USA > Pennsylvania > Montgomery County > New Hanover > The Lutheran Church in New Hanover, (Falckner swamp) Montgomery County, Penna. Part XXII. of a narrative and critical prepared at the request of the Pennsylvania-German society > Part 2
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1 Halle Reports, Revised Edition.
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Oley settlements were commenced and steps taken looking towards the organization of a congregation even before 1700. And yet all these people either came from or through New Hanover.
The statement made in a note, p. 441,1 that Justus Falck- ner, ordained November 24, 1703, organized the congre- gation and that the place was named after him, is evidently a mistake, as he took up his residence in New York im- mediately after his ordination and never returned.2
The "Life and Times of Muhlenberg" throws very little additional light on the subject. In fact the only statement bearing on the early history of this congregation is a reference to Rev. Andreas Rudman, claiming that this man served the Swedish Lutherans in Philadelphia, 1697, and again after his return from New York until 1718. But the " Journal of Andreas Sandel," published in the Pennsylvania Magazine, shows that he, Sandel, was the He records but one pastor there from 1702 until 1714.
trip to New Hanover in the year 1704. Although he does not say so in so many words, he apparently found an or- ganized congregation there. Several of his statements,
1 " Halle Reports," Rev. Ed. Vol. I., p. 36, says in speaking of the first settlements in this section: "It is very highly probable before the year 1700" that these began. And then again apparently speaking of Daniel Falckner, it asserts: " The congregation, indeed, had the indelible marks of an organization in Falckner's time." All this would indicate that the editor of that work was under the impression that Daniel Falckner preached and officiated as pastor of a congregation here before the year 1700. We can hardly see how anyone who has thoroughly investigated the matter can reach any other conclusion. (E.)
2 For the true history of the Falckner Brothers and the conditions of this section of Pennsylvania the reader is referred to the Bi-Centennial Memorial to Justus Falckner by Sachse, 1903, which contains Justus Falckner's account of the Province in 1701; also to Daniel Falckner's Curieuse Nachricht von Pennsylvania 1700. Reprint and translation by Julius F. Sachse, Philadelphia, 1905.
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although not referring to this matter, are so interesting that we give them here. He tells us that in the middle of January, 1714, the weather was so mild that the plants were blossoming; also that the rye had already headed on the sixteenth of April. His quotation of the prices of produce is also interesting, as a contrast with those of the present day and other times. Wheat was 56 cents per bushel, rye 42, barley 46, oats 34 and apples were from 80 cents to $1.50 per barrel.
In a footnote, p. 8, of " The Old Trappe Church " by Dr. Kretschman, we find the following:
The first German Lutheran Church in the United States was built at New Hanover (The Swamp) prior to 1719. Another log church was built there in 1721. A third begun in 1741 and completed in 1747, was superseded in 1768 by the present fine stone church.
While this gives no definite date for the first church it would apparently justify the conclusion that it was erected at the very beginning of the eighteenth century if not dur- ing the last days of the seventeenth.1
Dr. Sachse, " German Pietists," p. 339, says :
The earliest direct evidence of this congregation's [existence] known to the writer, is a Swedish account of a visit made to Manatawny by Pastor Sandel in company with Daniel Falckner
1 Rev. Gerhard Henckel certainly became the pastor in 1716 or 1717. Now the existence of a church building is distinctly referred to in 1719. That certainly is not the one erected in 1721. There must, therefore, have been a church at New Hanover before this one. It would be altogether unusual that even a log church should last only two to four years. Be- side all this, the average life of the church buildings here was twenty years or even more. From 1747 to 1767, from 1721 to 174r, only com- pleted 1747. This would give 1700 or 1701 or even possibly 1695 for the organization of the congregation and the erection of the first church.
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in the autumn of 1704, wherein it is stated that the former as- sisted Falckner at the church services on Sunday, October 15. One of the first things he did in the new settlement was to organ- ize a congregation, build a church and hold services according to the Lutheran ritual. " The Manatawny tract, title to the Frank- fort Company passed October 25, 1701, is supposed to have been settled by Germans, as early as 1700, emigrants who came over with Daniel Falckner upon his return."
