Thoburn; 1883-84-85, W. W. Painter.'"
About five years ago, or more, a project for the building of a new house of worship was set on foot, which culminated in the present structure, the fin- est in this part of the State or country. So successful were the sacrifices and
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labors of those who contributed time and labor and money to the accomplish- ment of this object, that we deem it worth while to describe the movement and the building in nearly the words of a writer in the Mail, in an article which appeared in that sheet on the 21st of September, 1886.1
" In 1881 it became apparent that the needs of the society, which was rap- idly growing with the prosperity of our town and surrounding towns, required additional room to accommodate the church with its various departments of Sunday-school, social and other work. The official board that year, or in early winter of 1881-82, seriously considered the question. It was finally re- solved to enter upon the work of remodeling the old church by erecting in front an auditorium connecting with the old building, provided a certain sub- scription could be realized. Plans were drafted by Jacob Snyder, of Akron, O., and a canvass made in the church by Rev. J. M. Thoburn, resulting in a handsome amount- over $6,000 being subscribed. After further consider- ation it was proposed to build entirely anew an edifice costing $15,000 - the board rigidly acting in a conservative manner. At that time a church costing $20,000 was deemed to be out of the question. After the change was deter- mined upon, Rev. Mr. Thoburn commenced the canvass anew, increasing the former amount, it all being subscribed within the membership of the church. Owing to local causes and those unaccountable reasons that often occur, the work, after this subscription was raised, was laid aside-not buried, but post- poned.
" When Rev. J. M. Thoburn reads these lines in his present home, Calcutta, India, we trust that he will feel, what we believe to be the fact, that the church society to-day have to thank him for really founding the new church project upon a sure basis, and for planting the seed which has richly brought forth fruit.
" When Rev. W. W. Painter succeeded Mr. Thoburn, he found the society still quartered in the old church, more crowded than ever, and still firm in the belief that a new church must be provided. The church records show that on March 25, 1884, it was resolved to tear down the church and erect a new one. The question then of the location of the church was actively discussed. It was generally thought best to build on a larger lot and dispose of the old prop- erty, by which means the society would have a place to worship during the process of building. On April 5, 1884, O. C. Allen was appointed a com- mittee to investigate and report in regard to lots which might be obtained. The school board thought it possible the church lot and building would be profitable and valuable for them, and the society was willing to exchange the building and lot for a lot suited to their purposes. Negotiations during the summer of 1884 toward obtaining a different location for church building were fruitless, and the old church lot was decided upon as location for a new church.
1 This article, we believe, was written by W. H. Hinckley, of the firm of Wetmore, Noyes & Hinckley.
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HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
" Rev. W. W. Painter in the mean time proceeded with the subscriptions and secured the required subscription list of $12,000. Early in 1885, as the list grew, the problem of actual work began to loom up, and the style of church to be erected was the next question to be decided. After consultation with various architects, the plan offered by Aaron Hall, of Jamestown, known as the Akron church plan, was adopted and Mr. Hall instructed to prepare nec- essary plans. On March 25, 1886, the building committee, M. B. Dunham, B. Nesmith, and A. Fisher, was duly elected.
"The court-house, through the courtesy of J. Clinton, T. L. Putnam, and M. Crocker, the county commissioners, was secured as the place for holding services.
" May 23, 1885, resolutions were passed to commence active operations at once. This was the decisive step toward which all previous efforts had been directed, and this dates the commencement of the work. On May 31, 1885, the last service was conducted in the old church by Rev. W. W. Painter, and on Monday, June 1, 1885, under the direction of A. Fisher, the first blow was struck toward demolishing the old church, which rapidly followed.
"The corner-stone was laid August 18, 1885. Rev. John Peate presided at the exercises, delivering an appropriate address and depositing beneath the corner-stone the box of records described at that time.
" The burden of the work almost from the beginning fell upon Benjamin Nesmith, of the building committee. He assumed charge with his accus- tomed vigor, and from the date of the commencement, June 1, 1885, down to September 19, 1886, there was no cessation of operations. The débris of the old church was properly cared for and removed, the excavation for found- dation walls dug, and the stone work was contracted to Charles Ott, who laid the foundation walls completely. A. B. McKain superintended the frame work and erection of the trusses, rafters and towers. John Beebc, of James- town, was placed in charge of interior carpenter work when work was com- menced inside. The brick work was contracted to Benjamin Joncs, of James- town.
" Delays in securing plans carried the work late into the fall and winter of 1885 and 1886, which fortunately proved open long enough for completion of the brick work before frosty weather. The cut-stone work was under direc- tion of Joshua Yerden, and the Ohio sandstone used, the native stone being used for steps and balance of stone work. Brick were furnished by Mecusker, of Jamestown; the front, including the towers, being finished in pressed brick and the balance in selected brick. The slating and galvanized iron work and spouting were furnished by Machwirth Bros., of Buffalo. The outside painting and sanding was done by N. K. Wendleboc, of Warren.
