St. Matthew’s German Reformed Church (1881); Chester County, PA Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Sandra Ferguson . Copyright 2004. All Rights Reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm ********************************************************* from Futhey and Cope's THE HISTORY OF CHESTER COUNTY (1881); The St Matthew's Reformed congregation of West Vincent organized in 1833. They, in connection with the Lutheran congregation of the same twp, built during the summer of 1833, a church edifice, dedicated on 12-23- 1833. The 2 congregations continued to worship in the same building on alternate Sabbaths until 1879, when the Reformed congregation purchased the interests of the Lutherans in the buildings and cemetery,...they organized and adopted their constitution in 1834. The vestry at that time was; Elders Henry Keeley Jacob Hoffman Geo Sloyer Wm Parker Deacons Jacob Kulp John Shimer Geo Keeley John Hipple Trustees Wm Parker Joseph Kulp 32 persons were present at the first communion service, held in 1834, Rev Guldin, pastor. The congregation, never larbe, now numbers 87 members (1881). present officers; Elders Wm Brownback Saml Kimes John Hipple Wm Ludwick Deacons Samuel B Stauffer Jesse Sturgis Isaac N Smith Cyrus Swinehart Trustees John B Caldwell Abraham Fetters A new church was built in 1880, and the Rev Levi D Stambaugh is now the pastor (1881)