History of York County, Pennsylvania : from the earliest period to the present time, divided into general, special, township and borough histories, with a biographical department appended, Part 76

Author: Gibson, John, Editor
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: F.A. Battey Publishing Co., Chicago
Number of Pages: 1104

USA > Pennsylvania > York County > History of York County, Pennsylvania : from the earliest period to the present time, divided into general, special, township and borough histories, with a biographical department appended > Part 76

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384

HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY.

The history of the Dillsburg Bulletin, Glen Rock Item, and Wrightsville Star, will be found in the history of those boroughs.

RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS.

THE first settlers of York County were Friends or Quakers, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Lutherans, German Reformed and Moravians. The first three denomina- tions composed the English-speaking people and last four the German. Among the first German settlers were also a number of Ger- man Baptists (Dunkers) and Mennonites. The Friends were very numerous in the up- per end of the county a century ago, and were a highly industrious and respectable class of people, but have now only one meet- ing-house in the county in which religious services are regularly held. This one is located in the village of Fawn Grove in Fawn Township. The services in the Newberry meeting, once very strong, are now discon- tinned, and the Warrington meeting is held but once a year. Many of the early Friends emigrated west and south, while the descend- ants of those who remained gradually became members of other denominations. There is but one Episcopal church in the county, and it is located in the borough of York. It is a large, wealthy and prosperous congregation, whose membership is composed of many of the most intelligent inhabitants of the town.

The Presbyterians, who were the first set- tlers of the lower end of the county, have gradually increased in numbers and influ- ence. In that section there are now nine Presbyterian churches, two in Hopewell Township, two in Peach Bottom, two in Lower Chanceford and one in Fawn. Of this denomination there are also two churches in York, one in Wrightsville and one in Dillsburg. There are three United Presby- terian churches, one in Chanceford, one in Lower Chanceford and one in Hopewell. They are the descendants of the Scottish Covenanters.

The Lutherans, at present, are the most numerous in York County. Some of the churches of this denomination in town and country, have as many as 500 communicant members. There are more than fifty church buildings of this denomination in the coun- ty. Many of them, however, are held con- jointly with the Reformed denomination,

which numerically is next to the Lutherans in membership in York County. Both of these denominations are very prominent and exert an important influence in the religious affairs of the county, though their aggregate membership in the United States is small in comparison to that of some other denomina- tions.

Most of the members of the Lutheran and Reformed Churches in York County are descendants of the first German and Swiss settlers and their followers, and the custom of building Union churches began with the first settlements. In many instances,as Kreutz Creek, Dover, Quickel's and Conojohela Churches, etc., the two denominations have worshiped in the same buildings nearly a century and a half.

There is but one Moravian church; it is located in York. A hundred years ago there was one in Codorus Township. The Men- nonites have about a dozen meeting- houses in the county.

The Welsh have two churches in Peach Bottom Township.

Some of the early settlers around Hanover, what was originally known as the "Cone- wago settlement," were Catholics. Their descendants are still in that town and vicin- ity. There is one church of this denomina- tion in Hanover, two in York, one in Dallas- town, one in Shrewsbury, one in Codorus Township and one in the west end of Para- dise Township.

Very few of the churches of any denomi- nation in York County are incorporated, which is a great mistake. Intelligent mem- bers should consider this subject. Deacons, elders and vestrymen must be selected annu- ally by their respective congregations, to be lawful officers.

THE BAPTISTS.

This denomination, though very strong in some sections of this country and in large cities, has but two places of worship in this county, one in York and one in Delta. More than a century ago a small settlement of Baptists located along the banks of the Conewago, in the northeast corner of Dover, northwest corner of Conewago and southern part of Warrington Townships. In the midst of their settlement they erected a small house of worship, which was named the "Dover Baptist Church." Among its first members were Moses Davis, Susanna Davis, Anna Davis, William Smith, Sarah Smith, Phebe Hawk, William Laird, Cathe- rine Laird, and Anne Bear. Later a num- ber of families by the name of Kunkel,

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Spangler and Gray were added to the con- gregation. One of the early clergymen of this denomination says: "About the close of the eighteenth century, a number of mem- bers of this settlement came to York County, who believed that the doctrine of immersion of a believer in water was necessary to constitute Christian baptism, and wrote to the Vincent Baptist Church of Chester County, desiring that church to send a person properly qual- ified to baptize them. This request was granted, and eight were baptized in the name of the "Triune God." In 1804, anothermin- ister of the gospel visited them and baptized a few others in the adjoining stream. An or- ganization was then effected. The congrega- tion had a regular pastor for a term of but four years, and for nearly half a century later was occasionally visited by different clergy- men. The membership at one time increased to fifty, under the Rev. Henry Essick, who came there from Delaware County in 1842. On this site is now located what is known as "Rohler's Meeting House," in which differ- ent denominations hold services. The Dover Baptist Church, as an organization, has long ago ceased to exist, but the adjoining ceme- tery contains the remains of a large number of persons who once were its members.

