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/174

 COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES M ary Drinker as a memorial lo her, and a very handsonie brass pulpit w as presented by Robert C N eal, J r ., o f H arrisburg, as a memorial to his grandmother, M rs. M artha H. C lark. T he present vestrymen are Paul E. W irt, A. W. Duy, G. B. Boggs, Uriah Thornton, Jo h n M orris, J. L. Woods, Jam es M ills. W. C. Fortune, C. S. Kanck, A. E. Rogers. Col. J. G. Freeze was a vestryman from 1886 to the tim e o f his death, which occurred on Ju ly 8. 19 13. ■ Lutherans l>uring the first fifty years of their history here the Lutherans, organized under the name o f S t. Paul's congr^atioU) worshipped in a sm all building at the com er of F irst and Center streets, built in 1808 in partnership with the Reform ed congregation. It was almost square, with galleries on three sides and a wineglass-shaped pulpit on the fourth side. It w as o f I t ^ and held about five hundred persons. T his building was rcmoved in 18 6 1, hut the two congregations still own the lot and the burial ground adjoining. T lic old graveyard is now a serious obstruction to the improvement o f that part o f town, being overgrown with weeds and poison ivy. The joint ownership has prevented a division and sale of the property. T his plot originally w as bought from Ludw ig Eyer for eight dollars. Rev. Frederick Plitt w.as the first r < ^ la r pastor for the Lutherans, but as early as 1800 K ev. Mr. Frederiize held services in the Kpiscopal church. The constitution of the church, adopted in 1808, was signed hy M r. Plitt and Jo h n Diclterick and Bernard Lilly, elders and trustees, and Bernard Stctlcr, deacon. T he e arly records were in German, as were also thc services until 1835. T hereafter both English and German were used alternately until 1 8 5 1, when the tongue of the Fatherland w as atandoncd. T he church w as incorporated in 18 5 6 as St. Matthew’s. Since Rev. Mr. Plitt the successive pastors have been; Rev. J. Frederick Engel, 10 0 9 -16; R e v. Peter K essler. 18 17 -2 9; Rev. Jerem iah 5 khin«lcl. 1830 -37: Rev. William J. E y e r. 18374; : Rev. Monroe J. Allen. 1R45-47: Rev. W illiam I- Ever, 18 4 7 -3 1: Rev. Philip W eaver, tR 3 t-5 3 : Rev. E. A. Sharretts. 18 33-5 8 : Rev. J. R. Dimm. 1859-67; Rev. B. F. Allcmaii. i 86 e. 7 2 : Rev. J. R. W iliam s. 18 7 2 -7 3: R c ''. J. M rCron. 18 73-78 : Rev. O. D. S. M arclay, 18 7 8 - 8 11 R ev. F. P. Manhart. 18 8 1-8 9 : Rev. P. Hcilnuin, 1890-96; R ev. M. E. M cLinn.

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1896*1903; Rev. J. E. Byers, 1903 to the prcsent date. T he church building on M arket street now occupied by the Lutherans was erected in >857, and in the following year w as the meeting jilacc of the E ast Pennsylvania synod. Since that time the building has been remodeled and additions built from time to time to meet the needs of the congregation, but it is still too small for their comfort. A larger and more imposing structure is in prospect and funds arc being collected fo r the work. Several Uiousand dollars were expended during Mr. Manhart's pastorate upon chancel and pulpit furniture, repairs to property, and a pipe organ costing $900. A new parsonage w as completed in 18 9 1, and first occupied by Mr. Heilman, and the same year the lower room of the church was improved. A few years ago, during M r. Byers’ pastoratc. a fine new pipe organ was purchased, Mr. Andrew C an u ^ie contributing and the congregation (he balance, and the church w as newly papered and carpeted. In November, 1907, this church observed the fiftieth anniversary of the dedication o f its present church building, and the hundredth anniversary of the building of the first Lutheran church in Bloomsburg, hy a celebration lasting from the 17th to the 24th. and including varied and very interesting exercises, participated in by a number o f former pastors and others, The oiganizations of the church a re : .- large Sunday school. Young People’s Society, I^adies’ A id S « ic t y, Women s M issionary Society, and Men’s Brotherhood. A fund has been started fo r the erection o f a new church. T he present members of the church council a re : Rev. J . K. Byers, pastor and president; F . H . Jenkins, lay president: W. A . W atters, secrctar)*: W. H. Hidlay. treasurer. Elders. J. L. Wolverton, C. II. Allwrt. J. 11. Birch. F. Domboy, Daniel Creveling. Deacons, C. D. Bankcs, W. A. W atters, Edwartl Roth, O audc Maust. K eform ed Church Among the German settlers in Bloomsburg this denomination has been well represented. The first pastor to preach to them w as Rev. John W. Ingold, the first scr'ices being held In the Eoiscooal church. Being denied the use o f this building in 1806 the congregation made use o f a schoolhousc on Fishing crcck until the buildine of the co-operative church on the corner o f First and Center streets, in 1808. Rev. John Dictterich Adam s succceilcd to