History of York County Pennsylvania, Volume I, Part 122

Author: Prowell, George R.
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: J. H. Beers
Number of Pages: 1372

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Martin Bauer 1732 Carl Eisen

Johannes 1732 Christian Groll ... .1729

Joseph Beyer 1731 Baltzer Knetzer

Paul Burkhardt Christof Krant

John Adam Diehl .. . . 1731 Gottfried Manch

...

677

THE CITY OF YORK

Nicholas Koger 1732 George Schwab 1727

Jacob Scherer 1732 Philip Ziegler 1727

Mathias Schmeiser .. 1731 George Ziegler .1727

George Schmeiser . . . 1731 Jacob Ziegler 1727

Geo. A. Zimmerman .. Michael Walch 1732

Heinrich Schultz .... 1731 Heinrich Zanck

1732

Valentine Schultz ... 1731 One name illegible.

John Casper Stoever continued to visit York from 1733 to 1743. Meantime the congregation met and religious services were conducted by Bartholomew Maul, who taught the first parochial school connected with the congregation. Soon after York was founded in 1741, the heirs of William Penn granted to these early Lutherans two lots on South George Street upon which the first house of worship, a log building, was erected in 1743-4. Soon after 1743 Pastor Stoever relinquished his duties with the congregation at York and settled on the banks of the Swatara Creek, in Lebanon County, where he resided until the time of his death, May 13, 1779, near the close of the Revolution. He organized nearly all the Lutheran congregations in Lancaster County and northward to the mountains.

The names of the male members of the congregation, with the date of arrival at Philadelphia, during Stoever's pastorate, are as follows :

George Amendt 1732 John Hearken

Conrad Amen 1731 Tobias Hendrick

Martin Bauer 1732 Jolin Herberger 1732

George M. Beierle. 1730 Nicholas Hoeltzel

Philip Bentz . 1732 Erasmus Holtsapel Joseph Beyer 1731 Leonard Immel .1731 Melchoir Beyer Christof Kauffeld

Frederich Bleibtreu Casper Kerber .1733

Jacob Braum 1733 Leonard Knady

Ulrich Buehler 1734 Baltzer Knetzer

Paul Burkhardt

Barthol Creutzdorf

John George Cruradt ..

. 1731 Michael Kreuger .1732 Daniel Earley

Sebastian Eberle 1728 Christian Lau 1732

Michael Ebert

1731 John Christ. Loeffler . . . 1732 Charles Eisen John G. Loewanstein .. . Philip Adam Endtler .. Bartholomew Maul . . 1732 Henry English

Martin Fry

John Funck

1727 Adam Mueller 1732

Peter Gaertner

Jacob Gaunerner

John Adam Giszner .. .

John George Gobel. .. 1733 Christian Neuman

Adam Gossner

George Pflueger .1731

John Jacob Rudisel ...

Christian Groll . 1729 Meyrich Rudisel .. 1737

Philip Ernst Gruber ..

Jacob Haurie

John Adam Ruppert. . . 1731 Dietrich Saltzgaber . .

Jacob Scherer . 1732 John Sultzbach I732

Matthias Schmeiser . .. 1731 Torck Updegraff

Jolın Geo. Schmeiser .. . Michael Walch . 1732

Heinrich Schmidt . .. .. 1732 Martin Weigel

John George Schmidt. . 1731 Ludwig Weisong

Baltzer Shoenberger . . 1732 Mathias Weller John Schryack . 1732 Jacob Weller

John Sheutz . 1732 Martin Weybrecht . . . 1732

John Henry Schultz ...

V. Winterbauer

Valentine Schultz . 1732 John George Wolff ...

George Schwab

. 1727

John Scheigardt

Wilhelm Wolff John Yost

Baltzer Spangler

.1732 Heinrich Zauch

.1732

Ludwig Stein

Jacob Ziegler

Henry Stultz

1731 John George Ziegler. . 1727

The second pastor was Rev. David Cand- ler. He resided at the site of Hanover, around which a number of Germans had settled as early as 1731. His parish ex- tended from the Susquehanna to the Po- tomac. He baptized seventy children in the York congregation and equally as many at Hanover. His son, David, born in May, 1740, became a prominent citizen of York. Pastor Candler died in December, 1744, and was buried in a graveyard one-half mile northwest of Hanover.

