Church History: St. Paul's Reformed Church, Lancaster, Lancaster County, PA

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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. 304-309

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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ST. PAUL'S REFORMED CHURCH, LANCASTER

Rev. Titus A. Alspach, D.D., Pastor

St. Paul's Church is an outgrowth of First Church.  The separation was due to 
the language question.  While the new church edifice was being erected, the 
congregation had started public worship in an apartment of the Franklin College 
on Lime Street with the Rev. N. A. Keyes as their first pastor.

As the Consistory meeting of February 27, 1850, of the English Reformed Church, 
now known as the Second German Reformed Church, a motion prevailed that the 
trustees be authorized to offer $3,000 to Dr. L. Humes, for eighty feet of 
ground on the southwest corner of Duke and Orange Streets.  At the meeting of 
March 6, 1850, the trustees reported that Dr. Humes agreed to sell that piece of 
ground for $3,150, subject to the ground rent.

On June 17, 1850, Joshua W. Jack submitted a plan for the building of the new 
church.  The contract was awarded to build the church according to plans and 
specifications furnished by him, for the sum of $8,500; he offered Reuben S. 
Rohrer (Hardware merchant) as security for the faithful performance of his 
contract.  This was accepted, and thus June 19, 1850, serves as the beginning of 
the building of the new church.

The music of the church was taken care of by Dr. Budd, who was officially 
appointed August 26, 1850, as leader and instructor of the choir.  The corner 
stone of the church (which will be found along the side of the Sunday School 
entrance on Duke Street) was furnished and presented to the church by Louis 
Haldy, and was laid on Monday, September 16, 1850, at 4 p.m.  The membership of 
the church at this time consisted of 50 males and 72 females, making a total 
membership of 122.

The church proper was finished about a year after the laying of the corner stone 
and had a seating capacity of 450 people.

The name of the church which had previously been called "The Second Reformed 
Church", "The New Church" and so forth was, at the consistory meeting of 
November 5, 1881, given the permanent name, "St. Paul's Reformed Church".

On September 1, 1855, the Rev. N. A. Keyes resigned, to take effect October 1, 
1855.  From this date until on or about April 1, 1856, the church did not have a 
regular pastor.  February 18, 1856, a call was extended to the Rev. Isaac S. 
Desmond, from Belleville, New Jersey, to become the pastor.

After almost eight years of faithful service as pastor of the Church, the Rev. 
Isaac S. Desmond received a call from Paramus, New Jersey, which he accepted, 
and therefore resigned February 24, 1864.  Being in dire need of a pastor, the 
consistory overtured Dr. J. H. A. Bomberger, but he could not serve, and 
suggested the name of Rev. Cyrus Cort, of Altoona.  However, when the call was 
extended to him he replied that he could not accept the call.  Other calls were 
sent out to different pastors, but none would accept.  Finally the Rev. Henry 
Mosser, from Perry County was elected.

On or about January 11, 1865, the consistory purchased from Mr. E. Jefferies the 
brick house on the east side of North Duke Street, for $3,500, the same to serve 
as a parsonage for the church.

After several short pastorates, on Monday evening, February 17, 1873, the Rev. 
J. B. Shumaker was unanimously elected pastor.  The sexton's house in the rear 
of the parsonage was built in 1877, by Samuel Shroad, at a contract price of 
$1,201.38.

In consequence of the organization of St. Paul's Reformed Church in 1850, St. 
Paul's Sunday School held its first session as a separate organization in 
Franklin College building on North Lime Street, on the 17th day of February, 
1850, with 126 pupils and 28 teachers in attendance.  The period of rapid growth 
began when the Rev. J. W. Meminger was unanimously elected pastor, January 5, 
1887.  The church then numbered 290 members.

