AREA HISTORY: Churches, Codorus and North Codorus Township, York County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Kathy Francis Copyright 2005. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/york/ _______________________________________________ History of York County, Pennsylvania. John Gibson, Historical Editor. Chicago: F. A. Battey Publishing Co., 1886. _______________________________________________ CHURCHES – Page 699-700 St. Peter’s Church, one and a half miles southwest of Spring Grove, in North Codorus, is better known as “Lischy’s Church,” It was named after Rev. Jacob Lischy, who soon afterward organized an independent congregation. He had previously been the first pastor of the Reformed Church at York (see page 406). His son, Jacob Lischy, taught a parochial school in the church in 1810 and later. After the death of Rev. Lischy an orthodox Reformed congregation was organized, which was served by ministers of the Hanover charge. Revs. Albert Helfenstein, S. Gutelius, Jacob Sechler, W. K. Zieber, D. D. and Henry Hilbish were some of the Reformed clergymen. The present Reformed congregation of 250 members is served by Rev. J. H. Hartmann, of Hanover. There is a Sunday-school of seventy-five pupils. The Lutheran congregation, which now worships in this church, was organized in 1833, by Rev. A. G. Deininger. Peter Menges was the first elder. At this time a log building was still standing. The present brick church was built in 1843. The building committee were Peter Menges, George Hoke and John Lenhart. Rev. John H. Menges, of Grace Church, Philadelphia, was confirmed and admitted to membership in this congregation. The pastors in order were Rev. Deininger, Jacob Albert, William Reiley, Charles Witmer, Leonard Gearhart and Daniel J. Haner, D. D. The membership, under the present pastor, Rev. Dr. Hauer, has been doubled. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Steltze’s Church, in Codorus, is a Union Lutheran and Reformed Church. It was erected in 1794, and was called “Bethlehem Church.” The place was formerly known as “Steltz’s Deer Park.” It has always been a part of Shrewsbury charge on the Reformed side. Those who signed the agreement when the church was first built were Philip Steltz, Christopher Ring, Jacob Ziegler, Jacob Long, Andrew Korg, George Ruhl, John Sauer, William Rogers, Philip Steltz, Jr., Henry Kauffman, Henry Henning and Peter Henning. Reformed ministers who have served the charge, as can be gathered from an imperfect record, were Adam Ettinger, who served in 1803; Rev. Y. Henry Fries, who took charge in 1810; Rev. F. Scholl, who became pastor in 1817; Rev. Henry N. B. Habliston, in 1819; John August Foersch, in 1833; Rev. F. Bucher, in 1836, who was soon followed by Rev. John Rienecke, who served the congregation for twenty years, and was assisted in this later years by his son, Rev. C. W. Rienecke, D. D., and who served a few years after the death of his father. During the same time Rev. Vandersloot served a few of the congregations on the charge of which this was a part. Rev. Daniel Gring then took charge of the congregation, serving it faithfully till 1880, when Rev. A. F. Driesbaugh, the present pastor, assumed charge, and is doing excellent work. The congregation numbers 150 members. The Lutheran congregation is at present served by Rev. Mr. Ketterman. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ St. Jacob’s Church, is better known as the “Stone Church,” is located near the center of Codorus, and is owned by the Reformed and Lutheran denominations. An organization was effected nearly a century ago. The early pastors were the same ones who preached at Jefferson. The Reformed congregation of 300 members is now served by Rev. F. A. Guth, who resides at Jefferson, and the Lutheran congregation by Rev. Mr. Ketterman, of Glennville. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Zion Church, known as “Sheffer’s,” is in Codorus. Rev. F. A. Guth is the Reformed pastor. Membership, seventy communicants. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ziegler’s Church – St. Paul’s Lutheran and Reformed Church, known as “Ziegler’s Church,” is in North Codorus, between Stoverstown and Seven Valley. As nearly as can be determined it was organized about 1800, the Lutheran congregation by Rev. F. V. Melsheimer, of Hanover, the renowned entomologist. He was succeeded by Revs. Rudisill, Jacob Albert, Rev. A. G. Deininger, who served from 1828 to 1846; Rev. C. J. Deininger, from 1846 to 1850; L. Gearhart, to 1853, when Rev. C. J. Deininger was recalled and served to 1866. Rev. John Conoway is the present pastor. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ New Salem Church – The Lutheran and Reformed church, in New Salem Borough, was built in 1861, and a congregation organized the same year, by Rev. C. J. Deininger, who resigned in 1866, and was succeeded by Rev. John H. Menges, and he by the present pastor, Rev. John Conoway, of York. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Stoverstown Church – The Lutheran and Reformed Church, at Stoverstown, in North Codorus, was built in 1880. Congregations were formed the same year by Rev. C. J. Deininger, Lutheran, and Rev. Rhinehart Smith, Reformed. The last name gentleman still ministers to his congregation. Rev. Daniel J. Hauer, D. D., of Hanover, succeeded Rev. Deininger as pastor of the Lutheran congregation.