The funeral of Rev. Candler in December, 1744, was attended by many persons. The officiating clergyman was Rev. Lars Ny- berg, of Lancaster. He was a Swede, and early in life was a surveyor. Through inter- course with Arvid Gradin, he accepted Moravian views. He was engaged as a teacher by the Swedish court, when a call from the Lancaster Lutheran Church was sent to Sweden for a minister. On his way to America, he met in London, Spangen- berg, who became one of the apostles of the Moravian Church in this country, and there, it is asserted, confirmed his faith in the Mo- ravian doctrine, but soon after became pas- tor of the Lutheran churches at Lancaster, York, Hanover and Monocacy. In all these congregations troubles arose on account of his attempts to turn them over to the Moravians. At York the controversy was especially severe and exciting, as Rev. Jacob Lischy, then pastor of the Reformed Church, was of the same faith. In 1746 a Moravian synod was held in Kreutz Creek, and Nyberg brought two missionaries there, one to be pastor of the York congregation and the other of the Monocacy congrega- tion. The most determined opponent at York was Bartholomew Maul, who was em- powered to read sermons during the absence of the pastor. Rev. Henry Melchoir Muhl-

Michael Fisher

Conrad Fry

Gottfried Mauck

Dertrich Meyer

1733 George Meyer

William Morgan

Conrad Mueller 1732

Jacob Mueller 1732

Andreas Nebinger

John Peter Knobel. Nicholas Koger 1732 Valentine Krantz

Henry Dewees .I733

Christof Kraut

John Adam Diehl.

Conrad Dietz John G. Lansbager.

Conrad Lau

Philip Gohn

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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

enberg, the founder of the Lutheran Church in America, visited York in May, 1746, for the first time. He reports in his diary that the York congregation then contained IIO families, living over a large extent of coun- try. He baptized several children, and con- firmed those that Schoolmaster Maul had instructed. In June, 1747, Muhlenberg again visited York, and went also to Han- over, Monocacy and Frederick. his diary for June 21, 1747, he says :

"In the afternoon we rode from Lancas- ter, and in the night reached the newly laid out town of York. Some of the people came together and rejoiced at my arrival, and expected that the Lord's Supper would be administered to them on the following Sunday. I was now in the district in which the Lutheran congregations had commis- sioned Nyberg. He visited the congrega- tions as far as into Maryland. The people who had been awakened by his methods, clung very closely to him, and were ready to live or die with him."

"On Saturday, June 27, at noon," says Muhlenberg, "we arrived at York on our return from Maryland, when the members of the congregation were assembled that they might give in their names to come to the Lord's Supper. I called together those elders and members who were most active, and begged of them to put away all dissen- sion and distraction. Schoolmaster Maul, who had diligently instructed the children, and on Sundays read sermons, was present and was questioned concerning the congre- gation. One or more of the vorsteher had been too loud, and had shown too much heat in the strife with the Moravians, for which I reproved them in love and gentleness. Those who favored Nyberg did not attend services regularly, and said only by his preaching were their hearts moved. They promised, however, that if a worthy pastor of our United Ministry, came hither to preach, they would come and hear him and follow him. At 3 o'clock I went to the church and had a preparatory service based on Matthew xi:8; the people were all at- tention. After this service I received the group of young men whom the schoolmas- ter had instructed for their confirmation. On Sunday, June 28, some persons who lived far off, made application for the Lord's Supper. The church on this day was too then.

small, and nearly half of the audience had to stand outside, for a large congregation had assembled. Some of them came a distance of ten or twenty miles. I baptized a number and confirmed fifteen persons, and administered the Lord's Supper to 200 com- municants.'