INTRODUCTION OF METHODISM.

The Methodist denomination, which is now an influential church body in York County, was introduced by the celebrated Rev. Free- born Garretson. The first service was con- ducted by him, January 24, 1781, at the pri- vate house of James Worley, an Episcopalian, who was a prosperous farmer, and resided on the farm now owned by Jacob Loucks in West Manchester Township. His home was not a hotel, as has been published. The peculiar circumstances which brought Rev. Garretson here at that time, were as follows: James Worley had sent his teamster to Balti- more with a load of flour in December, 1780.

The hired man was on his way home with a load of store goods for a York merchant. Twelve miles to the north of Baltimore, he stopped over night at a tavern, and the next morning found the way blockaded by a heavy snow-fall. He sent home to his employer, James Worley, to come to his rescue with two additional horses. Mr. Worley went down, and while stopping at the place over night incidentally met the noted apostle of Method- ism, Rev. Freeborn Garretson. On the night of his arrival he heard him preach, and being so delighted with his eloquence, Mr. Worley invited him to come to York and stop with him on his farm house, which invitation

the clergyman soon after accepted, and Mr. Worley, although an Episcopalian, an- nounced through the neighborhood and in York, that Rev. Garretson would preach at his house. A large audience assembled. His sermon was based upon the following words: "Old things shall be done away, and all things become new." The next day he left for Carlisle, stopping on his way and preaching at Lewisberry, which was then composed of but half a dozen houses. The people in and around York were confused with his new doctrines, and his sermon called forth excited debates. He was invited to return. In James Worley's farm-house he preached several sermons. Being a man of great force of character and eloquence, his preaching re- sulted in securing Mr. Worley and his family and many others to adopt his faith. Under those circumstances the first Methodist congre- gation was organized in the limits of York County. A building, was soon after erected in York, on the present site of the First United Brethren Church. A permanent organ- ization was formed at Lewisberry, and services were held in the house of Hugh Foster, about the same time that the York congregation was organized. There are now churches of this denomination in all the purely English speak- ing townships of York County, and the society is steadily growing in numbers. Its member- ship in the United States is very large. There are a number of churches of the Methodist Protestant denomination in Hopewell, Fawn and Peach Bottom Townships.

ORIGIN OF THE EVANGELICAL ASSOCIATION IN YORK COUNTY.

The Evangelical Association is an ecclesi- astical body, which originated in Pennsyl- vania in 1800. Its founder was Jacob Al- bright, a man of limited education but earnest piety. He was early in life a Lutheran; after- ward united with the Methodist Episcopal Church. He began to preach in 1796, and in 1803 was ordained a minister of the gospel. He labored among the Germans, and, as the Methodist Episcopal Church was entirely English at that time, the congregations he gathered banded themselves together into a separate denomination, adopting the name "Evangelical Association of North America", sometimes called "Albright", after the founder. In doctrine, the denomination is Arminian. The church organization is similar to that of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Bishops and presiding elders are elected every four years by the general and annual conferences respectively. The itinerant sys- tem is practiced. The progress of the church

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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY.

has been rapid, and, though originally Ger- man, some conferences are now entirely in English. The present numerical strength is 1,615 ministers and 124,554 lay-members. The church has three bishops. "The Evan- gelical Messenger" and "Der Christliche Botschafter" are the church organs.

