CHURCH: Historical Sketch of Lower Marsh Creek Presbyterian Church, Fairfield, Adams County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Gordon Crooks With permission of the Pastor, Lower Marsh Creek Presbyterian Church Copyright 2005. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/adams/ ________________________________________________ LOWER MARSH CREEK PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH FOUNDED 1748 LMC HISTORY In the summer of 1740, Donegal Presbyterian Church began to provide preaching for Scots-Irish settlers along Marsh Creek. In 1741, a schism occurred in the Presbyterian Church which was a result of the George Whitefield revival meetings and the questions that arose concerning the qualifications of ministers. Sympathizers with Whitefield and the Tennents withdrew from the regular Presbyterian churches and organized what they called New Side Presbyterian churches, the original churches being known thereafter as Old Side Presbyterian churches. Just when the rift reached Marsh Creek is not known, but such sympathizers in the Marsh Creek Presbyterian Church withdrew in 1748 and were organized by the Reverend Andrew Bay, a minister of the New Side Presbytery of New Castle, into the Presbyterian Church of Lower Marsh Creek. Their first meeting house was a log church located at a graveyard on the west bank of Marsh Creek, a few miles southwest of the Mother Church, which was later relocated in Gettysburg. The church was crude throughout, having benches instead of pews, and without any facilities for fire in winter. In it the Presbytery of Carlisle was organized on October 17, 1786. In 1790 the congregation chose a new site for the present stone structure near “The Great Road”, now called the Fairfield Road, on the north side of the road about five miles from Gettysburg. Families brought stones to church services from the various nearby farms for use in constructing the church in a grove of giant oaks, near a spring in the vale. The church was meant to show a symmetrical appearance with four dors (sic) and eight clear glass windows. The interior had a narrow elevated wineglass pulpit, straight highbacked box pews, and a brick floor. About 1850 the stone church was extensively remodeled including a new roof, floor, and pulpit; seats were lowered and sloped in the back; a vestibule was created with two doors; two other doors were closed and ventian (sic) blinds were added. During the Gettysburg Campaign in 1863, there was considerable military activity along Marsh Creek, a staging area for Confederate troops. This church and the adjoining farms served as field hospitals as Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia retreated along the Fairfield Road. The Pastor of this church, Reverend John Warner, remained in the area, observed the Battle, and later wrote a well-received lecture on it. The church was not seriously damaged during the war, but during a Confederate raid on Chambersburg on July 30, 1864, the Reverend Warner’s home there was burned and with it almost all of the LMC records that he had taken there for “safekeeping”. In 1891, the stone church again was remodeled, the two doors in the vestibule closed and one opened in the center, the east windows closed and stained glass put in the rest; and the present pews and pulpit furniture added. Oil lamps illuminated the sanctuary until 1942 when electricity was installed. In the late 1950’s the basement was excavated and enlarged to provide rooms for Sunday School and Fellowship Hall. At this time, a furnace was added as well as plumbing and rest rooms. In the 1970’s, a Manse was constructed near the church to provide housing for the called Pastor. In addition, a Sexton’s house is located next to the church building itself. In 1986, with the purchase of a new digital organ in the sanctuary, a floor-to-ceiling cabinet to contain the eight organ speakers was designed by Reverend C. Spencer vanGulick and placed in the Chancel behind the pulpit. In 1990, central air conditioning was installed in the sanctuary. In 1995, a new 6000 square foot Christian Education Building was constructed. It houses 6 SS rooms, Pastor’s Office, Church Office, large kitchen, and a larger Fellowship Hall to seat 125. By God’s grace and goodness, the entire project debt was retired in 3 years time. In 1997, the Sanctuary was completely refinished and repairs made to the pews and furniture. This work was able to be completed thanks to a generous donation by the family of a former member. The Reverend Alexander Dobbin, who established a famous classical school in Gettysburg, was closely enough associated with Lower Marsh Creek Presbyterian Church to be buried in its old cemetery located off the Knoxlyn-Orrtanna Road. Rev. Dobbin played a major role in the union of the Reformed and Associate Presbyterian groups which led to a merger in 1858 resulting in the United Presbyterian Church. In 1983, the present Presbyterian Church (USA) united the whole of the church. Although many changes have occurred in this ancient stone church, the structure still stands, a credit to the congregation and a comfortable house wherein to praise God for his many blessings. It is an historic landmark which says to present day successors of Presbyterian pioneers: “Come to the church in the wildwood, oh, come to the church in the dale; no spot is so dear to my childhood as the little “stone” church in the vale.” MINISTERS WHO HAVE SERVED LOWER MARSH CREEK Andrew Bay 1748-1758 John Slemons 1765-1774 James Martin (SS) 1779-1780 John McKnight (DD) 1783-1789 William Paxton (DD) 1792-1841 David D. Clarke (DD) 1843-1856 John D. Warner 1858-1867 William S. Van Cleve 1869-1901 Edward R. Laughlin 1902-1904 Charles Dalzell 1905-1913 David W. Woods, Sr. 1913-1938 Harry S. Ecker 1939-1957 Edwin P. Elliott 1957-1962 Joseph M. Woods, Jr. 1962-1966 James M. Marsh 1967-1980 C. Spencer vanGulick 1982-1996 G. William Dando (Interim) 1996-1997 Dale E. Williams 1997- Our Mission Statement: “To glorify God, deepen and enrich the spiritual life of the family of believers, and to reach out to the community with the love of Jesus Christ.” 6/14/2001