But perhaps the most satisfactory statement bearing on this entire subject is that given by Dr. Theo. E. Schmauk in his " History of the Lutheran Church in Pennsylvania," as found in the PROCEEDINGS OF THE PENNSYLVANIA- GERMAN SOCIETY, Vol. XI., especially Chap. IV., to which the reader is referred. The brief space allotted to the history of an individual congregation will not permit any very extensive quotations. But summing up all the state- ments of Dr. Schmauk, as well as the data within possible reach, we feel satisfied that it would be safely within the limits of the facts of the case and the absolute truth to say that there was some sort of organization of a Lutheran congregation, and that Lutheran services were held at New Hanover prior to the year 1700.
The old tradition that Rev. Justus Falckner, who was ordained by the Swedes in the fall of 1703 (November 24) to enable him to accept a call to New York, was the founder of this congregation is shown to be a mistake by the fact that in less than two weeks after that ordination, he settled in New York, took charge of a congregation there, and continued to serve the same until his death. And yet the whole claim that this congregation was or- ganized in 1703 seems to rest on that tradition.1 We
1 The fact that Justus Falckner may possibly have preached as a theological student at New Hanover, prior to his ordination, does not
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were always told that Falckner Swamp was so named, " because he was its first pastor and the organizer of the congregation." We know now that neither is the case. He left the place as soon as he was ordained, and there- fore could be neither the organizer nor the first pastor. But his brother Daniel Falckner, who was an ordained minister when he arrived in 1694, or upon his return, 1699, did organize the first settlers into a congregation and continued to serve it until he left this section and settled in New Jersey as pastor of congregations there. There seems to be but little doubt that Daniel Falckner held services here pretty regularly before his trip to Eu- rope to interest the people of the Fatherland in their brethren in the faith in this country. While his trip un- doubtedly, in a great measure, was intended to advance the material interests of the Frankfort Land Company, by inducing immigrants to come to this country, so that the company might dispose of its land, it seems equally clear that a secondary and very important purpose was to in- duce some of those of his own faith to occupy the land, so that those who were already here might have desirable Christian neighbors.2
There is another very important fact which should likewise be kept clearly in view. Dr. Schmauk (p. 64) tells us: " It must not be overlooked, that a considerable portion of the original Swedish colony of 1638, was in reality German." Their governor, Printz, was a German, and no less than fifty-four German families came with him.
alter the fact that his ordination has no connection whatever with the organization of the congregation. Whether organized by him or his older brother Daniel in 1695 or 1700 or 1703, that had nothing to do with his ordination on which the old accepted story rests.
2 Cf. Curieuse Nachricht von Pennsylvania 1700, translation and re- print, Sachse, 1905.
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The Halle Reports also tell us that a number of Germans had gone as far inland as Oley sometime before 1700. Apparently scattered German Lutheran settlers could be found in all the section westward from Philadelphia to the Schuylkill. Some of these settlements seem to have been quite large, sufficiently so to become the nuclei of con- gregations,1 as was evidently the case here, and seems to have been in Oley.
Dr. Sachse even seems to be of the opinion (vide p. 79) (and there seems to be abundant reason for that opinion), that a lately discovered letter of Pastorius, dated March 7, 1684, was published directly " in the interest of the Frank- fort Land Company for the purpose of influencing Ger- man emigration (directing it) to Pennsylvania." He tells us that, " the first German Lutheran services in the Prov- ince [Pennsylvania ] were held in June, 1694, by a band of forty immigrants, six of whom are said to have been Lutheran theological students." "The chaplain of the company continued these services regularly." English ser- vices were commenced at the same time. "These Ger- man enthusiasts who were mystics, chiliasts and who knows what not, were adherents of the Augsburg Confession."
These services were conducted by Rev. Heinrich Bern- hard Koester, who was evidently the first man to hold German and English Lutheran services in Pennsylvania. Undoubtedly he was the most prominent Lutheran char- acter in the Province, in his day. Next in rank and posi- tion was Daniel Falckner. He ventured on a trip to Germany towards the close of 1698, and succeeded in awakening a deeper interest in the spiritual condition of the Germans in Pennsylvania. His visit undoubtedly stimulated immigration into this country.
1 Vide, A Brief History of the Colony of New Sweden, translation in Proceedings of Pennsylvania-German Society, Vol. VIII.
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Upon his return he became the attorney of the Frank- fort Land Company. He now devoted himself to the development of " The Manatawny tract of 22,377 acres, and founded the earliest Lutheran congregation in the state at New Hanover." In speaking of this matter Dr. Schmauk divides the life of Daniel Falckner into two parts or periods: The first as the attorney and head of the Frankfort Land Company; the second " when he de- voted himself entirely to the pastorate first at Falckner Swamp, and then when he served congregations at Rar- itan, New Jersey."
