USA > Pennsylvania > History of the Church of the brethren of the Eastern district of Pennsylvania > Part 21
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The doors of the Green Tree Church were thrown open for anti-secret conventions. For many years the Com- mencements of Upper Providence township were held within her walls. By wise policies Green Tree had made herself the church of the community.
The inner spirit must ever have a formal outward mani- festation. The old stone walls which encased the life of the Green Tree Church at the first, built in 1845, was after the model built by Brethren in that day. On the east side were the usual old time entrances. On the opposite side was the table, with its long bench for preachers behind it. The raised pulpit came. The large ingatherings from 1887 to 1890 awakened a desire to remodel and beautify the old church home. A Building Committee was appointed consist- ing of Joseph Fitzwater, Samuel Griffin, Matthias Harley, Jacob Cassel and John Reiff. The entrance was made from the north side where an ample vestibule was added. The pulpit, with an alcove back of it, was at the opposite end of
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the auditorium. South of the auditorium, and capable of being made one with it by sliding doors, was erected the Sunday School addition. The aisles were carpeted and the walls papered. Without the walls were plastered and the roof made more peaked. As thus remodeled the cosy coun- try church along the road at Green Tree gives a feeling of satisfaction to the most cultured æsthetic taste.
Again in 1907, the inner walls having been frescoed, the church was repaired and recarpeted at a cost of $455.87. This was really a reception to the new pastor and his wife, Bro. and Sister C. F. McKee, who came September 9, 1907. With such a gracious reception how could the new pastorate be other than it has proved itself to be-one of efficiency and blessing?
In 1899 a pool was built into the church. May 9 of this year was the first baptism. Grace, the daughter of Bro. Myers, was one of the four baptized.
Green Tree has had many faithful members whose names are in the book of life, but we cannot mention all here. Those intimately acquainted at Green Tree will likely feel that the names of Jacob Oberholtzer, the blacksmith, and Joseph Umstad, both of whom long served the church as janitor and sexton, should be mentioned. Wallace Rambo and Lewis Famous also filled these offices for a short period.
Ushers were first appointed in 1889. They were Lewis Dettra and John C. Reiff. Both afterward left Green Tree and were elected to the ministry.
John Dettra, the youngest brother of Lewis, is a conse- crated business man at Oaks. He started a small flag fac- tory to the rear of his father's house, and has built it up till to-day it is claimed to be the largest flag factory in the world. Recently he fixed up the basement of the Green' Tree Church for church purposes entirely at his own expense.
Trustees .- The trustees of the Green Tree Church to whom John Umstad and Ann his wife conveyed two acres of land for $150, February 15, 1858, were John Conway, Joseph Fitzwater, John Bartholomew, Joseph Pennypacker and Samuel Supplee. Before this there seem to have been no trustees. The land that John Umstad gave in 1845
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likely was never legally transferred to the church. Addi- tional land for the cemetery was likely needed in 1858 and at this time the old and new tracts combined in one sur- vey were transferred to the church. The consideration was likely only the price of the new tract.
By 1887 Samuel Griffin had become a trustee, and three of the original board were still serving. If others had been elected in the interval, they had ceased to be trustees by this time. Amos Gottwals and Abraham Landis were elected May 5, 1888. John U. Francis, Jr., formerly the eminently successful and well beloved merchant at Oaks, is also a trustee.
Deacons .- We perhaps have the list of deacons of the Green Tree Church complete from the beginning. The two first deacons were Abel Fitzwater and George Price. Then follow William Casselberry, Elijah Billew, Joseph S. Penny- packer, John Conway, Joseph Fitzwater, Samuel Griffin, Jacob Cassel, John Reiff, John Harley, Amos Gottwals and John Bechtel, elected October 24, 1892. Harry Ellis and Irwin Force were elected September 3, 1900. Howard Yocum, Abraham Landis and George Hallman were elected April 27, 1903.
Abel Fitzwater was the husband of Bella Fitzwater, the mother of the Green Tree Church. James Quinter was living in his home at the time of his conversion. The pious atmosphere of this home did much to direct his thoughts to religion. Bro. Quinter in later years calls it a "Bethel."
George Price afterward became a preacher, but never exercised much in his office.
William Casselberry was the father of the "Casselberry Girls"-Mary and Sophia, who eschewing marriage, de- voted themselves to the work of the Lord. They occupied a prominent place in the church work at Green Tree for many years.
