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/442

 COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES a new church, and his activity in this nutter, together with the efforts o f his c o n g n ^ tio n , brought about a culmination of their endeavors several y e ars later. W hile standing in front o f a n ew church w h k h he had been asked to dedicate at W ashingtonville. even as (he con­ gregation w as assembling to hear his address, this p op u lar clergynun dropped dead. T his occurred in 18 53, and Rev. John Thom as suc­ ceeded to the pastorate, followed by K ev. John Johnson and Rev. G. A . M arr, who r e s id ^ in Northum berland county. In the years since the services here have been few and fa r between. .Numbered among the early parishioners of the old D e rty Church were Jam es Biggins, Col. R obert u a r k (the eminent and courage­ ous Revolution ary w ar veteran ), W illiam M c­ C orm ick, Jam es Barber, Thom as Barber, .Andrew Sheep. Samuel Brittain, Joseph H en­ derson, Jam es Low ric, Jose[>h ilcndcrshott, G crsham Biddle. Jam es Pollock. Thom as M orehead, Jo h n C arr, Jo h n A llen, Jam es C . Sproul, Thom as A<lam, Jam es M cV 'kkar, John Kussell. Jo h n C raig, W illiam Pegg, Sam uel Hutchinson. Charles M cK ee, Jam es Sim ington, Robert Shearer. Thom as Foster, Thom as Robinson. Jo h n Blee. and M r. MeH ord. T hey worshipeaircd the building. R ev. W illiam Gemmii, a retired pastor o f .Millville, preaches here in the summer every two weeks. Three men, M. C. Sheep, V. C. Shultz and W. B. Shultz, constitute the trustees, ciders and entire male membership of the church. .An endowment pays fo r the upkeep of the cemetery, while the church is in the care of the three men and thcir women folks. T lic choir loft has l>eci) boarded up. and the remainder of the church is as primitive a s at the date o f its con­ st niction. The first regular services o f St. Jam e s' E p is­ copal Church, located at Exchange, were held in the middle forties. T liey were conducted by Rev. Milton Lightner. who had previously preached at the grave o f Stephen Ellis, one of the original settlers, and the first o f (hat

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name to move to the vicinity. Ju st before be passed aw ay, Stephen EUis had signified his intention o f bequeathing $ao o towards the construction o f a church, "should there ever be a disposition to erect such a building.” Actual building o f an edifice o f worship was started in 1848, on land purchased fo r that puiqxise. Bishop Alonzo 'otter laid the cornerstone, and (he duty 0 officiating at the dedication of the structure fell to him later in the same year. Rev. Milton Lightner and others took part io (he ceremonies in connec­ tion with that event. O ther contributors to the building fund were WiUiam E llis, Stephen E llis (son o f Stephen EUis, deceased), Catha­ rine EUis, Jan e, W illiam, Isabella, Ellen and John C . Ellis, Milton Lightner and Am os Heacock. R ev. Milton Lightner ministered to the needs of the congregation fo r ten years. Su c­ ceeding him w as Rev. Edw in N . Lightner, who ser-cd the congregation from Danville. Fol­ lowing him w as Rev. M r. E ls^ o o d, who in turn w as succeeded by Revs. I ^ r y, W illiam P age, A lbra W adleigh, Rollin H. Brow n, .Abram P. Brush. Baldy Lightner (son o f .Mil­ ton L igh tn er), Fran k Duncan Jad o w, Frank Canfield, W illiam Johnson, David L. Flem ing, and others. T h e cost of the church building w as over $1,30 0. T he first officers were W il­ liam EUis, Stephen Ellis, Jolm C. EUis. Amos Heacock, vestrymen, and W illiam EUis and .Amos llcacock, wardens. In 19 10 the church w as completely rebuilt, owing to its dilapidated condition, the floor having sunk six inches at a meeting which filled (lie church one Sunday. T he present value of the structure is $3,500. T lic services here arc held at interals o f Iwo weeks by Rev. Mr. De W itt, o f Muncy. T he membership consists o f about fifty persons. T he W hite H all Baptist Church w as erected in 1858. Its original cost was about $1,50 0, and the first preacher to deliver a sermon and minister to the religious requirements o f (he little congregation w as A m lrcw F. Shanafelt. T he money needed to construct the edifice w.is solicited and obtained in other ways by W il­ Uam M cBride, Effie D err and A. Holden, who, tradition states, were most actively assisted by all the residents of the vicinity. T he first officers of the church were WiUiam .McBride ami G coi^e .Supplce, deacons, and A. Holden and WiUiam M cBride, trustees. T he church building is still in a good state o f repair, and the congregation is served by R e v. Ilc n ry C. Munro.