AREA HISTORY:  Centre Presbyterian Church, Fawn Township, York County, PA

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History of York County, Pennsylvania.  John Gibson, Historical Editor.
Chicago: F. A. Battey Publishing Co., 1886.
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CENTRE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH – Page 758

The date of the organization of Centre Church was about the year 1780.  December 
15, 1782, Alexander Ramsay, David Wiley, James Denny, Joseph Wiley and Joseph 
Cathcart, trustees, purchased from William Gray, for the sum of £3, three acres 
of land, “on which is to be erected a meeting house by a congregation called 
Centre.”  It is evident there was a permanent organization in 1782.  How the 
church received its name is unknown.  Divine service, after the Presbyterian 
form, was conducted at this point several years before an organization was 
effected.  The first pastor was Rev. George Luckey, a native of Fagg’s Manor, 
Penn., who graduated at Princeton in 1772, and was licensed by the presbytery of 
New Castle, 1776.  He was ordained at Chestnut Level, Penn., April 27, 1785, and 
installed, previous to August 30 of the same year, as pastor of Centre and 
Bethel Churches.

In 1786 Baltimore Presbytery was erected out of the presbytery of New Castle, 
and Centre Church and its pastor were sent over to that presbytery.  There they 
continued until 1799, when they were set back again to New Castle.  Mr. Luckey 
was moderator of the presbytery of Baltimore in 1796, and its clerk for many 
years.  He was moderator of the presbytery of New Castle in 1804.  He continued 
to serve Centre Church for a period of thirty-four years, until April 6, 1819.  
He died December 13, 1823, and was buried in the cemetery at Bethel, Harford 
Co., Md., where a marble tomb, erected by the church he so long, and faithfully 
served, marks his last resting place.

Mr. Luckey is spoken of as a fine scholar, an intelligent preacher, plain in his 
manners, unwearying in labor, and unexcelled in his acquaintance with the 
Scriptures.  The next pastor was Rev. Samuel Parke, who was licensed by the 
presbytery of New Castle at St. George’s, Del., April 7, 1813, and ordained 
August 10, 1814.  At a meeting of the presbytery, April 4, 1820, a call from 
Centre for one-third of Mr. Parke’s time was presented and accepted by him.  He 
was installed May 2, 1820.  Centre congregation was then worshiping in a log 
building familiarly known as the “tent,” which had succeeded a similar structure 
removed some years before.  In 1821 the house of worship now in use was buil? 
??? is an enduring monument to the energy of the pastor and the liberality of 
his people.

In 1842 the presbytery of New Castle was divided and out of it Donegal was 
organized.  Centre Church and its pastor were now under the care of Donegal 
Presbytery.  Mr. Parke resigned December, 1848, after a pastorate of twenty-
eight years and seven months.  

Of him it can be said that he laborer faithfully for the cause of the church and 
the good of man.  In pastoral work he excelled, after traversing the eleven 
miles from his home to minister to the spiritual wants of his people.  He died 
20, 1869, in his eighty-second year, and was buried in the cemetery at Slate 
Ridge.  On April 17, 1850, a call from Centre Church for the pastoral services 
of Rev. Samuel Hume Smith, who was installed pastor June 21, 1851, and continued 
to minister to this church with great acceptance until his death, which occurred 
February 4, 1857.  His remains were interred in the cemetery at Chanceford 
Church, where a neat monument was erected to his memory.

On May 6, 1859, a call was presented to the presbytery by Centre Church, for the 
pastoral services of Rev. J. Y. Cowhick for one-fourth of his time.  He was 
installed pastor of Centre Church, June 10, 1859.

During his pastorate the union of the “old” and the “new school” branches of the 
Presbyterian Church occurred.  As a memorial of this event, a fund of $700 was 
raised for church repairs.  A cornice extension was put to the roof, new blinds 
on the windows; a new pulpit and new pews were placed in the church, and the 
whole repainted.  This work was completed and paid for July 20, 1871.  Rev. 
Cowhick resigned June 14, 1875.  His pastorate lasted sixteen years.

Rev. Johnston McGaughey, a licentiate of the presbytery of New Brunswick, was 
ordained November 4, 1875, and pastor of Centre Church the next day, to give 
one-half of his time to this church.  He continued until February 17, 1879, when 
he resigned.     

The present pastor is Rev. R. L. Clark, to whom the writer hereby returns his 
grateful thanks for this history.  He was licensed, by the presbytery of 
Westminster, April 11, 1877.

June 16, 1879, the congregation of Centre made out a unanimous call for his 
pastoral services for the whole of his time; the church for the first time in 
its history, determining to have the full service of its pastor.

September 11, 1879, this call was presented to him by the presbytery of 
Westminster, and accepted.  The same day he was ordained and installed pastor.  
In 1880 a parsonage was built near the church at a cost of $3,500.

Centre Church was incorporated May 21, 1883.  The congregation, in 1885, has 182 
members, and the Sabbath-school 160 members.