USA > Pennsylvania > Dauphin County > History of the sesqui-centennial of Paxtang Church, September 18, 1890 > Part 8
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Of the early workers and those later on in the work, "we may be pardoned for mentioning the names of Messrs. Mordecai Mckinney, Jackson Fleming, Alfred Armstrong, Mrs. Agnes Kemp, Miss Agnes Crane, Mrs. Dr. W. W. Rutherford, Mrs. Jackson Fleming, Mrs. Alfred Armstrong, and Mrs. Harriet L. West- brook. They have wrought a good work in obedience Tto the command of Christ, to teach all nations, which was made possible by the existence and inspiration
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given unto some of them in this building, and in other buildings, her honored offspring.
In 1858, October 25th, the Presbytery of Harrisburg, sitting at Spring Mills, appointed a committee to or- ganize the Second Presbyterian church of Harrisburg, should the way be elear, on the 27th of October, of the same year. The committee, consisting of Revs. Wil- liam R. Dewitt, Conway P. Wing, Thomas H. Robinson, and elders, Messrs John Weir and Mordecai MeKinney, met, and after a sermon by the Rev. Conway P. Wing, from Matt., 16:18, organized the church. It is in- teresting to note that the apostolie number, twelve, were received upon profession of their faith and one by letter, Mrs. Nancy Christie, doubtless, the oldest Pres- byterian living in Harrisburg or in the Presbytery of Carlisle, having passed her ninety-eighth anniversary upon the 11th of last May, brought up in the Presby- terian church of Mercersburg, where we hope to see a Presbyterian church conducted by the colored people, in order to their greater development who have been born and fostered in the present church. The first ses- sion of the Second church was held in the study of Rev. Charles W. Gardiner, October 30, 185S. It was com- posed of the Moderator Mr. Gardiner and Elder Hiram Baker, now preaching in Chatanooga, Tenn., and Jere- miah Kelly, who has entered into the rest that remain- eth to the people of God. During the thirty-two years that the church hath been holding out the light of the
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gospel to a most needy people, and a people that the Presbyterian church must reach both North and South, if she believes her doctrines are biblical, which she does, and is ready to defend; a church, therefore, that is adapted to all people, the rich and the poor, the learned and the illiterate, five pastors and six stated supplies have occupied the pulpit, and nine elders have been elected and ordained. Of these elders, three have died, two have taken their letters, one has entered the ministry, and four are now in active service in the church of their choice in Harrisburg.
One hundred and eighty-three have been received into the church or nearly six per year. At present there are fifty-three members. Thousands have been taught by the Sabbath-school and at the pulpit, at Elder Street, that are not members of our communion, but of a greater communion; converse with God and Christ and the Holy Spirit.
We come to our grandmother to-day, not with what some of her grandchildren can boast of, or rather be grateful for, as all of you know, wealth and superior educational advantages, and every opportunity that can be presented to Americans, by all the resources of America, and with all these opportunities from the be- ginning, but with the few sheaves we have gathered, reminding you of the seeds we have sown, thanking the Giver of every good and perfect gift that he gave you being, that he put it into the mind of one of your
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offspring, that we are all of a common origin, having like needs, and that all must appear at the judgment seat of Christ. May the spirit of many Elijahs fall upon many Elishas in the Presbytery of Carlisle, and ere another half century is added to the history of Paxtang and other churches of the Presbytery, there may be several representatives of the negro race as pas- tors of churches joining in the praises to God from whom all blessings flow; having furnished a channel of Christian giving and loving, and demonstrating the fact that this Presbytery is not narrow in its notion as to whom are freedmen, and where they should have churches established, as we are inclined to think the work north of Mason and Dixon line shows, but rather, that they are broad and are obeying more fully the com- mand of our Great Captain Jesus Christ, as it rings in their ears: Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. [Applause.]
Moderator STEWART. The first church of Middle- town is represented to-day by its pastor, the Rev. John H. Groff, to whom we will now attend.
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ADDRESS OF REV. JOHN H. GROFF.