In May, 1748, the United Ministry sent Rev. John Helfrich Schaum. He was born in Geissen, in Hesse-Darmstadt, and was educated at the University of Halle, and sent to America with authority to teach in the Congregational School at Philadelphia, where he landed January 26, 1745. He preached in Germantown and at Raritan, New Jersey. He was sent to York with special instructions and minute directions as to how he should minister to the congre- gation. A prescribed order of service was to be followed which was common to all the churches of the Lutheran Union at that time.

On his arrival at York, May 17, 1748, he was accompanied by Pastor Handschuh, of Lancaster, and Schoolmaster Vigera, of Philadelphia. On the afternoon of the 18th the constitution for the congregation adopted by the United Ministers, was pre- sented and put into force, and so continued until 1781. On Ascension Day, May 19, the pastor installed the newly elected elders and vorsteher, and confirmed sixteen per- sons. On Saturday Handschuh and Vi- gera went to Hanover, to arrange for its connection with York, which soon after was effected, as was that of the Lower Ber- mudian congregation, to which Schaum preached May 31, 1748. For nearly five years the congregation at York had been without a pastor. In 1752 he was requested to occasionally visit the congregation at Frederick, which was vacant. He retired in April, 1755, from the pastorate of the con- gregation at York and went to Tohickon.

The opposition to Rev. Schaum heard of the arrival at Baltimore of John Samuel Schwerdfeger, a young man of twenty-three years, who had been educated at Neustadt, in Bavaria, and at the University of Er- langen, where he studied law and theology. The congregation was then divided into two factions. Rev. Lucas Raus, of Goschen- hoppen, Berks County, was called to York to settle the strife, but he would not come

679

THE CITY OF YORK

The next pastor was George Ludwig liam Kurtz was teacher of the school in Hochheimer, who arrived in America, No- 1756, established in York by the English Society. Philip Deitch continued as school- master until his death in 1789.

vember 1, 1775. He came to York in 1756, when the two parties still existed. The ma- jority of both accepted him as pastor. He remained a short time. In 1774 he was pastor of a congregation in South Carolina, and had been for many years before. Rev. John Kirchner, another Lutheran pastor, was at York during a part of the same time. He also had charge of Shuster's Church, in Springfield Township, from 1763 to 1767, and probably organized that congregation.

Rev. Lucas Raus, moved to York in April. 1758, and met with success in building up the congregation. In 1759, he baptized 132, and in 1761, 161 children in the York con- gregation. The congregation then had 300 adult and 250 young members. On June 2, 1760, the corner stone for a stone church was laid. It was used for baptisms April 30, 1761, but was not fully completed until 1762. During the fall of that year it was consecrated by Dr. Wrangle, of Philadel- phia, Revs. Borell, of Wilmington, Dela- ware, and Nicholas Kurtz, of Baltimore. The new stone church, which stood until 1812, was 40x65 feet in dimensions. It was located where the church now stands but was placed nearer the street. The steeple was taken down in 1805, as far as the bells, and a roof placed over them. In 1763 Rev. Raus retired from his charge at York, and turned his attention to medicine. He had charge of some country churches, or- ganized the churches at Dover and Quick- el's, and preached at Shuster's Church, from 1770 to 1787. The records show baptisms administered by him at Bermudian, 1758- 1762; Kreutz Creek and Conodochly, 1760; Carlisle in 1762; in the schoolhouse at Jacob Ziegler's, in Codorus Township; af Justice Noblet's house and held English services in Newberry Township.

