Page:Historical and Biographical Annals of Columbia and Montour Counties, Pennsylvania, Containing a Concise History of the Two Counties and a Genealogical and Biographical Record of Representative Families.pdf/173

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COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES

com er o f Second and Iron streets in order to make room fo r another building, the cor­ nerstone o f which was laid in September, 1868. T h e first service in the building was held on Oct. 28, 1870, but it w as not till Ju n e 28, 18 8 1, that the dedication took place. Bishop Howe conducting the services and former rector Rev. T. H. Culicn preaching the sermon. E. R. Drinker, the senior warden, read the certificate of the vestry. The cost of the building was $28,000. The acre o f ground upon which the church and rector)- stood was secured from Joseph Long fo r the sum o f five shillings, by Elislia IJarton, John Trem bly and Edmund Crawford, in 1795, The rectory stands upon the site of the bnck church, and was built in 1883. In 1850 the church rame into possession o f a house on E ast street by the will o f Eliza­ beth Emmitt, and the proceeds o f its sale were applied to the purchase o f a pastoral residence on First street. The present rectory was erected in 1876 during the incumbency of Rev. L . Zahner. In 1886 the parish extended a call to Rev. William C. Levcrett, the rector o f St. Jo h n ’s Church, Carlisle, which w as accepted, and he remained in charge until 1895. During his incumbency thb parish house was begun, and completed in 1 8 ^ . It is a handsome stone structure with an auditorium, and choir and guild rooms on the first floor, and a dining hall and kitchen in the basement. It stands on the church grounds and is connected with the church by a stone corridor. The furni­ ture for the auditorium was presented by M rs. Hester Barton. In 1891 the uncompleted tower of the church w as finishc<l by Col. J. G. Freeze, and a peal o f bcils was placed therein by f'aul £. W irt. Hsi|., lK)th as memorials to deceased members of their families, and Mr. and Mrs. John A . Funslon presented new stained glass windows for the clianccl. A concrete pave­ ment w as laid about the church properties, the interior of the church was newly decorated, largely through the cffort.s of the late George S . Koh))ins, and a vested choir org.anizcd m 1892. by George E . ElwelK With all these improvements, the parish was ready for the centennial which w as held on M ay 29. 30 and 3 1 . 1893. On these dales sessions of the archilcaconry o f Williamsport were held in St. P.aurs and Right Rev. N. S. Rtiltson. assistant bishop of the Dloccsc, .and twenty-three clergymen were present, includ­ ing two former rectors. Services were held in the church on each evening, and on Tuesday

and Wednesday mornings, with addresses at different limes by the Bishop, Rev. T. H. C ul­ len, K ev. H. L. Jones, D. D ., Archdeacon G roff, Rev. W. C. l.,evcreit, and others. A luncheon was served in the parish house on W ednesday to tlj; visitors. The close of the first century o f St. Pau l's Church w as marked by a season o f delightful exercises. Owing to physical infirmities. Rev. W. C. le v cre tt re sid e d on .-pril 15, 1895, and was succeeded iJy Rev. D. N. K irkby, who took charge on Ju n e 9th of the same year. In 1898 a new pipe organ w as purchased, costing over $3,000, m place of the smaller organ purchased in 1S74, the Latter being the hrst one brought to this county. M r. K irkby re­ signed in 1904. and was followed by Rev. K. S. Nichols, who served as rector for two years. Kev. J. W. Diggles was then called, and remainei2, the vestry extended a call to Rev. F. O. M usser. curate o f St. Stephen's Church, W ilkes-Barre, which w as accepted, and M r. Musser entered u]K>n hts duties as rector o f St. Paul's on Nov. 1, 19 12. In M ay, 19 13 . the annual convention of the diocese o f H arrisburg was held in this church. T he following is a list o f clerg)-men who have officiated here: Rev. Caleb Hopkins. 171)4-18 18; Rev. Mr. Snowden, 18 2 3 : Rev. William Eldrcd, 1823-24; Rev. Jam es Depuis, 18 28 -32; Kev. Benjamin Hutchins. 18 32 -33; Rev. G. C. Drake. 18 33-4 2; Rev. William IL Bourne. 1842-44; Rev. Samuel T. I.o n l, 1845-46: Rev. A. A. Marplc. 1846-48; Rev. Joci Ruddcrow, 1848-53; Rev. Henry TulUdgc, Rev. A. M. W cilly. 1859-60; Rev. J. A. Russell. 1860-62; Rev. T. H. Cullen. 18637 0 : Rev. John Ilcw itt, 1870-77: Rev. Louis Zahner. 1877-86; Rev. W. C. Ix v crctt, 1886. 9 5 : Rev. D. N. K irkby. i8«>5-i<j04: Rev. R. S. Nichols. 1904-06; Rev. I. W. DijKles. 19 0 6 -12; Rev. F. O. Musser. 19 12 to the present. In i«)o6 George E . Elw ell resigneil the posi­ tion o f choirmaster, after an almost contin­ uous scn-ice o f thirty-five years, about twenty years o f which he w as organist, l i e w as in­ strumental in raising the money fo r the pur­ chase o f both pipe organs, and was a vestry­ man for thirty-three vears. In 1907 the vestibule at the clnirch entrance w as tiled, wainscoleil and decorated by the members o f St. M argaret's Guild, and in 1909 the aisles were tiled by the same organization, and the chancel was sim ilarly improved hy M rs. George S . Robhins as a memorial to her husbantl. The beautiful brass lectern in the church w as the g ift of the children o f M rs.

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