The Evangelical Association was first in- troduced into York County in 1810, by Revs. John Erb and Matthias Betz, who established three preaching places-one at the house of Jacob Klinefelter, in Shrewsbury Township, about one mile south of Glen Rock; the sec- ond at the house of John Seitz, in Springfield Township; and the third at the house of Adam Ettinger in Dover Township. The eighth conference session of the association was held at the house of Jacob Klinefelter in 1815, at which there were fifteen ministers present. In 1822, the members in the vicin- ity of Shrewsbury united with the members of the M. E. Church in building a log meet- ing-house. This was the first church building nsed by the association in York County, and only the second in the association-the first having been built at New Berlin, Union Coun- ty, Pa., in 1816. In 1827 a stone church was built at Mount Zion, in Springfield Town- ship, entirely by the Evangelical Association. In 1831, under the labors of Revs. W. W. Or- wig, G. Brickley, and J. Roesner, who had charge of the work in the county for that year, an extensive revival took place in the Conojo- hela valley. Among the families that united with the church were those of J. G. Thomas, Henry Thomas, Henry Burg, and J. A. Jacobs. This was the beginning of the congregations at Millersville (Yorkana) and East Prospect. In 1842, a mission was established in York, with twelve members. George Brickley was the first missionary. Rev. W. F. Swengel was the first English missionary. From the orig- inal work, commenced in the county in 1810, eleven charges have grown, namely: York, Queen Street, York, King Street, York Cir- cuit, Prospect, Chanceford, Jarrettsville (Md.) Shrewsbury, Glen Rock, Loganville, Dills- burg, Lewisberry. These charges are served by twelve pastors, and have a membership of about 2,500, and church property valued at about $75,000. There are thirty-four Sunday schools in the county with a membership of about 3,400.

Rev. Jacob Albright, the founder of the association, frequently preached in this coun- ty. Revs. John Walker and George Miller were among the first clergymen who came into the county. The late Rev. Adam Ettin- ger for half a century devoted his whole at- tention to church work in this county.

THE UNITED BRETHREN IN CHRIST.

For the great work of assisting to revive piety among the Germans in America, and their descendants, Providence seems to have prepared Philip Wilhelm Otterbein, who se- lected Lancaster and York Counties, and the City of Baltimore, to preach the gospel. He was born in Dillenberg, Germany, June 4, 1726; was ordained a minister of the Re- formed Church, at Herborn, in 1749, and sent as a missionary to America, 1752. A beauti- ful incident connected with his mission is related as follows: Otterbein's brother, who was also a minister, received a letter, accord- ing to tradition, from County York, describ- ing the great need of more gospel; pleading for the people as sheep scattered in the wilds of the new world without a shepherd. He showed it to William and his mother, whereupon the pious woman, taking her son by the hand, said, with as much fervor as the Spartan mother: "Go, my son, and the Lord keep thee and bless thee; we may never meet again, but go." Stirred by her self- sacrificing words, he set sail for America. He began his labors in Lancaster, and after- ward came to York and preached here and in the surrounding country. During this time he adopted what he termed "New Measures," viz., prayer-meetings, class-meetings, open- air meetings and the itineracy. He was a fervid, earnest and devoted speaker, and aroused the people by his preaching. In the year 1765, he met Martin Boehm, a powerful Mennonite preacher, at a large meeting in Isaac Long's barn, in Lancaster county. At the close of Boehm's sermon, Otterbein rushed up to him and clasped him in his arms, uttering in a loud voice: "We are brethren." The congregation, composed of different denominations, began to praise the Lord. This circumstance gave rise to the name of "United Brethren in Christ." He went to Baltimore in 1774 and organized a church; he erected a building soon after, which is still standing, on the corner of Sharp and Conway streets. He died in that city No- vember 17, 1813, aged eighty-seven years. At the time of his death he had as followers 100 ministers and 20,000 members. Now there are in America 2,551 churches, 2,174 ministers and about 165,000 members. There are five bishops, as follows: J. J. Glossbren- ner, J. Weaver, J. Dickson, E. B. Kephart and N. Cassel.

Rev. Mr. Otterbein, like Wesley, never dis- connected himself from his mother church, yet he is claimed as the founder of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ in America, as it was upon the doctrines and principles

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he advocated that this church was estab- lished. He was a man of eminent ability, and became one of the most influential cler- gymen in his adopted city. The first perma- nent church organization of this denomina tion in this county was effected in Windsor Township.

THE CHURCH OF GOD.

An order of Baptists originated in Lan- caster in 1830 under the preaching of Rev. John Winebrenner, a minister of the Ger- man Reformed Church. This denominatiou is Presbyterian in polity. Great earnestness and zeal were the characteristics of the early clergy of this denomination. In 1835, and shortly after, a number of congregations were formed in York County, chiefly in the upper end, by Revs. Winebrenner, Maxwell, Ross, Mulnix, Weishampel, Kiester, and others. There are now about a dozen churches of this denomination in the county, and they are lo- cated in Newberry, Warrington, Monaghan, Franklin, Warrington and Windsor Town- ships.

GERMAN BAPTISTS.