It therefore seems clear that the statements made and accepted by nearly all of these writers, especially Drs. Schmauk and Sachse, would not only justify the inference, but they would prove that some of the Germans, not a few but quite a number, kept moving beyond the limits of Ger- mantown, to Goshenhoppen including New Hanover, and even to Oley beyond, between 1694 and 1700. This seems not only the natural, but the inevitable conclusion, if the settlers here pursued the same course they did elsewhere. In many instances, and if we mistake not, in the large majority of instances, the settlement of a tract preceded the actual transfer of title. This was not con- fined to tracts selected for church and school purposes, but it was also a very common thing in taking up farm lands as well.
While not disputing or calling into question the state- ment of Dr. Schmauk that, " on the return trip to Penn- sylvania in 1700 Daniel Falckner is supposed to have brought over the Germans who located in the Swamp, and constituted the first permanent Lutheran congregation, in general, we are inclined to think that it falls short of the actual facts of the case. We are strongly inclined to
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believe that some of the German Lutherans who had come over, a few at a time from 1694 to 1700, and even some of those who had come fifty years before with the Swedes, had gradually advanced inland, a few stopping in the vi- cinity of New Hanover now and then, until a goodly num- ber had gathered there, and that during these latter years Daniel Falckner, known to them as an ordained minister, preached to them and occasionally administered the Lord's Supper. Whether he took further formal steps to gather them into an organized congregation during this earlier period, it is impossible to say. We do know, however, that the process of bringing together a congregation was not as formal and methodical in those days as it is expected to be now. In many of those early congregations we find references to elders and deacons in office, without a single reference to the time of their election, or the slightest reference to a constitution, or the adoption of the same.
Dr. Schmauk also informs us that, " it is quite possible that some Germans had settled here before 1700." He also refers to indelible traces of an organization in Daniel Falckner's time ; and adds : " when a church was built is not known." Possibly, if we will bear in mind the fact that William Penn sold 25,000 acres of land to the Frankfort Land Company in November, 1686; that on February 3, 1689, he confirmed to Francis Daniel Pastorius, as their attorney 2,675 acres, and that the warrant for the remain- ing 22,377 acres was issued October 13, 1701, it will readily appear that it is no improper assumption of facts, when we say that it is likely that many settlers occupied portions of the land years before the warrant was issued.
This tract embraces all of New Hanover Township and parts of those adjoining. We think these statements of Dr. Schmauk and others should convince every one, not
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only that this is the oldest German Lutheran church and congregation in America, but it should serve to satisfy all of the probability that services were held, and steps were taken to secure the organization of a congregation and the erection of a church between 1694 and 1700, if not even before that time. It certainly would be pertinent to ask, what became of the Germans who came with the Swedes possibly fifty years before? Where did they settle? Certainly they did not all remain on the banks of the Delaware. Summing up the whole matter, therefore, we think there would be clear warrant for the statement that services were held with more or less regularity from about 1694 to 1700, by which time a congregation had been gathered. That this congregation then erected a small church which was completed by 1703, possibly sev- eral years before that time. This primitive church then remained in use until 1721, when it was replaced by a more commodious one. Then in 1747 a third building took the place of this one. This again served the con- gregation's purposes until the present substantial stone structure, which has answered its purpose one hundred and forty years, took its place.
About the time and circumstances connected with the erection of the different school houses it will not be neces- sary to say much. But these people seem to have pur- sued the course usual with our German ancestors. As soon as they were assured of having a church, they also took steps to provide a school house and to establish a school, and it is not an unjustifiable inference to conclude that this was the course they pursued.
It will not be possible to give a description of the earliest church buildings. In fact very little is known concerning the details connected with their erection. Enough is known,
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however, to make it almost absolutely certain that the con- gregation before 1717 owned a log building which had in all probability been erected, some time between 1695 and 1703, on land the congregation had preempted at a very early day. But its title to the land was only clearly estab- lished many years later. A copy of the deed will be given at the proper place.
It will not be possible and it should not be regarded necessary to describe the precise spot on which each of these churches and school houses stood. But it may safely be said that, in all probability, they stood on, or very near, the spot on which the present church, and the build- ing immediately opposite, now stand.1 No clear or satis- factory account of the erection of the first church or school house can be given. No records are available. All is left to inferences drawn from other known facts. Very little is known about the details of the history except the well-known fact that a second church took the place of first one in 1721.