Mr. MODERATOR, LADIES, AND GENTLEMEN: I am glad for the privilege of speaking a word in behalf of the church at Middletown, the third church that sprang directly from the mother church Paxtang. This church dates back to the year 1850. Prior to that time the Presbyterians of Middletown and of the neigh- borhood worshiped with Paxtang and Derry churches, these two churches being within a radius of seven or eight miles from Middletown. The time came, how- ever, when the people of Middletown felt that these churches were too far remote, and that if Presbyterian- ism was to grow and fulfill her mission, they must have a church in the town itself. Hence, at a meeting of the Presbytery of Carlisle, held in the Paxtang church on the 10th of April, 1850, a committee was appointed to visit Middletown, and consider with a similar committee the propriety of organizing a church there. At a meeting of Presbytery in Gettysburg, June 4th, that committee reported favorably and en- couragingly, and on the 9th of October of the same year, at the call of the Moderator, the Presbytery met in Middletown, at which a petition was presented, signed by nine persons, and there and then the Pres- byterian church at Middletown was organized. Thus it has a history of forty years.
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In those forty years she has had nine installed pas- tors and four stated supplies. The first pastor, Rev. John Cross, was called June 10, 1851, installed June 23, and died suddenly August 22, the same year, at Dickinson, Cumberland county, while raising money to build the church.
In 1852, the Rev. O. O. McLean became pastor, and continued to April, 1854. In October, 1855, Rev. John W. White was called, and remained until the Spring of 1858. His successor was Rev. T. K. Davis, from March, 1858, until May 4, 1863; when Rev. William Ferriday became pastor; (during his absence from ill health, Rev. H. T. Lee. of Philadelphia, preached.) Mr. Ferriday's continued sickness compelled him to resign, and on January 25, 1865, Rev. H. L. Rex was called, he was installed June 6, 1865, and remained until 1874. In January, 1875, Rev. Daniel McAfee became pastor, and resigned in 1876. For some time Rev. A. D. Mitchell supplied the pulpit; but being ap- pointed post-chaplain in the U. S. Army, Rev. Robert P. Gibson acted as pastor until April 14, 1878, when Rev. D. C. Meeker was called; he declined, and on May 20, Rev. Malachi C. Bailey became pastor. He resigned in 1880, and his successor was Rev. William G. McDannold, who took charge November 1, 1881, and resigned April 10, 1884. He was succeeded by the present pastor.
In connection with this church there have been eight
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elders, two of whom have served the church during almost her entire history. I refer to Dr. Benjamin J. Wiestling and Daniel Kendig.
This church, while she has not grown as rapidly as it was hoped she would, has not been without re- sults. It has been said by some in my hearing that the reason the Middletown church did not succeed better was because many of the young men and women, in connection with the Presbyterian church and Pres- byterian families, moved elsewhere, and their places were occupied by a German element. Be this as it may, the church has, during all this period of forty years, had noble men and women. She has sent them out, here and there; and while their names may not perhaps appear on the page of history as brilliant as some others that have gone out from other churches, yet they have made an impression elsewhere in the church as good and loyal Presbyterians. A number, too, of the faithful ones have been taken from us by the hand of death ; yet there has always been a few earn- est, faithful, active ones ; and there are a few faithful ones to-day, (whom it is not necessary that I should name,) who have stood by the truth, working to build up the church.
But the end is not yet. About fifteen months ago the old church building was taken down, (being in great need of repairs;) and on that site has been built in these months a beautiful new church. Our people are work-
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ing hard; they are praying, and are giving of their means. I am glad to believe to-day, as we gather in this shady grove, that mother Paxtang may yet look back upon the third daughter, and feel proud of her. I am glad to greet you here and pay a passing tribute of respect to the mother church from which we sprung. I am glad that we can look into your faces, and give you this report. And we trust that in the century to follow, nay, in this the first quarter of it, that Middletown church may come up out of the wilderness "fair as the noon, bright as the sun," and as strong as some of these churches that were repre- sented here to-day. [Applause.]
Moderator STEWART. The next organization to be heard from is the Dauphin Presbyterian church; and Rev. Francis M. Baker, the pastor of that church, will now address you.
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ADDRESS OF REV. FRANCIS M. BAKER.
Mr. MODERATOR, LADIES, AND GENTLEMEN: The place which the committee, appointed to arrange the programme, has given to the church of Dauphin is next to the last on the list, showing that in their judg- ment they regarded it as second in age to that of Mar- ket Square, Harrisburg.
