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/401

 COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES the church was improved and a strong advance m ade along all lines of work. Rev. Z. Hom bergcr, during his pastorate* w a s editor and publisher of the “ Temperance S t a r / ’ which for a time w as a strong factor in the temperance work in Montour county. Som e of the early elders o f this church were Jo sep h Ilum m er. Charles Siegfried, David E v a n s and Christian Ernst. T he present trus­ tees arc J. R. Long, T, R. Evans, J. C. Dimm ick, C. A. Ranck. E. L. Ranck, John Krum. Immonuel B c p iis i Church Immanuel Bapti.st Church w as organized in 18 9 2 by Kev. A. B. Still from members of the F irst Baptist G iurch. T his congregation at first used (he building of the W elsh Baptists on Spruce street, but in 1893 purchased the proiK rty at the corner of Oiurch and Walnut streets. In that year they built a brick church, the architect being John H . Brugler, and the cost of the structure w as $3,50 0; some $1,50 0 w as paid for the lots. T his church was d ^ icatcd Aug. 19, 1894. Rev, J . W . C raw ford be­ ing the first pastor. From that time— 1894— until 1906 the congregation was without a pastor. A fte r 190O no regular serrices were held in this church. A l one lime the congregation numbered sixty-tw*d. but the membership decreased until in A pril, 1908, the sur*ivors dissolved the cong r^ a tio n and sold the property for sufficient to cancel all indebtedness and leave some re­ mainder. which w as devoted to charitable pur­ poses. The last trustees were G coigc H un­ lock. Thomas M ills, William Jam es and W al­ ter K cllcr. iV eh h Congregational Church Several churches o f this nationality, under different denominatioiial control, have existed in the past in Danville. T he first and pritid]>al one was the Welsh Congregational Church built in 1844 on Chambers street, the pastor of which for many years was Rev. J. B. Cook. A fter Mr. Cook’s death worship in this church w as abandoned and subsequently the building was turned into a dwelling house. T he Welsh Calvinistic Church w as erected in 1845 on Little Ash street. This congrega­ tion dishaiidcd many years ago. and the cinirch subsequently burned. lEeUh Baptist Church The Welsh Baptist Church was built in 1870 on Spnicc street. The first pastor was Rev.

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John S. Jones. The congregation was small and finally diskinded. 'Fhe church is stil! standing, and for a num­ ber o f years w*as used each Sabbath by the Danville Bible Class. A frica n Methodist Episcopal Church T he first house o f worship of the colored folks o f Danville was iocatco on Y o rk s’ TIill. A t present they occupy the brick church on AValnut street built hy (he Immanuel Baptist congregation. The congregation is quite small. B^nai Zion Synagogue The Jew ish ]Koplc o f Danville built a frame schoolhousc in 1853 and in November, 1854, obtained a charter for thcir congregation, un­ der the name o f B ’nai Zion. The charter memliers w ere: .A. Levi, Jacob Loch. Lew is Lang. Moyer Lyon, Jacob Weil, Solomon Maicr, Jacob Mnicr, Jacob Levi, Sandel Drcifu5s, Feis Blum. Simon Ellcnhogen. TTic congregation worshipped in the school­ housc until the new synagogue w as built in 18 7 1. T his new building w as dedicated with appropriate ceremonies. Rabbi Jastrow, of Philadelphia, conducting the dedicatory serv­ ices. T he procession w as formed at the house of the president of the congregation, and pro­ ceeded in order, bearing the appropriate sym­ bols of the Jew ish religion, according to the instructions given lo the children o f Israel. At the portico of the synagogue M iss Bertha Eger presented the keys to the president with a neai and pertinent address, to which the president made an apt rep ly; when he unlocked the door Che |>rocession. follower] by the crowd, cntcre<] the audience chamber and witnessed the ceremonies of the dedication. Rabbi Ja s trow prcache^l an eloquent sennon, highly appropriate to the occasion. Rev. M r. Nushaum, the teacher in charge, closed with a brief address and ended the interesting cerentonies of the dav. The first rabbi or teacher in charge of the congregation was Rev. M r. Friendlich. The next was Rev. Fmanuel Obenhcim. H e was a man o f extensive learning, not only in the German and Hebrew, but also in English. He was a good speaker and a writer o f ability, and frequently contributed to the current lit­ erature of the day. He w as followed by Rev. Mr. Ilomm cr. Rev. M r. Hcilbrcnner was the next and he w as succeeded by Rev. M r. Bran-