Conclusion .- The membership of the Green Tree Church at present is 300 in round numbers. The assessed mem- bership is given in the District Meeting minutes of this year (1913) as only 275; but only the paying members are included in this enumeration. Twenty have been baptized
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this year without a special revival being held. Eighty-three have been received by baptism since Bro. McKee has become pastor.
The enrollment of the Sunday School is 232. There are three organized Bible Classes, a Teacher's Training Class, a Home Department and Cradle Roll. The Ladies' Aid Society is active. Green Tree still has a Christian Helpers Society. The Green Tree Church is alive and working.
CHAPTER III.
THE PARKERFORD CHURCH.
The history of the efforts put forth by the Brethren at Parkerford dates back almost to the commencement of the last century. As early as 1808 there were then two preaching points established at which meetings were held at intervals of four and eight weeks. One of these places was in the old School House in Parkerford near the mouth of Pigeon Creek. The other was in what was then Davis' School House on the opposite side of the Schuylkill, about two miles from Parkerford. At this early period there were four sisters living in this territory. One on the op- posite side of the river near Davis' School House, was sister Catherine March, or as she was then called, old granny March. She was the great-grandmother of Mrs. D. W. Brower, of Spring City. This mother March joined the church in her youth and died in 1848, in her eighty-fifth year. The meetings held in the Davis' School House at in- tervals varying from four to eight weeks were at her solici- tation. Two of these four sisters lived at the "old Park- erford Mill"-an aged sister, Mrs. Mary Parker (nee Hummel), and Mary Wilson, her daughter-mother and grandmother of the late Sister Susan Sidle, of Parkerford. The " old Mill" at which Sister Parker and her daughter Mary Wilson resided was a historic place even in their day -for it was here that Washington, with Generals Greene, Sullivan, Stirling and Armstrong with 8,000 Continental soldiers and 2,000 Militia, crossed the Schuylkill River, September 20, 1777, after the disastrous battle on the Brandywine. The third Sister on the Parkerford side of the river was Mary Shantz-nee Rinehart-wife of old Jacob Shantz, who lived about a half mile north of the Parkerford Mill. The place is now owned by Samuel Pennypacker. In corresponding with Elder Isaac Price in
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UNION CHURCH (REMODELED), PORT PROVIDENCE.
PARKERFORD CHURCH.
1
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1882 in reference to the early work of the Brethren at Parkerford, preceding the establishment of the church-I learned that Elder John Price, father of Isaac Price, was the pioneer preacher, both at Parkerford and at Davis' School House across the river. Later on, old Father Price was assisted in this work by Bro. Isaac Price and Bro. John Umstad-and at a still later period Bro. James Quinter was also associated with these Brethren in filling these preach- ing appointments. The services at the Parkerford School House were held with some regularity about every four weeks.
The School House had been built by the community to serve the double purpose of establishing a pay school and also a place for public worship. The House was built in two apartments, separated by a sliding partition-the front part of the building was fitted up with school desks and seats for the accommodation of children,-the rear of the build- ing was fitted up with pews, each rising higher than the one in front. On preaching occasions the entire house was made use of. In addition to the services held every four weeks on Sabbath afternoons, there were occasions at long intervals when there would be a few night serv- ices, when special efforts were put forth to reach the un- saved. But the last of these special evening services was a most memorable one, a great manifestation of the Spirit's presence and power to awaken the unawakened, a truly pen- tecostal season. I can do no better than to quote the exact language of Dear Bro. Isaac Price. He says : "We had several protracted meetings at Lawrenceville School House. But the last, following which the Church House was built, was a memorable one. We had what we called a 'glorious time'; preaching came easy. House crammed full, and on a certain Tuesday evening, sixteen on invitation came for- ward. The day before, on Monday, I had to go to West Chester to Court. Father attended Monday night and Tuesday night-who helped him I do not remember-but on Tuesday night I think Bro. Umstad was not there-and six- teen coming out, Father did not know what to do. He had never then been in such a meeting, with such a state of feel-
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ing-swearers, drunkards and such like came forward. And a great snow had fallen on Sunday, Monday and Tues- day. The roads were terribly drifted. And Father thought best to close the meeting. It was a painful thing to many of us." To those of us who knew Bro. Isaac Price, we know it must indeed have been a painful thought to have been deprived from participating in a meeting fraught with such power from on High. It was indeed a high day in Zion.