The church now known as the First Presbyterian church of Dauphin has a double history-an earlier and a later one; though she has never led a double life. Of the former history there are but few of the records extant, and none of its first organization and none of its meetings of session. Hence we are largely confined in referring to its past history, to the infre- quent mention made in Presbyterial records from time to time.
In " the Centennial Memorial of the Presbytery of Carlisle " just issued, Vol. I, p. 255, under the head of " Dauphin Church," the following statement is made :
"Turning to the records of nearly a century ago we find, under date of June 24, 1766, the following :
"Mr. Rowan, in behalf of Paxton, above the nar- rows, requested some supplies to be sent to that people."
" Till near the close of the century supplies were asked and granted, at first under the above name,
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afterwards that of Middle Paxtang. The Rev. Na- thaniel R. Snowden, pastor of Harrisburg church, ap- pears to have preached to the people with regularity and system from the time he was released from the Derry and Paxton part of his charge, in 1796, to the time of his resignation at Harrisburg in 1805. There is a strong probability that he gave them one fourth his time; for, when the Rev. James Buchanan, his suc- cessor, was called, it was to labor three fourths his time in Harrisburg, and one fourth his time at Middle Paxton. Accordingly, in December, 1808, he was 'in- stalled at Harrisburg as pastor of the congregations of Harrisburg and Middle Paxton,' by a committee of Presbytery composed of the Revs. Messrs. Snodgrass, Brady, and Sharon."
" In 1811 Mr. Buchanan was released from the Middle Paxton part of his charge in order that he might give all his time and labor to the church in Harrisburg. The Rev. William R. DeWitt, from the time of his settlement as pastor of Harrisburg church in 1819, took a very deep interest in this struggling church and frequently ministered to it. In 1832 he requested Presbytery to 'note on its minutes that the church of Middle Paxton had been re-organized.' Of the re- organization no record is preserved. After the Old and New school division, the Presbytery of Carlisle occasionally sent supplies to the congregation, but they
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depended mainly for them on the Presbytery of Harrisburg."
About the year 1781 a log church was erected upon a hill about half a mile northeast of what is now the borough of Dauphin, called " The Hill Church." This is the earliest record of a house of worship in this neighborhood ..
On October 11, 1796, Mr. Robert McCord executed an article of agreement to deed the piece of land on which the "log church " was built, and ground around it sufficient for purposes of burial, to a board of trustees. The trustees named in that agreement were Samuel Cochran, John Richmond, Joseph Green, James Bell, and William Murray.
In 1813, November 6, the executors of the estate of Robert McCord deeded the said land and church prop- erty to the trustees of the English Presbyterian church, viz: James Green, William Cochran, and William Foster.
The names of the persons here mentioned indicate what was actually the fact, that the neighborhood was settled largely by families of Scotch and Scotch-Irish descent. The church was in all probability erected by means of their contributions.
Where did the supplies, requested of Presbytery in 1766, preach, or was there an older church building?
At what time before 1781, and under whose ministry
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the church on the hill was organized, cannot now be ascertained.
The number of communicants of the " hill church " seems to have been large, and the sacraments regularly and frequently administered.
In the course of time many of the Presbyterians sold their farms to Germans, who belonged some to the Lutheran and others to the German Reformed church. In consequence of this, Presbyterian influence lost the ascendancy, and the church which was formerly wholly Presbyterian was at a later day under the care of a Lutheran, at another of a German Reformed, and at another of a Presbyterian pastor. It was in this way that it lost, for a time, its distinctively denominational character, and was sometimes called a Union church.
Under the labors of Rev. George R. Moore, who came to this field in 1848, and ministered to the hill church congregation, a new organization was effected, on the 6th of April, 1850, under the name of the First Pres- byterian church of Dauphin, with a membership of twenty-three. Mr. John Brooks was elected a ruling elder, who remained sole elder until the ordination of Mr. Jefferson Clark, October 21, 1860.
Rev. George R. Moore's ministry continued from 1848 to 1855. The pulpit was supplied from March 1857 to August 1860 by the Rev. John Davis. Rev. A. D. Moore was pastor from 1860 to 1868. Rev. D. C. Meeker from 1869 to 1880. Rev. R. F. McLean from
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1880 to 1884, and the present pastor from November, 1884 to the present time.
