AREA HISTORY:  Reformed Lutheran Church, Jackson 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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REFORMED AND LUTHERAN CHURCH – Page 688

The Reformed and Lutheran church, generally known as the “Pidgeon Hill Church,” 
was originally a union church for three denominations, Reformed, Lutheran and 
Mennonite.  Abraham Roth on the 15th of August, 1785, deeded thirty acres of land 
in trust for church purposes, for which £6 14s. and 8d. were paid.  The trustees 
were Barnhart Spangler, Abraham Roth and Christian Wiest.  A log church was 
first built, then the log building was weather-boarded.  In 1845 the present 
brick church was built.  The original grant of land was to the Reformed Church 
only, but the other two sects were allowed to worship in the church.  The 
Reformed element in this community at the time of the building of this church, 
was the strongest.  The celebrated clergyman, Rev. William Otterbein, soon after 
his arrival in America, preached to the German Reformed congregation here, and 
held enthusiastic meetings.  The same clergyman who officiated at Paradise and 
the Dover Churches, ministered to the congregations here.  Of the Reformed 
pastors the following could be obtained in order of succession:  Revs. John 
Ernst, Charles Helfenstein, F. W. Vandersloot, John Umrich, Daniel Ziegler, D. 
D., eighteen years; Jacob Kehm, Jacob Ziegler.  Rev. I. S. Wiesz, D. D., is the 
present pastor.

The first Lutheran preacher known to have ministered here was Rev. Albert, who 
was then pastor at Hanover.  Rev. A. G. Deininger succeeded him and preached 
fifty-two years.  Rev. Daniel Sell, who now has charge of Paradise, Dover and 
Red Run Churches, is the Lutheran pastor.

Emanuel Eppleman is trustee for the Reformed congregation, which numbers 160, 
and Levi Stover for the Lutheran congregation of 120 members, Elders Henry 
Stouch and John Roth of the Reformed, and Frederick Stambaugh and Andrew 
Spangler of the Lutherans.  One of the best remembered personages who lived in 
this community nearly a century ago was Hans Adam Wertz, the parish 
“schulmeister,” who for many, many years taught the rudiments of a German and 
English education to the descendants of the early Teuton settlers of this 
region.  Tradition says “he was very smart.”  Just seventy-one years ago, when 
nearly four-score years old, he emigrated to Ohio, where he soon after died.