History of the
Lutheran Church in Mercer County
Lutheran Church.
—Previous to 1814, the German settlers of Mercer county had no regular
minister, but were occasionally visited by pastors, who were sent by
the Synod to preach the Word, and administer the Sacraments to the
scattered members of the Lutheran and Reformed Churches.
In
1814, Rev. Henry Huet
(now spelled Hewitt),
a member of the Lutheran Pennsylvania Synod, began to preach regularly
every four or six weeks, at points where the Germans were most thickly
settled.
Rev. Hartman purchased for the
German Reformed the old Congregational Church, in 1863, and the
Lutherans held services in the old school house, and also for some time
in the Baptist Church.
In
1859, under Rev. Kughler,
a German Lutheran Church was organized, with C.
Bittenbanner and Jacob
Beitler (both now deceased) as elders.
In 1817, a conference was organized,
embracing the Lutheran pastors west of the Alleghenies, and among them
were Revs. John Stouch, Meyer,
Weygand, Snyder, and M. Stock.
In 1814, Rev.
Huet preached in Wolf Creek township.
In 1825, Zion’s Church was built, now one of Rev. Dieffenbacher’s preaching
points. During the same time Rev.
Huet preached at Harlansburg, then in Mercer county. Six
miles beyond Harlansburg was another of his preaching places, at
Herbst’s, near the present Jerusalem Church. The people met for
worship, as the season allowed, in groves, private houses, or barns.
Good Hope (Coal Hill), ‘West Salem township, was also supplied by Rev.
Huet. In the early part of 1826, through Rev. Huet’s removal, these
places were unsupplied.
November 26th, 1826, Rev.
M. Kughler took charge of the Herbst congregation, in
Lawrence county; in 1827, of the congregation in Wolf Creek township,
and of Good Hope; and in 1828, in Hickory township, of the Everhart
Church; preaching also at Pulaski, Brookville, Ohio, Krill’s, and other
places.
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In
Hickory Township, at Everhart’s, no church was built until 1837. At
Good Hope, under Rev. Huet,
in 1816, a log-church 26 x 30 feet, had been erected.
Blocks
and rough boards were used as seats, under Rev.
Kughler. Mr. Jacob Hahmm (now spelled Hum) furnished the church with
pews. Peter Klingensmith and
Joseph Keck (the
father of John and Henry Keck,
now [1877] in Greenville), were most active in securing the erection of
the first Good Hope Church.
At
St. John’s (the Haas Church), a log-building, 24 x 30 feet, was erected
in 1837; the members of this congregation having worshiped, up to this
date, at Good Hope.
In
1824, Rev. Kughler
resigned the Herbst Church, which was then supplied by Rev. Hoelsche.
In
1839, Rev. Kughler removed
to Erie, and the churches were again vacant. Rev.
T. Becker succeeded Rev.
Kughler, remaining some seven years.
In
1846, at St. John’s (Haas’), a new church edifice, 35 x 45 feet, and
two stories high, was erected. With the close of 1847, or beginning of
1848, Rev. Theo. Hengist
became the successor of Rev.
Becker. He was succeeded by
Rev. G. Krautz.
In
1858, Rev. Kughler
again took charge of the field, preaching at Blacktown, twenty-one
miles from Greenville, on the second day of 1859, and thence to 1864.
In 1861, he served also St. John's Good Hope, and the church in Hickory
township.
Rev. J. Hengist had preached
statedly to the Germans of Greenville, for some time previous to 1859,
in the Congregational Church.
On
Easter Sunday, 1859, Rev. Kughler conducted
his first service in the same place, and for some years afterward,
every alternate Sunday afternoon.
History of Mercer County,
1877, page 100
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