Rev. Nicholas Hornell was the next pas- tor at York. He was from Sweden, and came to Philadelphia, from Wilmington, and on July 8, 1763, came to York. On June 30, 1765, he delivered a farewell ser- mon and retired from the ministry. The congregation had no pastor from July, 1765, to February, 1767. During this interim it is supposed certain religious ceremonies were performed by Philip Deitch, who succeeded Bartholomew Maul as schoolmaster. Wil-

The next pastor, Rev. John George Bager, had been in charge of the German church in New York City since 1763. Before he went to New York he had been pastor of the church at Hanover, where he lived. In 1769 he returned to Hanover. Rev. Bager was born at Niederlinz, in Nassau-Saar- bruck, March 29, 1725. His father was a pastor. The son studied theology at Halle. Muhlenberg said "he was a very worthy and learned man, and was ordained in Ger- many." Upon the death of his father, Rev. Bager inherited some money to purchase a farm near Hanover, on which he died June 9, 179I. For many years he ministered to scattered Lutheran congregations. He is the ancestor of the Baugher family in York and Adams Counties, some of whom have become prominent clergymen and authors.

In April, 1770, Rev. John Nicholas Kurtz took charge of the congregation. He was born October, 1722, in Lutzellinden, in the principality of Nassau Weilburg, in Prussia. He studied theology in the University of Geissen and afterward at Halle. He ar- rived at Philadelphia, January 26, 1745, and was ordained August 15, 1748. When Kurtz came to York he was in his forty- eighth year. During his pastorate at York, the Revolutionary war took place. He was at first troubled about the oath of allegiance he had taken to the King of England, but his conscience became clear and, in 1776, he was naturalized. During the meeting of Congress here, when the houses of citizens had to be opened to entertain, his house was the home of Bishop White, the representa- tives from the French and Spanish govern- ments, and a member from South Carolina. In 1777, when money was scarce, and pro- visions for the soldiers meager, Mr. Kurtz, after a sermon, asked his audience to collect all the articles and stores they could, and send them to his house, and a committee was appointed to distribute them to the suffering soldiers. This story comes from his grandson, Dr. Benjamin Kurtz.

Mr. Kurtz's work was very successful; he did a great amount of ministerial work in the country west of York. He served as secretary of the Ministerium in 1763, and

680

HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

was president in 1778, and on the death of er's charge was composed of York, Quick- Dr. H. M. Muhlenberg he was accorded the el's and Wolf's churches, to which some honor of becoming his successor as senior years later Star View was added. In 1811, Ministerii. In 1789, Rev. Kurtz moved to steps were taken for erecting a new church. Baltimore, where he lived with his son, Rev. Daniel J. Kurtz. He died suddenly, May 12, 1794, aged seventy-two years. America had in its day very few preachers like him.

Rev. Jacob Goering, 1783-1807 :- The next pastor was the son of Jacob and Mar- garet Goering, and was born in Chanceford Township, York County, in 1755. When eighteen years old, his father took him to Dr. Helmuth, of Lancaster, with whom he remained two years as a diligent student. He was ordained in 1776 and settled in Car- lisle. He there preached to six congrega- tions : Carlisle, Dover, Paradise, Upper and Lower Bermudian and Lower settlement. In 1783 the Ministerium met at York for the second time, on which occasion the first evening service was held of which there is any record. At this time, Mr. Goering had become assistant-pastor of this charge and daughter of Nicholas Kurtz.

moval of Pastor Kurtz to Baltimore, Mr.

accepted a call to Hagerstown, Maryland, but he soon afterward came back to York. In 1793 he had charge of the York, Cono- dochly and Kreutz Creek congregations.

The parochial school in 1796 was very strong. Instructions were given in both English and German. The congregation was incorporated in 1804. Rev. Jacob Goering died in 1809. He was a man of very acute and active mind. He wrote

When the temperance question came up three treatises that were published. Dr. J. for discussion, both Dr. Schmucker and Mr. G. Schmucker studied Hebrew with him during his pastorate at Quickel's Church. After his death there was a vacancy for two years.

Rev. John George Schmucker, 1809-36 :- Rev. Schmucker was chosen pastor at the May meeting of the synod at Hanover. His charge consisted at that time of York, Quickel's, Wolf's, Holzschwam,

George Hay and Peter Striber, were made managers; George Lettman, John Barnitz, Jacob Schmeiser, John Brillinger and Peter Schmeiser, assistants; Ignatius Lightner was elected treasurer. The corner stone was laid July 2, 1812; the services were con- ducted by Rev. H. E. Muhlenberg, J. Daniel Kurtz, George Lochman and the pastor.