The German Baptists, as a church body, originated in Germany in the year 1708, during the great religious awakening of the latter part of the seventeenth and the begin- ning of the eighteenth centuries. They usu- ally call themselves "Brethren," and their church "the Brethren Church." Locally they are generally called "Dunkers," from the German word "tunker," meaning to bap- tize or dip. This last name originated in Pennsylvania during their early history here. They do not recognize the name Dunker as appropriate to designate their church body. The originators of this denomination in Ger- many met and held meetings among them- selves for social worship, but the embittered clergy soon caused the secular authorities to interfere. At this time, abont 1695, a mild and lenient count ruled over the province of Wigenstein in north Prussia, where liberty of conscience was granted. To this place, although a poor, rough country, went many, who were aroused by a religious awakening, and who desired to consult among themselves as to church discipline and ecclesiastical pol- ity. This province was soon known as "the rendezvous of the Lord's people." Those who collected there were first called Pietists, and all worshiped together. They then com- menced to call themselves Brethren. One of the guiding points of their discipline was found in the book of Matthew, which says: "If thy brother trespass against thee, go and tell him his faults between thee and him alone." But,

to fulfill this injunction, they needed some church order, and they began to seek for the footsteps of the primitive Christians. The mystery of water baptism appeared to them a door of entrance into the true church which they so earnestly sought, but they could not at once agree as to form. Finally, in 1708, eight of the most truth-loving of them agreed to enter into "a covenant of good conscience with God, by taking up all the command- ments of Jesus Christ as an easy yoke, and thus follow him as their faithful shepherd."

Those eight persons were George Graby and Lncas Vetter from Hesse-Cassel; Alexander Mack, from Schriesheim and his wife Anna Margaretta, Andrew Bonny, from Basle,Swit- zerland, and his wife Johanna, and John Kip- ping, from Wurtemburg, and his wife Johan- na. These eight, now historic persons, "cove- nanted and united as brethren and sisters of Jesus Christ," and thus formed the nucleus of a church of Christian believers. They claimed, after careful investigation, that ac- cording to the commands of Christ, the prim- itive Christians "were planted into His death by a threefold immersion in the water bath of holy baptism, being in exact harmony with the New Testament." Trine immersion was considered by them the only correct form of baptism. Being prepared for the ceremo- ny of baptism, they went in solitude along the little stream called Aeder, in Germany, and he upon whom the labor had fallen bap- tized the leading brother and he in turn bap- tized the rest. This interesting ceremony occurred at an early hour in the morning. In a few years there were large congregations gathered in Swartznau in the Palatinate and in Marienborn. Persecution soon followed them. These unfortunate ones found refuge under the King of Prussia. Among the prominent workers in the church in Ger- many about 1715, some of whose descendants now live in York County were John Henry Kalclesser, of Frankenthal; Christian Liebe (Leib), of Ebstein; Johanna Nass (Noss), of Norten; Peter Becker, of Dillsheim; John Henry Trout and several brothers; Heinrich Holsapple and Stephen Koch of the Palati- nate.

This religious body suffered great persecu- tion in parts of the fatherland. Some fled to Creyfeld, Prussia, from thence to Holland, thence to the province of Friesland, in the hope of finding an asylum of peace and safety, but were everywhere disappointed until they "turned their faces toward the land of Penn. " Twenty families first emigrated, with Elder Peter Becker at their head, in 1719, and settled in the vicinity of German-

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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY.

town, Penn. In 1729 thirty more families came over under the leadership of the cele- brated Alexander Mack, who himself was a noted evangelist, and a descendant of the Wal- denses so well known to history. Settle- ments of them were soon formed at Skippack, Montgomery County, Oley in Berks, and Conestoga in Lancaster; all under the care of preachers Mack and Becker. In 1723 the church held a first election in America and chose Conrad Beissel a minister and John Hildebrand a deacon, both to serve in Lancaster County. In the language of an old record, " Conrad Beissel got wise in his own conceit, had an idea that Saturday was the Lord's day, secured a number of fol- lowers, and in 1729 organized at Ephrata the German Seventh-day Baptists," who were afterward known as a distinct church body. In 1732 Beissel organized a monastic society at Ephrata. The churches at Ephrata, at Conestoga, and one in Chester County at- tracted so many settlers that land became high. So numerous members of the Brethren Church, as early as 1736, began to emigrate to what is now York County. Some went down into Maryland. The first church in this county by the Brethren was organized in 1738, "twenty miles west from the town of York, on the Little Conewago." This was in the vicinity of Hanover. The district embraced by the church included a large extent of territory east, north and north- west of the site of the present town of Han- over. It will thus be seen that the German Baptists were among the very first to form church organizations in York County. Among the members of the first church were the Danners, Eldricks, Dierdorfs, Biglers, Studs- mans, etc. Their first preacher was Daniel Leatherman, Sr. He was followed by Nicholas Martin, Jacob Moyer (Meyers), James Hen- rich (Henry), etc. In 1741 there was another church organized in the limits of what was then York County, " on the Great Conewago about fourteen miles west from the new town of York." This was the same year York was founded. Many of the members of the church lived in the present territory of Adams County, in the vicinity of the present villages of Abbottstown and East . Berlin. Among the first members of this organization were the Neagleys, Sowers, Sweigards, Nei- fers, and most prominent were the Latschas. Their first elder was George Adam Martin, who was followed by Daniel Leatherman, Jr. and Nicholas Martin. The two organiza- tions already described were known as the Conewago Churches.