Elder John Brooks died November 1, 1866. On April 5, 1868, Dr. William Graydon and William A. Brooks were ordained as elders, of whom the former removed to Philadelphia, in 1883, and the latter died January 30, 1872. On the 13th of May, 1883, Dr. A. T. Poffenberger and Mr. C. W. Shope were elected to the eldership, who together with Mr. Jefferson Clark, now constitute the office bearers of the church.
The old "hill church" was used occasionally after the new one in the town was built. In 1854 it was burned by accident.
The present membership of the church is ninety-six. All the Boards of the church receive annual contribu- tions, and two of them-the Home and the Foreign- very liberal ones.
We claim therefore for the church of Dauphin the relation of a daughter. We bring to the mother our congratulations and to God our thanksgivings for the wonderful things which He hath wrought.
Moderator Rev. STEWART. Unusual honor is heaped upon me to-day. I have had the exceeding great honor of presiding on this occasion. I have now what is to me perhaps a greater honor, of speaking for the Market Square Presbyterian church of Harrisburg, the oldest, probably, of the direct decendants of the Pax- tang church.
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ADDRESS OF REV. GEORGE B. STEWART.
There was a time when we were one, ecclesiastically .. That is, Paxtang and Harris's Ferry ; and Paxtang was the one. And if the rage for laying out the farms in this. beautiful valley into town lots continues, it will not be- long until we are one again. But this time it will be municipally, and the one will be Harrisburg. In fraternal regard, in common purpose and interests,. in holy zeal for the progress of the kingdom and the glory of our King, we are one to-day, as this celebra- tion gives evidence, and at no time for more than a century have we been other than one.
The second pastor of the Paxtang church was, in fact, though not formally, the first pastor of the Har- risburg church, and the third pastor of Paxtang was the first pastor installed over the Harrisburg church. For it was during the incumbency of the able and honored John Elder that the members of the Paxtang church residing at Harrisburg desired, about the year 1786, that they be erected into a congregation of their own. There were many of them, and being artisans without conveyances of their own, they deemed it an unnecessary hardship to be compelled to walk three miles into the country to attend divine service. And they rightly judged that the religious needs of the rapidly growing borough required public worship with-
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in its limits. Their wishes respecting a separate church were not accomplished until after the death of Mr. Elder in 1792, but they were permitted to have public worship in the village whenever Mr. Elder could se- cure the assistance of other Presbyterian ministers, con- tinuing, however, to be a part of the Paxtang congre- gation. That is the way it comes about that the oldest Presbyterian church in Harrisburg is eight years older than she gets credit for being.
Immediately after the death of Mr. Elder steps began to be taken to secure separate organizations for the Harrisburg people, and this was accomplished in the election and ordination of three elders, Adam Boyd, Moses Gilmor, and Samuel Weir. The date of their ordination is not known. It probably took place almost immediately after, if not at the time of their election. It is permissible, therefore, to date the organization of the church from the day of their election. Hence we say we were born on February 16, 1794, the oldest daughter of Paxtang church.
The two venerable churches, Derry and Paxtang, and this, the youngest church in the Presbyterian fold, united in calling to the pastoral office the Rev. Nathaniel R. Snowden, a candidate for the ministry under the care of the Presbytery of Philadelphia. The call being accepted, Mr. Snowden was ordained to the ministry and installed over the three churches on October 2, 1793, several months prior to the formal organization
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of the Harrisburg church. It thus transpired that the third pastor of Paxtang was the first pastor of Harris- burg.
Mr. Snowden after awhile terminated his connection with the Derry church, and later on with the Paxtang church, and gave his whole time to the Harrisburg church, it assuming his entire support.
On June 25, 1805, Mr. Snowden resigned this portion also of his original charge, and the church remained for several years without a pastor. During these years the pulpit was supplied by such eminent men as Rev. Robert Cathcart, D. D., Rev. John Linn, Rev. Joshua Williams, D. D., Rev. David McConaughy, D. D., Rev. James Snodgrass, Rev. William Kerr, and Rev. Wil- liam Moody, D. D.