At the consistory meeting of December 10, 1894, the trustees suggested the 
purchase of the lot owned by Joseph C. Snyder on the northeast corner of Lime 
and East New Streets, which could be purchased for $2,000.  Said committee was 
later advised to purchase said lot and place a mortgage on the same for $2,000 
at 5%, on which a chapel or church was to be erected, the same to be known as 
"Saint Andrew's".  The building progressed rapidly.  The corner stone was laid 
Sunday, December 1, 1895, at 3:30 p.m., with appropriate exercises.  The Rev. J. 
W. Meminger laid the stone.  The day was bright and pleasant.  The services were 
conducted with an audience of from 1,500 to 2,000 people.  The church was 
completed in the early part of spring, 1896, and dedicated by Rev. J. W. 
Meminger, Sunday, April 26, 1896.

The membership of the church on the corner of Duke and Orange Streets having 
grown to such an extent that it had outnumbered its seating capacity, steps were 
taken to look into the matter of enlarging the church building to seat at least 
300 more people.  The present site was purchased December 11, 1900 for the sum 
of $23,500.

The building committee selected to build a new church was:  Messrs. John D. 
Skiles, George E. Zellers, John H. Hollinger, Rev. J. W. Meminger, E. S. Snyder, 
D. C. Haverstick, W. A. Heitshu, John N. Hetrick, Edwin P. Sayres, Edwin T. 
Fraim, S. T. Davis.

The contract to build a new church was given to Mr. Joseph P. Breneman.  Ground 
was broken Tuesday evening, July 1, 1902.  More than 1,000 people were in 
attendance.  The first donation towards the cause was $20.00, given by Miss 
Martha Davis.  After singing "Onward Christian Soldiers", the Rev. Dr. Meminger 
exhibited his youthful ability by removing the first spadeful of earth.  He was 
followed by John D. Skiles, W. A. Heitshu, and D. C. Haverstick.  About thirty 
ladies from the church also removed a spadeful each.  The spades were then sold 
realizing a sum of $75.00.  The highest price paid for a spade was $35.00.

The corner stone, which was placed in the southeast corner of the church, was 
laid September 21, 1902.  The church was finished and dedicated April 24, 1904.

A letter dated May 26, 1920, brought a startling surprise to the members of the 
church and made many sad and heavy hearts.  It was the resignation of Dr. 
Meminger in order to become Secretary of the Board of Ministerial Relief, and 
thus closed a fruitful pastorate of 33 years.

On September 2, 1920, the Rev. T. A. Alspach accepted the call to St. Paul's 
Church.

The first major task beginning the new pastorate was the liquidating of an old 
debt of $29,000.  After a vigorous campaign it was over-subscribed and paid.  A 
new parsonage at 441 North Duke Street, was purchased for $14,000.  In 1927, a 
new $27,000 pipe organ was installed, this, with other items of repairs and 
remodeling, cost $43,000.  In 1936, an extensive program of renovation was 
carried on, costing $18,000 and to the splendid equipment of the church and 
Sunday School was added a loud speaker system and tower chimes.  Intensively, 
the Sunday School was raised from an average attendance of 333 in 1920 to an 
average of 769.  The church membership increased from 911 to 1460.  St. Paul's 
was one of the first to introduce the Summer Bible School into the city.

On April 1, 1940, the church acquired Camp Andrews, named after the donor, Harry 
Andrews.  It is a tract of 35 acres of forest and field in Drumore Township, and 
is now fully equipped for the service of 35 campers at one time.  It is a most 
significant asset and opportunity in the field of Christian Education.

The pastors of St. Paul's Church have been the following:

                                Came             Resigned
Rev. N. A. Keyes                Feb. 1, 1850     Oct. 1, 1855
Rev. I. S. Desmund              April, 1856      Feb. 24, 1864
Rev. Henry Mosser, D.D.         Sept., 1864      March, 1867
Rev. Edwin H. Nevin             Dec., 1867       Dec. 30, 1870
Rev. O. L. Ashenfelter          May, 1871        Nov. 11, 1872
Rev. Joseph B. Shumaker         April 1, 1873    Oct. 1, 1886
Rev. J. W. Meminger, D.D.       July 1, 1887     July 8, 1920
Rev. T. A. Alspach, D.D.        Nov. 1, 1920