Concerning the third edifice it is known that work on it was begun in 174I. Muhlenberg states that he found an unfinished church here when he came. It was completed and dedicated in 1747. This being prior to the organiza- tion of the synod, we cannot expect information in the records of that body. The fourth church, which still stands, was commenced in 1767. It was finished and dedi- cated in 1768. This was considered of sufficient impor- tance to have the synod to meet at New Hanover and to
1 According to the statement made by Rev. H. M. Mühlenberg in con- nection with the dedication of the present church, it would almost seem as if the school-house had been located at, or close by, the public road leading eastward through the village. He locates it about two stone throws from the parsonage. Was it at Brendlinger's corner ?
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take part in the festivities as an organization (vide p. 87 et seq. of " Documentary History ").
While it will not be necessary to repeat all the details as they are there given, the citing of a few principal items may furnish an insight into the customs, habits and spirit of the times, such as we may not readily find elsewhere.
From the letter of invitation to synod, we quote the fol- lowing :
Honorable President and Members of the Ministerium Reveren-
dum of the United Evangelical Lutheran Congregations in Pennsylvania, etc .:
The building of a new church, begun by the congregation at New Hanover, in the name and in reliance upon the assistance of Him who can do more than we ask and understand, has, through the strength of the Omnipotent, been accomplished with such de- sired progress that we will soon see its completion. Halle- lujah. ...
For the accomplishing of so exceedingly important a purpose, we extend our most obedient request to the Reverend Ministerium, to consecrate our newly built church to the service of Immanuel by prayer, intercession and thanksgiving, and to bring into it, by the proclamation of the saving doctrine of Jesus Christ, glowing coal to enkindle a fire that may burn with fervor and blessed de- votion, in our hearts, as well as in the hearts of our posterity." The writer then suggests the XXIII Sunday after Trinity, No- vember 6, as the proper time.
With readiness and the offering of all possible love, we, who sign this, remain, Honorable Praeses and Members of the Rev- erend Ministerium. Your most obedient,
LEWIS VOIGT.
New Hanover, Sept. 10, 1768.
Also signed by-Michael Weygel, Adam Wartman, George Burkhart, George Beck, Adam Kurtz, Ludwig Bickel, Moses Binder, Valentin Stigler, Casimer Misemer, Jacob Eppele, Mi-
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chael Schlanecker jun., George Schweinhard, Jacob Kop, Conrad Gilbert, Johannes Schweinhard.
Two days later Rev. Voigt sent an additional personal request to Senior Mühlenberg.
Near ten o'clock a. m., November 6, a large number of people from near and from far had gathered about the new church. It was a very fine day. The ministers, Revs. H. M. Mühlenberg, J. N. Kurtz, Joh. Casp. Stoever, J. W. Kurtz, H. Schaum, Krug, Voigt, Jung, Buskerk and Messrs. Kuhn and Streit, students with the delegates from Philadelphia, Germantown, Lancaster, Reading, Tulpehocken, Richmond, Weidenthal, Earltown, Warwick, Macunschy, Upper Milford, Saccum, Jordan, Heidelberg, Pikestown, etc., “ went in procession from the parsonage to the school house, a distance of about two stone throws." Here the procession, preceded by one of the builders and the schoolmaster with the key, followed by four deacons with the sacred vessels, re-formed. The preachers, the elders of the Hanover and Providence con- gregations and the delegates of the congregations above named went from the school house to the church. Arrived there the preachers stepped within the altar railing and the delegates stood in a semi-circle outside. Rev. Mühlen- berg opened the service with the One-hundredth psalm. The choir sang "Komm heiliger Geist, Herre Gott," etc. Then each of the eleven ordained ministers gave a motto -for the house itself, for the ministerial office, for holy baptism, for the Lord's Supper, Kinderlehre, etc. Then the pastor (Voigt) read the declaration. The congrega- tion then sang "Sey Lob und Ehr dem Hoechsten Gut." Rev. Krug baptized children and Senior Mühlenberg preached the dedicatory sermon on I Kings ix, 3. Services
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were finished at one o'clock.1 At two p. m., there was an- other service at which Rev. Kurtz, Sr., preached. The collection taken at the doors amounted to nearly £60, about $160. On Monday the synod proceeded to the transac- tion of business.
