AREA HISTORY:  The Moravian Church, 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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THE MORAVIAN CHURCH – Page 536

Among the first Germans who purchased lots in 1741, at the laying out of the town of York, were a number of Moravians.  Services were held 
in this county by Moravian missionaries as early as 1744.  Many years earlier than this, missionaries of this denomination conducted services 
among the Indians and the first settlers.  Before there were any permanent settlements there was a trail or route, for the devoted missionaries of 
this church, from their famous settlement at Bethlehem across York County to their settlements in Maryland.  Rev. Jacob Lischy who, in 1744, 
was the first pastor of the German Reformed Church in York, was originally a Moravian.  His first membership was composed of German 
Reformed and Moravian people.  In 1751 Rev. John Philip Meurer was the first regular pastor, and during that year organized a congregation.  
The same year a clergyman of this faith, whose name cannot now be given, organized a congregation in Codorus Township, which existed for a 
time.  The York congregation worshipped in private houses, until 1755, when a stone house was built on what was then the outskirts of the 
town, but now located on the corner of Princess and Water Streets.  In the adjoining burying-ground are interred the remains of a great many of 
the early residents of York and vicinity.  These graves are carefully arranged in rows, and numbered according to the original rules of the 
denomination.  The tombstones are all of the same height, and of the same quality of stone.  The stone building, erected in 1755, and dedicated 
on December 21, of the same year, was used as a dwelling house for the minister, and in a large hall in it, the religious services were held.  A 
church was built in 1828.

The names of the pastors in order of succession since 1751 are Revs. Meuer, Engel, Neisser, Soelle, Schlegel, Schmidt, Herr, Lindemeyer, 
Krogstrup, Schweishaupt, Roth, Reineke, Huebner, Bochler, Molther, Beck, Rondthaler, Miller, Loeffler, Kluge, Dober, and Van Vleck.

From 1835 to 1861 the congregation was served by the following named pastors in the order mentioned:  Rev. W. L. Lennert, 1835 to 1847; Rt. 
Rev. Samuel Reineke, 1847 to 1853; Rev. Ambrosius Ronthaler, 1853 to 1854; Rev. F. F. Hagen, 1854 to 1861; Rev. S. M. Smith, 1861 to 
1866; Rt. Rev. H. A. Shultz, 1866 to 1868; Rev. W. H. Rice, 1868 to 1876; Rev. J. Blickensdorfer, 1876 to 1879; Rev. L. F. Kampman, 1879 to 
1884; Rev. E. W. Shields, 1884.

The church built in 1828 was used until 1867, when under the pastorate of the Rt. Rev. H. A. Shultz a site was purchased on North Duke and 
the present church erected.  It was dedicated by his successor, Rev. W. H. Rice, in 1868.  Rev. E. W. Shields, who at present ministers to the 
congregation, entered upon his duties on the 20th of August, 1884.  In 1885, the church was remodeled, the interior converted into one large 
auditorium, into a basement story for Sunday-school purposes, and a second story for the church auditorium.  The cost of these repairs was 
$5,000.  The congregation has a total membership of 250 persons; a communicant list of 150.