Historic Old St. Luke's Church Chartiers Valley, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Made available to The USGenWeb Archives by Charles Nixon -- cnixon@email.msn.com A small, weathered stone church stands atop a hill at Woodville, Pa., as silent as the cemetery that surrounds it. It is St. Luke's Church, Chartiers. Colonial militiamen, who accompanied General John Forbes on his expedition to Fort Duquesne in 1758 and returned later to make their homes in Chartier's Valley, and other pioneers and settlers of the area lie buried in the cemetery. The Parish Register shows that the site was an outpost of the English army prior to the Revolutionary War, about 1765, and that regular services were maintained by Chaplains of the regiments stationed there. The stockade stood at a time of Indian unrest. It is said that on one occasion when worshippers had reached the part of the service known as the Litany and were giving an emphatic "Good Lord, deliver us," an attack was made by the Indians. Within a few seconds every loophole was filled with a glistening rifle. Old St. Luke's is the oldest Episcopal Church west of the Allegheny Mountains and was one of the first churches of any denomination on the frontier. Major William Lea, a member of the Forbes Expedition, set aside a plot ten rods square for the church and cemetery from a tract of 335 acres issued to him by Virginia certificate. Title to the tract was recorded before 1770 when the land was part of West Augusta County, Virginia. In February, 1774, Major Lea married Dorothy Nelson in Christ Church, Philadelphia. They returned to Chartier's Valley and in December of that year a daughter, Jane, was born to them. The child was baptized at St. Luke's. On her tombstone in Old St. Luke's cemetery is the inscription "...the first white child born in Chartier's Valley." About 1790 the log stockade church was replaced by a frame building. Rev. Francis Reno, protege of General John Neville, became the rector of St. Luke's Church of Chartiers. Prominent in the congregation were Major Isaac Craig, General Neville and his sun, Pressley, an aide-de-camp of Lafayette. Sometime during his tenure at Fort Pitt, General Neville had acquired extensive land holdings in Chartier's Valley adjoining those of Major Lea. It was here he built his mansion, "Bower Hill," which was destroyed in 1794 during the Whiskey Rebellion. The road which led to his mansion still exists and is called "Bower Hill Road." The Parish Register states, "The insurrection (Whiskey Rebellion) disturbed the public peace, and drove many supporters of the church from the locality. Some time later Reverend Reno, the parish priest, left the neighborhood and the church was used as a schoolroom." St. Luke's was furnished with high straightback pews, old walnut furniture in the chancel, a stone baptismal font and a pipe organ. The pipe organ, purchased in England by Trinity Episcopal Church, Pittsburgh, in 1823, was brought over the mountains by mule pack. In 1852, Trinity gave the old organ to St. Luke's. During the years in which the church was closed, much damage was done to the organ by rodents. The organ has since been restored by Rev. Victor Zuck, a member of the Restoration Committee. It is the oldest pipe organ west of the Alleghenies, and is destined to continue its service in Old St. Luke's. Buried in the cemetery surrounding the church are Major William Lea and members of his family, including his daughter, Jane, Captain David Steele, pioneer surveyor and captain in the 13th Virginia Regiment and other Revolutionary War veterans. In all, eighty-nine early pioneers of then Virginia and now Southwestern Pennsylvania rest in peace at Old St. Luke's, Chartiers (Woodville). OLD ST LUKE'S SHOULD RETAIN ITS RIGHTFUL PLACE IN OUR NATION'S HISTORY PUBLIC TOURS INVITED EASTER '77 - First ecumenical Easter Sunrise Services were held Sunday, April 10. This and other activities of an historic and ecumenical nature are planned for Old St. Luke's, including special services, weddings, meetings, tours, and other approved public and religious functions. The public is invited to tour this historic site during its restoration on Sundays, from 1:30 to 4:00 P.M. OLD ST. LUKE'S, INC. - is a non-profit organization chartered in Pennsylvania for the purpose of restoring the present church, built in 1852, and cemetery as a national historic landmark. The organization is a member of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation serves as Trustee. CONTRIBUTIONS WELCOME CONTRIBUTIONS - (tax exempt) are needed for the restoration and names of donors will be permanently recorded for lasting recognition in the restored church's register. Make checks payable to PHLF-Old St. Luke's and send to Old Post Office Museum, Allegheny Square West, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15212. ALL DONATIONS APPRECIATED ROUTES TO HISTORIC OLD ST. LUKE'S PARKWAY WEST (1-279) GREENTREE EXIT - Follow Greentree Road past Chatham Park, bearing right at Greentree Road Shopping Center, go past Samari. Denny's, Lindsay Road (Scott Municipal Bldgs.), through underpass and over railroad tracks. Take first left immediately (Washington Pike) after crossing tracks. Old St. Luke's at top on right. CARNEGIE EXIT - Follow Carnegie exit road through signal light on Washington Ave. (Pa. 50). Then left on Washington Ave., go past Heidelberg to Greentree Road and Washington Ave. (opposite Stop & Go Gas Station). Turn left on Greentree Road, cross Chartiers Creek bridge and turn right on first road on right (Washington Pike). Old St. Luke's at top on right. INTERSTATE 79 - Take Exit 12 (Kerwin Heights, Heidelberg) which leads into Washington Ave. (Pa. 50). Turn left (North) on Pa 50 and proceed past Heidelberg Shopping Center (Hills). Yield right from Pa. 50 onto Greentree Road, turn right on Washington Pike, as above, and proceed to Old St. Luke's. FROM BRIDGEVILLE - Take Washington Pike (Pa. 50) past 1-79 exit and proceed as above. SOUTH HILLS, MT. LEBANON, DORMONT. From Washington Road (U.S. 19) take Cochran Road to where it becomes Greentree Road (Shopping Centers). At this point, continue on down Greentree Road as described above. BOWER HILL. Turn on Segar Road down alongside St. Clair Hospital down past the Scrubgrass, Swallow Hill intersection, and continue on Scrubgrass to Old Bower Hill Road and "Old Crooked Iron Bridge". Proceed over another bridge and down to Washington Pike. Old St. Luke's is across the street on your left. NOTE:This information was copied from a booklet entitled "Historic Old St. Luke's". There are some interesting pictures of the old building, the pipe organ and a picture of the restoration plan. Historic Old St. Luke's is an historical old site that needs saving. Help them if you can.