In the spring following the great revival twenty-five or more were baptized. The following summer, 1843, the Meeting House was built. Before entering fully upon this part of our subject, it is proper to add that about 1830 or probably a little later, Sister Sarah Righter preached for some time at Davis' School House and also at the Parker- ford School House. When Bro. James Quinter was elected to the ministry, Sister Sarah Rinewalt got him to hold meet- ings at the old farm house, on the summit of Crab Hill, about a mile south of Parker's Mill. This old house is located near the big elm tree, which from its high elevation has stood for years as a notable landmark for many miles around.
The ground for the new meeting house was bought of David Y. Custer for the sum of $110. The purchased tract had a front of one hundred and ten feet, and embraced one acre of ground. The conveyance was made to Jacob Frick, Peter Hollowbush and Isaac Kolb, Trustees. Deed was dated September 16, 1843, and recorded April 10, 1845. In the construction of the house, the Brethren entrusted the over- sight to Brother Daniel Scypes, who did the carpenter work, while Conrad Longacre had charge of the mason work. The house was dedicated with appropriate services on Sun- day, September 24, 1843. The membership as constituted at the time the house was built, would necessarily include the entire membership of the Coventry Church at that period, and this condition of the churches prevailed for more than forty years afterwards, for the Lawrenceville or Parkerford Church was so exclusively a branch of the Coventry Church during all these years, that a quarterly
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conference or a single Communion Service was not held within its sacred precincts. The annual love feast held every autumn in the old Coventry Church, was always the happy occasion for a reunion of the entire membership, not only of the Mother Church but embracing also her two branches at Parkerford and at Harmonyville. The first Communion Service held in Parkerford Church occurred on the fifteenth of May, 1886, just forty-three years after the church was built. Since 1886 Communion Services have been observed regularly in the month of May of each re- curring year. The first quarterly conference was held on Saturday, November 14, 1885, and from that time forward they had been alternated every three months with the Cov- entry Church, until the spring of 1896, when by mutual consent of the Coventry and Parkerford Churches it was agreed that Parkerford Church should conduct its own affairs, have its own quarterly conferences, have a separate treasury and be entirely free from the jurisdiction of the Coventry Church, except the church at Parkerford was to be under the charge of the Bishop of the Coventry Church.
On Sunday afternoon, April 14, 1878, the Brethren of the Parkerford Church met and organized the first Sabbath School held in their church. Bro. David G. Wells was elected the first superintendent, since which time Sabbath School has been maintained regularly every year, and for several years past, the school has been kept open every Sab- bath throughout the year. The following persons have served as superintendent for a longer or shorter period : David G. Wells, Isaac U. Brower, Wm. Brower and John B. Reiff. The latter is our present superintendent and has served for quite a number of years.
In the spring of 1889 a special meeting of the Brethren was held, to take into consideration the propriety of re- seating and remodeling the Meeting House. A Building Committee of three was appointed to carry out the plans, Committee Joseph Johnson, Samuel Rosen and Aaron Keiter. Upon the completion of the house and the refur- nishing of the same at an expenditure of about $1,200 spe- cial dedicatory services were held late in the fall of 1889,
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Elder J. P. Hetric was in charge, assisted by J. T. Myers, of Green Tree Church. The trustees of the church at that period were : Brethren John Frick, Henry Pennypacker and Aaron Keiter.
The Brethren decided, in the fall of 1895, that hereafter they would have regular services every Sabbath, and, as a consequence of this decision, extended a call to Bro. F. F. Holsopple to become their settled pastor. Upon his accept- ance, they deemed it wise to procure a suitable house for a parsonage. On November 13, 1895, the present parsonage was bought for $1,700. This parsonage is near the Penn- sylvania depot and within a square of the Meeting House; it occupies the historic site of the old Colonial log school house of 1750 or thereabouts, of which records are still extant, showing that in those early days the length of the school term was far in excess of what it is even today.
Parkerford Church has had several stirring revivals dur- ing the last twenty-five years. The first of these was con- ducted by Bro. J. P. Hetric, while pastor of the Philadel- phia Church, about 1880, when many precious souls were born into the Kingdom. About 1882 Brother J. P. Hetric settled at Parkerford and gradually took the oversight of the Parkerford Church as well as of the Coventry Church. He is still the Bishop of our little flock, for we number about one hundred communicants, whereas the Coventry Church has more than two hundred members. Bro. F. F. Holsopple served our church very efficiently for a period of five years. Our next pastor, Bro. T. R. Coffman, is now (at the writing of this article) rounding out his fifth year of very acceptable service in this part of the Lord's vineyard.