The new church was dedicated May I, 1814, by Rev. F. V. Melsheimer, of Han- over, and the pastor. In 1813 a new school house was built, under supervision of Jacob Upp and Jacob Eichelberger. The cost of the church alone was at least $18,590.

In June, 1817, the Ministerium of Penn- sylvania met for the fourth time in York; Dr. George Lochman, father of A. H. Loch- man, was president. The synod of Ohio was formed by authority of this meeting. It was the third centennial commemoration

had removed to York, where he married the of the Reformation. The president invited

Goering became sole pastor. In 1791 he memoration. Jacob Barnitz had been the

On the re- Reformed, Episcopal, Presbyterian and Moravian people to participate in the com- worthy secretary and treasurer of the church for many years.

In 1827, a Sunday School met in the church for the first time. In 1828, a seal was adopted; in 1829, lamps were bought for evening services. In 1830 land was bought on Duke Street for a burial place ; in 1832 the use of the small bell was granted to the Theological Seminary at Gettysburg.

Oswald, assistant, were deeply interested in it, and very zealous in its advocacy, where- upon the yearly salary was for a time dimin- ished one-half, but they persisted in the cause, and eventually won honor.

English services began about 1820, only in the evening. The time for English ser- vices was indicated by a peculiar ringing of Kreutz the bell. October 7, 1829, Rev. Jonathan Creek and Conodochly. In 1813, he gave Oswald, D. D., was licensed and became as- up part of the field, but retained five of the sistant pastor, and also took entire charge of Wolf's and Hoover's churches, where the services were German, and preached Eng- lish in York three Sunday evenings out of charges-John Herbst, Jr., it is supposed, took one of them. In 1814, Charles A. Mor- ris took charge of Kreutz Creek, and in 1817 Conodochly had been for some time in four. Dr. Schmucker continued at Quick- charge of Herbst. In 1820 Rev. Schmuck- el's church.

681

THE CITY OF YORK

In 1836 the ministry of Dr. Schmucker Schmucker. He was born October 5, 1802, ended. In person he was of medium stature, in the parsonage at Salem's church, Leba- non, Pennsylvania, of which his father was pastor. In 1815 his father moved to Har- risburg, when the son entered the academy there. In 1822 he entered the University of Pennsylvania, in the junior class, and was graduated July, 1823. He then studied theology with his father, and was licensed to preach June 16, 1823. He became pastor of a charge in Cumberland County, in 1825, and was married in July of that year to Anna Maria Partenheimer, of Philadelphia. and took up their residence in Mechanics- burg, then a village of a dozen houses. In 1826, upon the death of his father, he be- came his successor at Harrisburg. In April, 1836, he was called to York, where he continued pastor until 1880, and was greatly beloved and eminently successful. He took an active part in all the general movements of the Lutheran Church in America; was a member of the first board of trustees of Pennsylvania College; was a trustee in Franklin College, Lancaster; was for a long time one of the board of directors of the seminary at Gettysburg and for many years its president ; was president of the synod of Pennsylvania and of the general synod. rather thick set, but not corpulent ; his com- plexion was dark and his body very erect. His character was unusually symmetrical and well balanced, and his temper so placid, or under such control, that even his own household scarcely ever saw it ruffled. He was especially regardful of the feelings of others, and so unaffectedly polite on all oc- casions that he won the admiration and re- spect of every one he met. He was careful in the preparation of his sermons, meth- odical in arrangement, earnest in delivery, tender in feeling, and deeply serious. All of these elements united to make him an admirable and most useful preacher. He was a diligent student, and procured books from Europe every year, and had his whole library at command. He contributed largely to the Evangelical Magazine. He published a number of volumes chiefly con- nected with the prophecies. In the estab- lishment of Pennsylvania College and Theo- logical Seminary at Gettysburg, he took a prominent part, and at the time of his death was vice-president of the American Tract Society. He continued to reside at York, still preaching at Quickel's church, until 1852, when he removed to the home of some The honorary degree of doctor of divinity was conferred upon him in 1856 by Penn- sylvania College. He made a number of valuable translations from the German. Dr. Lochman retired from the active pastoral office after serving this church nearly half a century. During the first year of his pas- torate, the Second Lutheran Church of York (St. Paul's) was formed. of his children at Williamsburg, where he died October 7, 1854. His remains lie in the front of Christ Lutheran Church. He was married first to Elizabeth Gross, from Quickel's congregation, by whom he had twelve children ; she died in 1819; second to Anna Maria Hoffman, of Baltimore, by whom he had seven children.