It is also evident that some time before this event oc- curred the congregation had already erected its second school house. In the Halle Reports, p. 79, old ed., p. 152, Vol. I., new ed., it is stated: " In New Hanover the pres- ent but not yet completed church building has now been entirely finished and some farming land purchased for the church and school." It will be noticed that this state- ment does not refer to the original Sprogel tract on which the church was erected, but to the tract bought for them through Mühlenberg on which the parsonage was located. All this was done by means of the congregation's share of the benevolent contributions received from England and Germany, together with the amounts which they them- selves contributed of their own means. This shows that by 1749 this congregation had already secured its second school house.
The statements already made show that these people, although comparatively poor, and not able to pay much in the way of salary toward the support of their pastor, yet managed to secure an additional tract for his resi- dence. It is probably owing to this fact that although Trappe and New Hanover are not very far apart, they soon had a pastor resident at each point.
This latter tract, the parsonage tract, remained in their possession until about thirty years ago, when the farm was
1 The two students, Streit and Keuhn, also delivered English addresses.
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sold. This occurred when the younger congregation at Boyertown, already stronger than the parent, and now almost twice its size, felt the need of a pastor residing at that point. It is not made quite clear why the parent con- gregation did not retain this property, as the other congre- gation had no claim upon it.
But it may be best to insert here the deeds of the two properties, to illustrate the modes then pursued to secure title to properties. First we give the entire transcript of the original document furnished by courtesy of the Hon. Henry Houck, Secretary of Internal Affairs. The orig- inal is now accessible. It will correct some mistaken state- ments which appear elsewhere. (That of the parsonage tract will simply be given in abstract.)
VALENTINE GEYGER, JOHN GEORGE and others their oaths concerning the land belonging to the LUTHERAN CON- GREGATION OF HAN- OVER TOWNSHIP.
KNOW ALL MEN by these presents That WHEREAS in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and nineteen The Christian People of the LUTHER- IAN PERSUASION inhabiting the Town- ship of NEW HANOVER and other places thereunto adjacent lying in the County of Philadelphia HAVING as-
sociated themselves into an Ecclesiastical Community determined to purchase a piece of land whereon they might erect a Place of Worship and a Grave Yard for burying their dead and it hap- pening that JOHN HENRY SPROGEL one of their Community and Persuasion being at that time possessed of a large quantity of land in these parts did willingly make a free gift and donation of fifty acres of his land appropriating the same for the use and behoof of the said LUTHERAN COMMUNITY forever request- ing the said Community to build a church, a School House, a Grave Yard and what other suitable conveniences they thought proper thereon-And the said JOHN HENRY SPROGEL ordered
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN SOCIETY.
---
MACHEN
ANCIENT COMMUNION SERVICE.
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Henry Pennebaker forthwith to lay out and survey fifty acres of his land for the use and intention above mentioned wherewith the said Henry Pennebaker (did) comply and made Return with a Draught of a Survey dated seventeen (th) of April in the year 1719. Locating and bounding the same as follows: BEGIN- NING at a post by a corner of George Neits land thence extending by the same north east two hundred and seven perches to a small hickorie thence by the line of Caspar Camp north west thirty eight perches to a post thence by the land of Jacob Eppler south west two hundred & seven perches to a post thence by the line of Jacob Oyster south east thirty eight perches to the Place of BE- GINNING-CONTAINING forty nine acres of land as in and by the Return & survey above mentioned .- Reference to them being had may more at large appear And so soon as the said community ob- tained this survey in their favour they instantly made a contribu- tion among themselves wherewith they built a church, a school house and other necessary conveniences with a Grave Yard on the said above described Piece of Land and had the same compleatly finished about the Beginning of the year one thousand seven hun- dred & twenty one at which place the said Community have ever since attended Divine Service, educated their children and buried their dead-And also in or about the year one thousand seven hundred & forty one the said Lutheran Congregation becoming more numerous & too large for their House of Worship they made new contributions and built a larger Church and School House with other conveniences far preferrable to the former and have had a quiet, peaceable and uninterrupted possession of the said spott of land these twenty seven years past, yet it so fell out that the Community aforesaid neglected to get a formal Conveyance or Deed in writing from said JOHN HENRY SPROGEL for the said Piece of Land which to the perfect knowledge of us the persons hereunto subscribing the said JOHN HENRY SPROGEL now de- ceased was always willing and ready to do had the Community aforesaid prepared a Conveyance ready for him to execute-These are therefore certifying that we Valentine K. Geyger, John
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