CHURCH: St. Paul's Lutheran and Reformed Church, West Manchester Twp., 
York County, PA

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Abby Bowman

Copyright 2004.  All rights reserved.
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History of York County, Pennsylvania.  John Gibson, Historical Editor.
Chicago: F. A. Battey Publishing Co., 1886.
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Pgs. 622-623

ST. PAUL'S LUTHERAN AND REFORMED CHURCH

This church is locally known in this township as Wolf's Church, after 
Peter Wolf, an early settler.

In 1762 two and one-half acres were purchased from Adam Ziegler for œ5 
6s. 5d. for church property.  In 1763 a congregation was organized by 
Rev. Nicholas Hornell, then pastor of the First Lutheran Church at 
York, and a frame church was built.  About twenty-five years later this 
building was enlarged and remodeled.  In 1855 the present large and 
commodious church was built; while the Lutheran congregation was under 
the pastoral care of Rev. C. J. Deininger, and the Reformed under Rev. 
D. Ziegler.

The ministers present at the corner-stone laying of the present church, 
were Revs. A. G. Deininger, A. Burg and J. O. Miller; at the 
consecration were Revs. A. H. Lochman, A. G. Deininger and J. Bossler.  
The successive pastors of the Lutheran congregation were Revs. Hornell, 
Bager, N. Kurtz, Jacob Goering, J. G. Schmucker, J. Oswald, A. G. 
Deininger and C. J. Deininger.  Rev. Leeser has lately succeeded to the 
pastorate.  Rev. Deininger ministered to the congregation here from 
1846 to 1885, the time of his death, during which period, in connection 
with his preaching, he baptized 1,010 infants, thirty-nine adults, 
officiated at 275 funerals and confirmed 611 persons -- all connected 
with the Lutheran congregation of this church.  The present Lutheran 
membership is 400.  The Reformed congregation was first served by the 
pastors from York, including Revs. Lischy, Geistweite and others.  Of 
later date Revs. D. Ziegler, W. Kehm, Jacob Ziegler, and I. S. Weisz 
succeeded each other in the order named.  The Reformed membership is 
about 300.  The church is located in a rich agricultural region, about 
five miles west of York, one-third of a mile south of the "old five 
mile house" originally owned by Peter Wolf, on the York & Gettysburg 
Turnpike.

The attendance at Wolf's Church is very large, and it has for 120 years 
been a central point of interest in this township.