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/212

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COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES

In 1894 Rev. M r. Stupp accepted a call to another congregation, and R ev. G. G. Kunkle was called lo the parish, where he labored for two years. In A pril, 1897, Rev. N. SchefFcr was called, serving faithfu lly fo r seven years. H e was succeeded in August, i 9cm, by Rev. J. A. Schofcr, who worked in this field for three years. N ear the close o f his pastorate (he charge o f five congregations w as divided, and the old ch.apcl and parsonage sold to the Rangers F ire Company. The three c o n g ri^ iio n s o f S t. Jo h n ’s Ber­ wick, S t. Paul's, ^ le m township, Luzerne County, and St. Peter's, Briarcreek town­ ship, Columbia county, formed the new Ber­ wick charge in 190. Soon aftcrward.s the formation o f a Lutheran congregation in N cs­ copcck, across the river from Berw ick, so depleted the membership o f S t. Joh n 's that it w as taken over by the Mis.sion board, and has since continued a mission. In 1907 the three congregations built a arsonagc on E ast Eleventh street, and St. ohn's laid the foundations fo r a new church building at the com er o f Eleventh and Pine streets. On Ju ly 19, 1908, Rev. W. II. Berk was called to the pastorate. F o r ten months serv­ ices were held in the new parsonage, there be­ ing thirty members in gooc standing in attend­ ance during that time. In M ay. 1909, the new church building, which cost $5,500, was dedi­ cated and occupied thereafter. The present church membership is l o i, that of the Su n­ day school, 95.

ground by the Cenwiery .Association, having been partially used fo r interments. Services were held in Berwick intermittently until M arch 3 1 ,1 9 0 2, when St. M ary’s mission was organized, and thereafter regular services were held by Rev. Frederick Wcnham in the Y. M. C. A. building. In the spring o f 1903 the present fram e church w as built at a cost o f ^. 1 0 0, the first services being held A pril 22d. When dedicated the church was given the name o f Christ. .At that time there were 1 1 7 baptized persons and 45 communicants in the church. During 1905, under the rcctorate o f Rev. M. .A. Shipley, J r ., Ihe church was renovated and rc]>aircd. In 1906 the final payments on the building were made and the church w as ad ­ mitted to the convention. T h e parish house was built in 19 14 at a cost o f $2,coo. Rev. C. C. K elsey, a native o f England, took the charge on N ov. i, 19 12, and during his in­ cumbency the debt o f (he church has been materially reduced. T he communicants now number tot and the Sunday school is grow ­ ing rapidly. T he frequent promotion o f heads o f departments of the American Car and Founilry Company, many o f whom arc mem­ bers, and their consequent removal from town, has kept this church from growing as fast as others in Berwick. Besides those named. R evs. J . W. D ik ie s and C. R . Fessenden have served a s rectors o f this parish.

Protestani Episeopai

The fiysi organization of the Prcsbvtcrians o f this town w as made at a meeting held in the Brick Meeting House on N ov. 24, 1827, by Rev. Joseph M. Ogden. T he members o f this first c o n g r ^ tio n a l meeting w ere: W illiam and .Saraii Wilson, Daniel Bowen. Isaac and .AlMgail H art, M ary and Eliza Pollock, Thom as and Eleanor Ixickart, F.manucl Kirkcnd.all, Rachel w ife o f Nathan Beach, Klonah w ife o f Christian Kunkcl, Frances w ife o f H. B. Wilson, A. B. and M ary E. Shuman. T hurm a and Nancy M cM aer, Benjam in F. Rittenhouse, John H. Rittenhouse, Hannah H. R itten­ house. Rachel Perkins, Sarah Sink. Rachel T raugh, Elizabeth Palm er, Sarah Ann Solt. M argarctta T raugh. E liza and Nancy A dam s. Anna, M ary M cN air, John D rake, Harnett Drake, 'I*homas Ediindcr, W illiam Edunder. .Mrs. David W alker, Isaiah Styles, W illiam Reed, Jam es Evans, .Andrew Seely. W illiam Sink, Samuel Pollock and w ife. M atthias H am s. S r., Mrs. Jan e Edw ards, M rs. W illiam

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Although the Episcopalians were in B e r­ wick in sufficient numbers to have had an or­ ganization o f some kind sufficient to own properly in 1804. there is no record o f services here before that date, nor until 1870. On Dec. 26, 1804, E van Owen deeded two lots to the "Society of the Episcopal Church o f Englan'ing ground. Nothing was heard further rraafdm g this donation until 18 73, when Col. John G. Freeze investigated and found that both lots had been appropriated by Je sse Bowman anti the Berwick Cemetery Association. .After a friendly suit M r. Bowman trans­ ferred to the church the lot on the com er o f M arket and J.ickson streets, in return fo r the lot he had taken. T he lot in the cemetery was allowed to remain in its use as a burying

Dertvick Presbyterian Church