CHURCH HISTORY: Colonial Park Reformed Church, Dauphin County, PA

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Abby Bowman

Copyright 2006.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/dauphin/
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History of the Classis of Lancaster of the Eastern Synod of the
Reformed Church in the United States, 1852-1940;

Part II, Histories of the Congregations of the Classis of Lancaster, Pg. 250-252

Printed by The New Holland Clarion, New Holland, PA;
Editors Rev. Daniel G. Glass, Rev. C. George Bachman, Rev. Harry E. Shepardson,
Rev. John F. Frantz, Rev. J. N. Le Van, D.D.
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COLONIAL PARK REFORMED CHURCH

Rev. Elias H. Phillips, Pastor

As early as the year 1771, there were suffiecient members of the German Reformed 
Church in the locality of the present church to require the ministries of 
itinerant missionaries; but not until the year 1783 was the first congregation 
organized.  This congregation, in union with the Lutheran Congregation, built a 
log meeting-house in 1784.  This building met the needs of both congregations 
until 1829, when a new building was erected at a cost of $2,114.03 3/4.  This 
building was enlarged and improved in 1883 and re-dedicated in 1884.

In the Fall of 1924 the two congregations, by mutual agreement, discontinued 
their union relationships.  The Reformed interest in the church property was 
sold to the Lutheran congregation for $20,000.00.  Ground was broken for the 
present new structure in the Fall of 1925.  The corner stone was laid in May, 
1926.  The church was completed in March, 1927, and dedicated April 24, 1927.  
The total cost of building and equipment was $90,000.00.

The change of name from Shoop's Reformed Church to Colonial Park Reformed Church 
was made, by official congregational action, on November 16, 1925.

The present communicant membership is 373.

The names of the pastors who served Shoop's Charge and of whose respective 
pastorates there are authentic records are the following:

Rev. Anthony Hautz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1791-1797
     Vacancy - Supply:
           Rev. William A. Hiester . . . . . . 1798-1804
           Rev. Jonathan Helffenstein. . . . . 1805-1808
Rev. Philip Gloninger. . . . . . . . . . . . . 1808-1814
Vacancy - two years.
Rev. Frederick Rahauser. . . . . . . . . . . . 1816-1819
Rev. John Winebrenner. . . . . . . . . . . . . 1820-1823
Rev. Albert Helffenstein, Jr.. . . . . . . . . 1824-1829
Rev. Daniel Zacharias. . . . . . . . . . . . . 1830-1835
Rev. David Bassler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1835-1852
     Vacancy - one year
Rev. D. Y. Heisler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1853-1856
Rev. M. A. Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1856-1866
Rev. Samuel Kuhn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1867-1880
     Vacancy - Supply:
           Rev. John G. Fritchey . . . . . . .     -1881
           Rev. E. V. Gerhart. . . . . . . . . 1881-1882
Rev. A. S. Stauffer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1882-1888
Rev. John F. Moyer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1888-1892
Rev. Rufus Miller. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1892-1893
Rev. Frank L. Kerr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1894-1899
Rev. William H. Landis . . . . . . . . . . . . 1899-1900
Rev. H. R. Kreider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1901-1904
Rev. George B. Raezer. . . . . . . . . . . . . 1905-1907
Rev. D. D. Brendle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1907-1910
Rev. Lewis Reiter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1910-1919
Rev. Elias H. Phillips . . . . . . . . . . . . 1920-