Rev. Jonathan Oswald, D. D., assistant pastor, 1829-1836 :- Dr. Oswald was born in Washington County, Maryland, Decem- ber 20, 1805, son of John and Eve Oswald. His parents were of Swabian and Alsatian origin, and on his father's side of long gen- erations of Lutherans; his mother was the descendant of Mennonites. After pursuing theological studies for sixteen or eighteen months, he went to Gettysburg, and was the second theological student registered. After pursuing the whole theological course he was graduated and licensed.

Rev. A. R. Lochman, D. D., 1836-80 :- Mr. Lochman was the son of Dr. George and Susanna (Hoffman) Lochman, whose sister was the second wife of Dr. J. G.

In September, 1841, the old town clock was placed on the steeple by the county commissioners. In 1850 Zion Lutheran congregation was formed. On October 31, 1867, the jubilee of the Reformation was celebrated with much enthusiasm by the churches in York. In the afternoon all the Lutheran Sunday School children (1,500) assembled in this church. In 1874 the church was remodeled. On June 20, 1880, Dr. Lochman resigned his long pastorate, but resided in the community, a highly hon- ored and respected citizen for the remain- der of his life. For two years after his resignation, this congregation was served by supplies.

Rev. George W. Enders, D. D., began his

682

HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

long and successful pastorate in 1882. A English worship, in almost all of our city stairway and sacristy were placed on the work, is the one necessary condition for the retention of the young of our churches.

east side of the chancel. In 1883, this church celebrated the one hundred and fif- tieth anniversary of its existence. On this occasion Rev. B. M. Schmucker, D. D., of Pottsville, Pa., grandson of the former pas- tor, read an historical sketch of the church, obtaining his data by translating the Ger- man record books, which are now held as an interesting treasure by the vestry of the church. Christ Church, which has always been in a prosperous condition, had, in 1907, about 800 communicant members.

It was the Rev. Jonathan Oswald, who served for six years as the assistant pastor of Christ's Church, the Rev. Dr. John George Schmucker, pastor, who, with prophetic insight, catching a double portion of Dr. Schmucker's sympathy for the Eng- lish language, recognized the close relation- ship which worship in the English tongue would sustain to the future growth of the church in York. Dr. Oswald was regarded as the promulgator of a dangerous innova- tion, particularly by those who, as Dr. Os- wald has written-" Having read the words in the German version, ' Adam, wo bist du?' concluded hence that the language of the Almighty himself was German, and there- fore, a language not to be lightly esteemed the rear of the church at a cost of $15,000 .. or abandoned under any circumstances."

The original Sunday school connected with this church was held in the parochial school building to the rear of the church edifice. For half a century the Sunday school was held in the church. In 1892 the congregation erected a chapel on the lot to The interior of the chapel is in the form of a semi-circle. The class rooms around the walls of the building have partitions radiat- ing from the centre. The Sunday School, of which J. A. Dempwolf has been the su- perintendent for the last twenty years, is held in this building and has an enrollment of about 1,000 teachers and scholars.

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History of York County Pennsylvania, Volume I, Part 122

Author: Prowell, George R. Publication date: 1907 Publisher: J. H. Beers Number of Pages: 1372

Author: Prowell, George R.
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: J. H. Beers
Number of Pages: 1372