AREA HISTORY:  Duke Street Methodist Episcopal Church, York County, PA

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Kathy Francis

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History of York County, Pennsylvania.  John Gibson, Historical Editor.
Chicago: F. A. Battey Publishing Co., 1886.
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DUKE STREET METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH – Page 542

On March 21, 1861, Rev. W. Maslin Frysinger was appointed to York Mission, and preached on the street until July 14, of the same year, when 
the mission chapel was dedicated, the money and materials being furnished largely by the members from the York Station.  A Sunday-school 
was organized numbering forty scholars.  Rev. Frysinger was elected superintendent.

The mission, by the next conference, numbered 139 scholars.  Dr. Frysinger returned the second year, and Gates J. Weiser was elected 
superintendent of the school in 1862.  Rev. W. W. Evans was appointed 1863, and remained three years, his labors being marked with success.  
The first trustees appointed were Caleb Kepner, John Mitzel, Henry Reisinger, D. A. Warfield, William Gehring, J. W. Buckingham, O. P. 
Weiser; all of whom were appointed in 1861.  Only one remains to the present as a trustee – J. W. Buckingham.  He has been identified with 
nearly all the history of this church from its beginning.

Rev. E. T. Swartz was appointed in 1866, and served one year.  In 1867, Rev. L. S. Crone was appointed and served one year, being succeeded 
by Rev. J. H. S. Clarke, in 1868.  Rev. W. H. Norcross was appointed in 1870.  It was during this year the charge was connected with 
Goldsboro appointment, and became self-sustaining.

Rev. G. D. Pennepacker was appointed March, 1871, and this year the church was commenced; the corner-stone was laid June 19, 1871.  The 
lecture room was dedicated by Bishop E. R. Ames, the following November.  The work on the church was then abandoned until the next 
spring, because of the lack of funds.

Rev. G. W. Miller, was appointed in March, 1872, and the church was dedicated November, 29, 1872, by Bishop Thomas Bowman.

The collections and subscriptions for the day amounted to $4,000, leaving a debt of $1,000.  Through the shrinkage in the subscriptions, and 
other debts being contracted, the indebtedness was increased to nearly $3,000.  The trustees of the church, at the time of the dedication, were J. 
W. Buckingham, D. S. Coble, Henry Hepperla, Jacob Seacrist, W. H. H. Craver, W. Schenck, S. Decker, A. G. Corpman, and J. J. Frick.

The indebtedness on the church was carried ten years, or through the pastoral terms of Revs. G. W. Miller, H. R. Bender, T. S. Wilcox and John 
Vrooman.  The last of these finally cancelled it, after being gradually decreased.  He served the church one year more and was succeeded, in 
1883, by Rev. A. R. Cronce.  During his pastoral term of three years, improvements were made on the church property to the amount of $1,000, 
and all debts paid.

The following are the names of the present official board:   J. W. Buckingham, John Laughlin, John E. Ilgenfritz, John Harris, W. A. 
Buckingham, M. J. Mumper, Eli F. Grove, Christian Markley, David Feiser, Alfred Bond, Charles F. Sechrist, David S. Coble, W. H. H. 
Craver, John Morrison, H. C. Ziegler, Levi Pinkerton, H. M. Ney.