The foregoing very valuable account of the Parkerford Church given by Dr. Wm. Brower, of Spring City, a des- cendant of the Urners, cannot be supplanted. Yet there are a few things that may yet be said about the work at Parker- ford.
When the minutes were first kept in 1885, we find that the council meetings were already alternating between Coventry and Lawrenceville, as Parkerford was formerly called. Sep- arate treasuries were authorized for Coventry and Parker-
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ford, July 22, 1893. Charles Urner had, however, years before been a treasurer at Lawrenceville. Seventy-seven members in and around Parkerford had signed in 1893 a request for a separate treasury at that place previous to one being authorized. In the matter of sending delegates, Park- erford was to pay one third of the expense.
At the council of July 23, 1898, F. F. Holsopple, pastor at Parkerford, presented the following petition for the Parker- ford Brethren :
" PARKERFORD, PA., June 4th, 1898.
"We the Brethren at Parkerford in council assembled this day do petition the Coventry Brethren's Church to grant at July council that the Parkerford Branch of the Coventry Brethren's Church be constituted a separate church to be known as the Parkerford Brethren Church.
"F. F. HOLSOPPLE, Moderator. " DAVID BERGEY, Clerk.
"F. F. Holsopple and David G. Bergey were appointed a committee to present the above."
This petition was granted by the Coventry Church, so the Parkerford Brethren Church was born July 23, 1898.
Bro. F. F. Holsopple was the first pastor of Parkerford Church proper. Bro. Hetric had lived here while pastor of the whole Coventry Church. Bro. Holsopple had married Grace, the youngest daughter of Elder Jas. Quinter, and his coming here now to build up the work, makes us think that the Lord still had in mind Bro. Quinter's prayers for the work at Lawrenceville. Bro. Holsopple is of a family of preachers. His father is an elder, and two of his paternal uncles are preachers, his maternal grandfather was the well known Elder Christian Lehman and two of his own brothers are preachers, one being Bro. Ira, pastor at Coventry. But when he entered school at age of six, he believed he would be a school teacher. After teaching a number of years and graduating from Juniata College, he became pastor of the church at Amwell, N. J., September 1, 1892 . In October 1895, he came to Parkerford. During his five-year pastorate more than twenty were added to the church. The prayer
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meeting and Sunday School were revived, a Sisters' Mis- sionary Society and a Young People's Christian Helper So- ciety were introduced and the Parkerford Church was or- ganized into a separate congregation. Then his strong inclination to teaching caused him to accept a chair in Juniata College.
For three years or more Bro. Hetric looked after the pas- toral needs of Parkerford. Bro. T. R. Coffman came as pastor, from a pastorate at Tyrone, Pa., on April 3, 1904. He was born June 27, 1873, at Hagerstown, Md. His edu- cation and teaching were largely along business lines until he was elected to the ministry in 1897. When he came to Parkerford the membership was a few less than one hun- dred. It is now one hundred and five. But it should be borne in mind that he has had many deaths to overcome, many of the old burden bearers of the church having passed away in the last few years. A Christian Workers' Society has been organized, the Sunday evening session being spent in the study of Jewish history. The Sisters' Society has been kept active, and the Sunday School, numbering about one hundred, under the efficient superintendency of Bro. J. B. Reiff has come to the " front line." The second teach- er's Training Class is ready for graduation at this writing. There is a Home Department of thirteen, and a Cradle Roll of eight. Bro. Coffman was ordained to the eldership, December 10, 1911, J. T. Myers and J. P. Hetric officiating. After the ordination of Elder Coffman, Elder Hetric and he had joint oversight of the church until the resignation of the latter in December, 1912, to take up the pastorate of the Pittsburgh Brethren Church. Elder J. T. Myers, of the Green Tree Church, is the present pastor.
ROYERSFORD CHURCH.
CHAPTER IV.
ROYERSFORD CHURCH.
As it is necessary to have people before you can have a church, we shall first consider the members who moved into this town. But while we speak of the church in Royersford, we must not forget that some of the most active members in building up the work here, lived in the twin town across the river, in Spring City. There were Bro. David Wells, and daughters, Annie and Katie; Sister Mary Taylor ; Dr. Wm. Brower, wife and daughter Blanche. These have all lived in Spring City for a number of years. All were members of Coventry.
