Washington County PA Archives Cemetery Transcriptions.....St. Thomas Episcopal Cemetery (West's Church) - (partial survey) ************************************************ Copyright 2019. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/washington/ ************************************************ Files contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Gary L. Caldwell, , February 2019 This page was last updated: 17 February 2019 St. Thomas Episcopal Cemetery (West's Church) West Pike Township NOTE: We have been unable to determine an exact location for the cemetery. The first Episcopal Church formed in Washington County was "St, Thomas' Church," which existed in West Pike Run township as early as 1777. In the year 1891 a building was erected for the use of the church, and as there were no other houses of worship in the neighborhood, this one was also used by other denominations, although the special property of the Episcopalians. It was built upon a lot of one acre of land, purchased of Edward West for five shillings, Thomas Dowler, William Crawford, Henry Gregg, John Gregg, Frederick Cooper, Jacob Springer, James Ellis, Edward Morton, Robert Kerr, William Riggs, Jacob Crabs, and John Honsb, vestrymen and trustees of the church, making the purchase. The building erected was of logs, twenty-seven by thirty feet in size. it was fitted up with a pulpit and gallery, was weather-boarded upon the outside, had plastered walls, and was ceiled overhead. From being built on land formerly owned by Mr. West it was called West's Church, although the name by which it was known among Episcopalians was St. Thomas' Church. In the gallery was a stone seventeen by twenty inches in size, upon which was the following inscription: "Surely the Lord is here. How dreadful is this place. This is no other but the house of God and gate of Heaven. A.D. 1791." The cemetery was described as being in very, very bad condition; overgrown with ivy bushes and briars. Stones fallen over and unreadable. Surrounded by a low stone fence covered with vines and undergrowth. Now has a wire fence on the outside of the stone. The cemetery is full of graves, many unmarked, uncared for and overgrown. Were able to get very few of them. The cemetery is in a very pretty l ocation high on a hill and a state road. This data can be found in the genealogy section of the Citizen’s Library in Washington PA. The tombstone readings were done by Ms. Elizabeth B. Weaver on 29 August 1939. LAST NAME FIRST NAME BORN DIED AGE NOTES Chamberlain Rosanna 1859 79yrs Dowler Thomas 1 Apr 1824 85yrs Johnston A. 1819 82yrs Johnston Baz. L. Aug 1815 Kerr James 1865 72yrs Powell Dorcas 13 Mar 1840 84yrs wife of Ellis Powell Ellis 1 May 1810 73yrs Simmon Fritz Jul 1815 77yrs Stroud John, Sr. 1855 75yrs Stroud Nancy 3 Aug 1833 45yrs wife of John, Jr. West Edward 1872 83yrs West Elizabeth May 1811 83yrs wife of A. West West Four stones down and unreadable West Frances 2 Jan 1834 55yrs wife of J. West