The Rev. James Buchanan served the people as stat- ed supply from May 17, 1807, until February 13, 1809, when he was installed the second pastor. On account of ill health he resigned his charge on September 20, 1815. During the early part of his pastorate he min- istered to the Middle Paxtang church near the site of the present town of Dauphin.
After being three years without a pastor, the congre- gation called, on October 5, 1818, the Rev. William R. DeWitt, a licentiate of the Presbytery of New York. Soon after this he entered upon the duties of his office, and was duly installed as the third pastor of the church on November 12, 1819. In this office he remained
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until his death on December 23, 1867, a period of nearly fifty years.
It was on July 5, 1854, that the Rev. Thomas H. Robinson, who had just recently been graduated from the Western Theological Seminary, was called as co- pastor to Rev. Dr. DeWitt. Mr. Robinson began his labors on October 1, 1854, and on the 31st of the fol- lowing January was ordained to the ministry and in- stalled as Rev. Dr. DeWitt's colleague. For several years prior to Rev. Dr. De Witt's death, Rev. Dr. Robin- son was the sole acting pastor, and also after that event until he resigned the charge to accept a profess- orship in the seminary from which he had graduated thirty years before.
The present pastor was called from the pastorate of the Calvary Presbyterian church, Auburn, N. Y., on October 6, 1884, and was installed the fifth pastor on the 2d of January, 1885.
It is worthy of note that the first four pastors of the ·church came to it in their youth and were ordained to the ministry at the time they were installed over it.
This First Presbyterian church of Harrisburg was incoporated as the English Presbyterian church, to dis- tinguish it from the Reformed church, which at that time was commonly known as the German Presbyterian church. But in recent years we only see the corporate name in official documents, as the common name is Market Square church.
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Our first house of worship was erected in 1806 on the corner of Second street and Cherry alley, being built, as were many other buildings in those days, from the proceeds of a lottery, sanctioned by law and the best public sentiment.
In 1841 this building was torn down to make place for a more commodious structure, which was destroyed by fire on March 30, 1858. The present edifice, on the southwest corner of the Market Square, was dedicated on March 18, 1860, and in 1882 received a large addi- tion in the rear to accommodate the rapidly growing Sunday-school.
There was a time when we were the only Presbyterian church in Harrisburg, but now we share that privilege and honor with five others of the same faith. At one time there were but a few Presbyterians in the place, but the little one has become a thousand, and there are over sixteen hundred communicants connected with these six churches. The last church to be organ- ized is the nearest of all to this venerable Paxtang church.
During the history of the Market Square church there have been several notable revivals, such as those of 1843 and 1875-6, while at all times the church has preserved a high standard of activity, and enjoyed a large degree of usefulness in the community.
The early records are exasperatingly defective. In fact there are no records prior to the year 1818, and for
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many years after that they are meager. Though no roll of the church exists prior to 1818 yet we have the names of over two thousand persons who have been communicants; about one half of whom have been added to the church during the last two decades. We now number six hundred and sixty members. We sustain a flourishing mission in a beautiful stone chapel. Our Sunday-school and other agencies are complete and prosperous.
Paxtang's oldest daughter salutes her. To this con- secrated spot she gathers with the other children to honor the venerable and vigorous mother of us all. Here where she has worshiped for one hundred and fifty years, we bring the fruit of the field, which a hundred years ago she gave us to cultivate for the Master. May mother and daughters be granted many years of active and honored service, and bring forth much fruit as evidence of faith and faithfulness. [Ap- plause.]
Moderator STEWART. I told you that we had some other descendants. We showed you some of them this morning, and you listened to them with profit. This afternoon we want to introduce you to another direct and very near descendant of a former pastor of this church. The Rev. Dr. Joshua Williams, was, I believe, the fourth installed pastor of the church. I speak from memory, not from documentary evidence. If Dr. Egle were now here, I presume he would correct
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me if I am mistaken. Mr. Joshua Williams, bearing the same name, a grandson of the Rev. Dr. Joshua Williams, and now an elder of a Presbyterian church in the west-the first church of Minneapolis-is with us. If we had St. Paul here, it might make some dif- erence. For we understand that between Minneapolis and St. Paul there is a great gulf fixed, and the mere mentioning of one in the presence of the other might be serious. [Sensation and numerous smiles.]
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