AREA HISTORY: Churches, Fairview 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 642-644 Salem Church – This church, familiarly known to the community as the “Stone Church,” stands near the center of Fishing Creek Valley. It was originally erected as a Union Church, but is used almost exclusively by the denomination of United Brethren in Christ. The doctrines of this sect were first preached in the valley by Rev. John Fohl, who was then stationed at the village of Shiremanstown, Cumberland County. David Fisher, Sr., who recently died, and others, having made the acquaintance of Rev. Fohl, invited him to visit Fishing Creek valley in 1842. Fulfilling their request he began a protracted meeting in the schoolhouse, which was located one-half mile above the present site of the church. The result of his labors being successful, he effected an organization. The congregation continued to worship in the school for a number of years. At a meeting of the quarterly conference held in this valley April 22, 1844, John S. Prowell, Henry B. Kauffman and Jacob Miller were appointed trustees of the congregation already formed. Mr. Prowell who has served in that capacity forty-one years is still a trustee. On the 4th of October, 1852, the trustees purchased of David Fisher one-half acre of land as a church lot and graveyard. The survey was made by Jacob Kirk, Esq. A convenient stone church was built at a cost of $1,000. Much of the hauling and work was done gratuitously by the people of the vicinity. Rev. J. C. Smith, now of York, Rev. Kessler, Bishop John Dickson and Rev. Daniel Eberly were some of the more prominent pastors who have ministered to this congregation. Rev. Wagner for the past few years has officiated. A few years ago the building was much improved, being repainted, calcimined, and received a new roof. New seats and an organ were also purchased. The present trustees are John S. Prowell, James L. Reed, John W. Prowell, David Kauffman and David M. Fisher. A Sunday-school regularly meets in the church. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mount Olivet Church – known as the “Marsh Church,” is located near New Market. Shortly after the Revolutionary war, land was obtained here from one of the Mosser farms, on which was built a union meeting house and schoolhouse. No services were to be held “during candle light.” The oldest citizens remember Schoolmasters Couples and Allison who reigned supreme in this building as early as 1820. Abraham Hursch taught in 1832 and Jacob Ketterman in 1835, first under the common school system. This historic old building, after being used three-fourths of a century, was torn down in 1860. That year Rev. J. Dickson, now one of the bishops of the United Brethren in Christ, increased the membership of the congregation here by a series of revival meetings. In the language of the venerable clergyman, “to hold the ground a church was needed,” as the old schoolhouse had become dilapidated. The historic old graveyard adjoining it, was the burying place for the inhabitants of the surrounding neighborhood, hence others besides members of the United Brethren Church contributed liberally, and the present brick church was built in 1860, at a cost of $1,600. The building committee were A. B. Hursh, Francis Hollar and Rev. Dickson. It was dedicated the same year by Bishop Glossbrenner; Rev. D. Eberly, J. C. Smith, J. X. Quigley, B. G. Huber, J. Snoke, S. Proffit and Thomas Garland, were some of the succeeding pastors. The Sunday-school was superintended by J. S. McDanel for twelve years; he was followed by David Strine, Dr. J. W. Roop and H. T. Miller. Mount Olivet Cemetery adjoining the church is a tract of about four acres of land. It was laid out in 1870. The first directors were H. R. Mosser, John Miller, Owen James, Dr. A. W. Nichols, Allen Ross, Dr. George R. Hursh, Elias Hake, Washington Master and Jacob Carpenter. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mount Zion Lutheran Church – Religious services were first held in a schoolhouse, about one and a half miles from Mount Zion Church, in Fairview Township. As the membership increased the schoolhouse became too small, and the people felt the need of a larger building. One acre of ground was bought. A building committee composed of J. Pledger, J. Neff and A. Zinn, was chosen. The corner-stone was laid April 17, 1858, by Rev. C. F. Staver, of Mechanicsburg, and was dedicated in the fall of the same year. In 1873 some repairing was done, and it was rededicated December 7, by Rev. S. E. Herring. The following ministers preached in this church: Revs. Staver, Groft, S. Dasher, N. B. Winten, A. N. Warner, J. E. Honeycutt, S. E. Herring, G. D. Gross, C. B. King, and A. B. Erhard. Its officers are Messrs. Hoover and Shetrone, elders; Bentzel, Neigly, Herring and Hart, deacons. The Sunday-school is kept up only during the summer season; superintendent, Mr. Kunkle; assistant superintendent, Mr. Bentz. The membership of this congregation is not so large, it having been without a pastor for some time, but it is at the present in a prosperous condition. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Emanuel’s Church of the Evangelical Association – This church is located near the borough of Lewisberry. Its organization dates back as far as 1850. Services were first held in the Pinetown schoolhouse, in the vicinity. In 1871, under the pastorate of Rev. H. A. Dietrich, the present church was built at a cost of $1,200. Rev. Dietrich, John Kline and William Downs formed the building committee. The first trustees were J. Parks, William Bushey and George Seitz. The dedicatory services took place in January, 1872. The officiating clergymen were Revs. H. B. Hartzler, U. F. Swengel and H. A. Dietrich. The pastors who have preached regularly in this church since its erection were Revs. H. A. Dietrich, A. W. Kreamer, J. A. Irvine, E. Swengel, S. E. Davis, B. F. Anthony and L. Dice. The present membership is thirty; number of Sunday-school pupils thirty-five. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Friends’ Meeting House – On the farm of William Maulsby near the upper end of Fairview was located a Quaker Meeting House. For the particulars of it, the reader’s attention is directed to the article on “The Friends” in this work, page 278.