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The
Oldest Congregation in the Borough of West Middlesex
The [West] Middlesex Presbyterian
Church
existed long before the village, and was one of the earliest in the
Erie Presbytery. The first preaching in that region was probably by the
Rev. James Satterfield, whose home was situated near the town. Meetings
were held in barns and log-houses, and in tents, for many years, and an
old house is still standing, on the land of Thomas Miles, in which the
congregation used to assemble, and the Lord’s Supper was first
administered in a barn, which is standing near it Years afterward, when
the first school-house was built, both the Presbyterians, and
Methodists, used it occasionally as a church, on the Sabbath, and often
for prayer-meetings, during the week, but the former congregation seems
to have increased very slowly, at first, and it was not until 1842-43,
that the first building was erected and completed, by that
denomination, in the village. At the time of the preaching,
in
Miles’ house, there were but fourteen members, and of these, only two
are living [1877].“Rev. Abraham Boyd was installed the first pastor
over this scattered congregation, June 17th, 1802, and was released
from his charge, in 1817. “The next pastor was Rev. Reid
Bracken,
installed September 28th, 1820; released from his charge, in 1832. Rev.
J. W. Johnston was pastor three or four years. Rev. Thomas W. Kerr was
pastor until his death, October 29th, 1847, after a pastorate of seven
years. Rev. Ephraim Ogden was installed in 1848, or 1849.”
[from
History of the Erie Presbytery] The present [1877] pastor is Rev. F. M.
Woods.
From the History of Mercer
County, 1877, page 110
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From
the History of Mercer County, 1888 -
The Presbyterian
is the oldest congregation in the borough [of West Middlesex]. In fact
it had an existence long prior to the town itself. The first preaching
in the region was done by Rev. James Satterfield, his places of
assembly being houses, barns and tents. For some length of time
congregations met in a house belonging to the farm of Thomas Miles.
Rev. Satterfield, the pioneer preacher of this region, was born in
Maryland August, 1767. About twenty years thereafter he removed with
his mother and stepfather to Washington County, where he performed for
a time the duties of a farmer. While in Washington County he was
brought under the influence of Rev. Dr. McMillan, a distinguished
theologian of those days, from whom be received an impulse in the
ministerial direction. Licensed to preach September 3, 1800, he removed
to Mercer County in 1801, and on the 3d day of March, 1802, was
installed pastor of the congregations of Moorefield and Upper
Neshannock (now Neshannock). He continued to preach for fifty-seven
years, dying near West Middlesex, November 20, 1857, in his ninetieth
year.
From
the History of Mercer County, 1888, page 485 |
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