But we now come to The First Members in Royersford.
Wm. Isett and wife were the first. They came from the Mingo Church, in the fall of 1882. In the spring of 1884 the Price family moved here from Mingo Church also. Those members were Mrs. Price, son Wm., who had joined at Huntington in 1883, daughters Elizabeth and Elmira baptized at Parkerford in 1886. In March, 1884, Wm. Dettra and wife of Green Tree Church moved from Oaks Station to the outskirts of the town. They moved into the town proper, September I of the same year. Sister Roeller came from the Parkerford Church in March, 1889. Her husband was not then a member. Bro. Joel Freed and wife from Mingo settled down in Royersford. Sister Mary Freed, wife of Samuel Freed, moved here in July, 1890, from Mingo Church. In December of the same year, from the same church, came John Isett and family, consisting of himself, his wife Hettie, and daughters Kate and Sallie. Next came Sister Jos. Johnson from Coventry, in April, 1891. Her husband is a member of the German Reformed Church. David Isett and his wife moved here in March, 1892; and his brother Benjamin and wife, in December of the same year. Both families were from the Mingo Church.
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Wm., Benjamin, and David are all sons of John Isett. In May, 1892, Bro. Wm. G. Nyce with his mother came from Norristown; they were originally from the Mingo Church. Early in 1893 came C. F. McKee from the Manor Church, Md. He came to take charge of the books of the Grander Stove Co., of which Bro. Wm. Price, his old schoolmate at Huntingdon, was a member and later president. Bro. McKee was married in 1897 to Sister Iva Kaler, also from the Manor congregation. Rev. John Isenberg came from Coventry in 1893. From the same congregation came the Hunsbergers in 1895, in which year came also Bro. Robert Jones and family from Illinois. Jacob Grater and wife, a deacon and son of Elder A. L. Grater, came from Illinois in 1896. Sister Emma Tyson of Coventry, a school teacher in Spring City, worked here during the school months.
Thus we see that in a period of thirteen years a consider- able and very complex membership had gathered here, where before there had been no members. But it was a splendid body of workers, from which at least four ministers were made.
The first form of religious life here was manifested in prayer-meetings held in the homes of the members. After the prayer-meeting had been conducted for some time, some of the members thought it would be well to start a Sunday School. The idea found favor, but great trouble was en- countered in finding a place of meeting. Finally the Epis- copalians agreed to let the Brethren have the use of their hall, Winter's Hall, on the corner of Main St. and Second Avenue, in the afternoon, they having their Sunday School in the morning. The expenses connected with the hall were to be equally divided, the Brethren's share of the rent being $1.00 per Sunday.
The first meeting of the Sunday School was held on May 3, 1891. This was the same day on which the Dauphin Street Church of the Brethren in Philadelphia was dedicated. The total number present was twenty-nine. There were five classes in the beginning. By 1898 they had increased to sixteen classes with one hundred and seventy-six scholars, making a total enrollment of one hundred and ninety-two.
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The first superintendent was Bro. David Wells, who the next year was succeeded by Bro. W. S. Price, who has been the efficient superintendent ever since.
Men who do things were connected with this school. April 5, 1892, W. S. Price, Dr. Wm. Brower and Joel Freed were appointed a committee to purchase a lot on which to build a church. A vacant lot on Walnut Street was bought for $450. W. S. Price, David G. Wells and Joel C. Freed were appointed trustees. Early in the next year, when it was decided to " proceed to build a church at once," this lot was deemed unsatisfactory, and it was sold for $500. The lot on the corner of Third and Washington Streets was then bought. It was decided to build of brick with Wyoming blue stone trimmings. A pool was placed in the church. The general plan of the remodeled Green Tree Church was followed, with the exception that the vestibule was within the main walls. All business was done in the name of the German Baptist Brethren Sunday School. It was necessary to mortgage the property to some extent, but the debt was reduced rapidly. Considerable help was given by neighbor- ing congregations. January 1, 1895, the trustees were in- creased to five, the new ones being E. L. Markley and Frank Roeller. The first minutes of the Sunday School were kept in 1892. In this same year they purchased an organ, and have a thoroughly up-to-date Sunday School.
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