" The method of heating and ventilation is what is known as the Ruttan heating and ventilating process-the same employed in the new school-house
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in the West End, and insures distribution of heat and a constant change of air, which may be regulated to almost any temperature. The windows are made of rolled cathedral glass throughout, and put in by S. S. Marshall & Bro., and are of remarkable beauty in tint and design. The three large circular win- dows, fourteen feet in diameter, being especially attractive when lighted at night. The doors throughout, with the exception of eight hard wood doors, are from the factory of L. D. Wetmore & Co., Warren. The ceiling of the auditorium is of corrugated iron, furnished by A. Northrup & Company, of Pittsburgh. This ceiling is simple, durable, safe and handsome. Beck & Allen, of Warren, have made a lasting record for themselves in the plastering job. Tunstall & Thompson built the elaborate staircases and have also done themselves credit.
" No pews are used in the church ; but in both auditorium and gallery chairs will be used, which are constructed with folding seats, provided also with foot- rest, book-rack, number-plate, hat-protector, and umbrella-rack. The wood- work is of deep, rich cherry or mahogany color. They are furnished by A. H. Andrews & Co., of New York.
" The inside graining and finishing has been principally done by B. M. Slay- ton, of Warren, and the work speaks for itself. All of the halls and the kitchen are floored in hard woods. The entire building is finished in oak and ash and wainscoated throughout, the natural grain of the wood being left un- touched, except by the polishing, filling and varnishing, making the appearance delightfully substantial and handsome.
"The ladies of the church deserve the highest encomiums. They have never faltered a single moment. Their subscription of $1,000, increased to $1,500, was paid promptly, adding another round $800 for carpets and chairs in the Sunday-school rooms. They have sewed all the carpeting from gallery top to kitchen. They have labored in hot and cold, wet and dry, pleasant and unpleas- ant times, and as they have continued to do what they could, have given time, labor, money, everything, for the cause they loved. During the various changes of the church in the past fifteen months the utmost harmony has prevailed, and under the careful and sacrificing attention of Rev. W. W. Painter the congregation has remained intact and all current expenditures of the church provided for. Other churches and the Good Templar Lodge and order of A. O. U. W. kindly tendered them the use of their edifices and halls, and the congregation greatly appreciate their courtesy and interest. Rev. W. W. Painter will ever be held by church, congregation, and the citizens of the community in the highest esteem, for the highest measure of Christian fellow- ship and untiring zeal in promoting, fostering, and at last successfully terminat- ing the work of erecting this building, from which Christian influence will go forth through all the coming generations. He has received no extra compensation, and mere temporal reward would be trivial; but the affection of his people and the blessing of God will surely attend him.
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"The new pipe organ is a fine instrument. It was manufactured by John- son & Son, at Westfield, Mass., and cost about $2,000. What is called the great organ has 406 metal pipes. The swell organ has 290 metal pipes, and the pedal organ has twenty-seven wooden pipes, with numerous accessory stops, pedal movements, and wind indicator. The descriptive list of stops, etc., would hardly be interesting to the general reader.
" The dedication took place last Sunday, September 19. The sermon of Dr. Sims Sunday morning was a very eloquent and earnest appeal for the Christian Church, from the 137th Psalm, 5th and 6th verses : ' If I forget thee, O Jeru- salem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember thee let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.' The doctor is a silver-tongued talker, and held the crowded audience in close attention for nearly an hour. When he closed Dr. Boyle, of Pittsburgh, read the treasurer's statement showing the cost of the new struct- ure, including sidewalks, seating, lighting, heating, carpeting, furnishing, and new pipe-organ, is about $35,000. After deducting the amount subscribed and paid they found themselves in debt $20,000; and then commenced a zealous appeal for the money to be pledged then and there. The subscriptions were taken, payable in four annual installments. First they called for $500 promises. Mr. Thomas Keelor responded first, quickly followed by B. Nes- mith, M. B. Dunham, and the other heavy men of the church. Mr. Dunham is the largest contributor, having paid nearly $7,000, besides giving his time and attention freely. Then came the $300 call. This dragged a little, but several responded ; then the $200, $100, $50, and $25 subscribers made up the sum of $16,000, before adjournment. At the evening session the whole bal- ance was pledged, making a splendid offering of $20,413.47 in a single day. The Methodist society entertain the deepest feelings of gratitude toward the citizens and friends who generously subscribed. It was a great success, and the members and managers have a right to feel very thankful to the liberal subscribers, as well as to God from whom all blessings flow.
"The formal ceremony of dedication in the evening, after Dr. Boyle's ser- mon, was beautifully impressive. Dr. Sims called up the trustees and solemnly charged them to guard carefully the sacred trust placed in their keeping."
Rev. W. P. Bignell, the present pastor, succeeded Mr. Painter in the fall of 1886.