There was another congregation organized

within the present area of Washington Town- ship, "fifteen miles from the town of York," called the Bermudian Church. The first constituents of this organization separated from the Cloister Church, at Ephrate, Lan- caster County, in 1735, and organized in 1758 in York County. Many of them were Seventh-day Baptists. The church was con- sidered an offspring of Ephrata, but for a while they worshiped with the Brethren. Some of the founders of it were: Philip Gebel, Peter Beissel, Henry Lowman, Peter Miller and George Adam Martin.

Some of the prominent persons who com- posed its membership previous to 1770 were: Frederick Reuter and wife, Daniel Fahne- stock and wife, Paul Troub and wife, Peter Henry and wife, Dietrich Fahnestock and wife, John Cook and wife, Peter Bender and wife, Melchior Webber and wife, John Lehr and wife, John Messerbach and wife, George Reiss (Rice) and wife, George Neiss (Nace) and wife, Benjamin Gebel (Gable) and wife, Philip Beissel and wife, Baltzer Smith and wife, widows Dorothy and Stauffer, several families by the name of Frick; John Bentz, wife, daughter and four sons; John Miller, wife and two sons; Peter Beissel, wife, son and two daughters. This list includes both Seventh-day Baptists and Brethren. Later in the history of this church the Seventh- day Baptists or "Sieben Tager," as they were generally called, maintained a separate or- ganization, but as a church, ceased to exist in this county about 1820. Some of the mem- bers about that time were Frederick Reider, Jacob Kimmel, Michael Kimmel, John Meily, Samuel, Daniel and Boreas Fahnestock and others.

The "Codorous Church was organized in the township of Codorus, eleven miles south- east of York in 1758," and soon after num- bered in its membership about forty families. The first elder of this church was Jacob Danner, a son of Michael Danner, a promi- nent man in the early history of the county and one of the five commissioners appointed to view and lay off York County in 1749. Jacob Danner, Heinrich Danner and their father were among the most intelligent of the first German emigrants, west of the Sus- quehanna, and figured very conspicuously in their day. Jacob Danner was a poet of no mean reputation about the year 1750. He and Rev. Jacob Lischy, of York Reformed Church, engaged in a vigorous religious con- troversy. The manuscripts containing Dan- ner's arguments were written in verse in his native German language. This rare docu- ment is now in the possession of the writer

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of this article. Jacob Danner moved to Frederick County, Md. The controversy showed considerable ability on the part of both clergymen.

Prominent among the first members of the Codorus, congregation in 1758 were Rudy Yunt, Peter Brillharth, John Brillharth, Henry Neff and wife. After Jacob Danner went to Maryland, Henry Neff was called to the ministry and remained pastor until after 1775. He was highly appreciated by his people, and kept careful official records. Some of the other members of this church before 1770 were Jacob Tilman. wife and daughter, Jacob Spitler, wife and two daughters, Jacob Neiswanger and wife. Anna Neiswanger, and Elizabeth Seip, George Beary and wife, John Harold and wife, William Spitler and wife, Christian Eby, Wendell Baker and wife, Michael Berkey and wife, George Etter and son, Matthias Sitler and wife. Susanne Weltner.

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History of York County, Pennsylvania : from the earliest period to the present time, divided into general, special, township and borough histories, with a biographical department appended, Part 76

Author: Gibson, John, Editor Publication date: 1886 Publisher: F.A. Battey Publishing Co., Chicago Number of Pages: 1104

Author: Gibson, John, Editor
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: F.A. Battey Publishing Co., Chicago
Number of Pages: 1104