First Baptist Church of Christ .- On Friday, the 2d day of May, 1834, in response to a request from a number of communicants of the Baptist Church who had previously united in conference, a council representing churches at Pine Grove, Ashville, and Carroll, and partly composed of delegates from the New York Baptist State Convention, convened at the court-house in Warren, for the purpose of organizing a church. The ministers present were Revs. Foot, Fuller, Coleman, and Gildersleve. After being accepted by the confer-
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ence as their council they proceeded to organize, choosing Isaac Fuller, moder- ator, and James McClellen, clerk. This body of believers was then recog- nized as a church - a member of the Baptist denomination. There were six- teen persons who thus composed the first germ of the present Baptist Church in Warren, viz. - Mrs. P. Curtis, Miss F. Curtis, Mrs. H. Gier, Mrs. P. Doty, Mrs. M. Shaw, Miss Elizabeth Morse, Mrs. P. Waters, Mrs. P. Strong, Miss Louisa Wheeler, Mrs. Mary Comstock, Mr. O. W. Shaw, Mr. W. M. Morse, W. M. Gildersleve, Mr. E. Doty, and Mr. Curtis Pond, who was soon after elected deacon.
The " articles of faith," though not recorded in the church book, were of that character, at least, that a Baptist council regarded them Baptistic. Hence public exercises were observed as follows : Sermon was preached by Rev. Cole- man, right hand of fellowship by Rev. Fuller, and concluding prayer by Rev. Gildersleve.
For eight years this society held services without the aid of a regular pas- tor, and only occasionally listened to sermons from the missionaries, Revs. King, Williams, Gildersleve, Wilson, and Gill. All this time, and afterward, from 1842 to 1857, they worshiped in the old court-house, on the ground now occupied by the new court-house. In 1844 a committee was appointed to con- sider the feasibility of building a church edifice. Ground was purchased and some of the materials were drawn upon it, but unforeseen hindrances prevented the consummation of the project at that time. The pastors through this period were Revs. Handy, Everetts, and Smith, and the deacons were Messrs. Win- chester and William Snyder. At this time the Sabbath-school was organized. In the summer of 1859 the present church edifice was commenced, on the Mi- ner Curtis lot, near the then residence of Chapin Hall. It was completed in the summer of 1860. A part of the subsequent history of this church is given in the language of Rev. E. D. Hammond, as reported in the Evening Para- graph on December 1, 1884 :
" Commencing with 1857, we find this church still worshiping in the court- house. In answer to a pressing call from the little church, Rev. B. C. Wil- loughby became pastor, remaining until 1860. As a result of his wise manage - ment and persistent efforts, the church building in which we congregate to-day was built and dedicated to the worship of God in 1860. Too much praise can- not be given to the self-sacrificing pastor and little band at that time. During the same pastorate the church improved spiritually and increased in member- ship. It was during this period that two brothers were taken into this church who have proved to be ambassadors for Christ and an honor to the church. I speak now of John S. Hutson, received in April, 1858. Believing himself to be called to the work of the ministry, and the church discerning in him gifts and graces fitting for the work, he was licensed to preach the gospel. He soon afterward took a letter from the church and went to fully prepare himself for
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the work. After completing a college course and graduating from the theolog- ical department of Lewisburgh University, he was ordained in 1868 to the reg- ular work of the gospel ministry, and has since served as pastor of the churches at Stockton, N. Y., Allegheny City, Pa., and Warren, O.
" Rev. G. W. Snyder was converted during the winter of 1857 and 1858, and at once began active work for the Master at Sheffield, where he was teaching school. A number of his pupils were converted. He united with the church in May, 1858. He pursued his studies in Allegheny College and Crozier The- ological Seminary, graduating from the former in 1863, and from the latter in 1869. After this he became pastor of the church at Columbus, N. J., remov- ing from there to Lock Haven, Pa., where he died in the summer of 1874, and in the summer of his life, being at the age of thirty-seven. He was a devoted minister of the gospel, an earnest student of the gospel, and loved learning for its own sake. His early struggles for a thorough education no doubt aided in taking him away.
" The church may well cherish the memory of these two sons. They are noble sons of their mother church, and may the church live to conceive and bear for the gospel many such men !
" In 1864 we find another era in the history of the church. Norman Snyder and Deacon Gerould are deacons. In the fall of 1866 Rev. George Balcom came to hold revival meetings; he was here four weeks, and as a result several were taken into the church. From 1866 to 1869 Revs. Hastings and Evens were pastors. In 1869 Rev. Trowbridge became pastor, remaining two years, during which time the church worked hard. This baptistry was then put in, the bell was placed in the place where it now is, and some members were added to the church.
" In December, 1876, Rev. Mr. Hulbert commenced meetings. A great revival spirit was then seen in the community, and the membership of the church was doubled.
" In May, 1877, Rev. E. F. Crane became pastor. In the month of July Brother A. J. Hazeltine, Mr. Waid, and Mr. Lorie were appointed deacons.
" In the summer and fall of 1877 the church underwent thorough repairs, costing $3,350, and was rededicated December 20, 1877. Thus we are ena- błed to see from this time a continuous growth along all the lines of church work and spiritual development.
" In January, 1879, Rev. H. H. Leamy became pastor, lasting two years, and some members were added to the church during the time.
" In the spring of 1881 Rev. Mr. Rea, a graduate from Rochester Theo- logical Seminary, commenced his labors with this church. During his pastor- ate the church had a healthful growth and the membership grew from sixty- five to one hundred and seventeen. Ilis pastorate ended in May, 1884. Within a year or more this church has lost by removal some efficient church workers.
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