AREA HISTORY: Churches, Springfield Township, York County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Kathy Francis Copyright 2006. 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 717-718 Freidensaals Kirche, located near the east end of Springfield, is better known as “Shuster’s Church.” The first German settlers of this region were organized into a congregation in 1763, by Rev. Kirchner, a native German. The next pastor was Rev. Lucas Raus who served from 1770 to 1787, and Rev. Augustus Reutze succeeded in 1795. The first grant of church land, was given March 30, 1774. It was an original grant from the proprietaries of the Province of Pennsylvania, John, Thomas and Richard Penn, who directed a survey to be received in the land office at Philadelphia of “a tract of land called the church lot, containing eight acres and 110 perches of land situated in Shrewsbury (now Springfield) Township in the county of York, made by virtue of application No. 5270, for John Hella and Nicholas Henry, in trust for the Lutheran congregation now formed thereon. The said trustees to be holden of us, our heirs and successors, propirietaries of Pennsylvania as of our Manor of Maske in the county of York, in free and common soceage by Fealty only, in lieu of all other services, yielding and paying unto us or our agents at the town of York an annual quit rent on the first day of March instant of one shilling sterling, or value thereof in coin current, according as the exchange shall then be between our said Province and the city of London.” The consideration money for the transfer of the deed, was 8s. 10d. The survey was made “on the 5th day of the 4th month, 1769,” by William Matthews deputy surveyor or York County. The church lot was in the shape of a right angled triangle. The land adjoining the base and the perpendicular of it was designated as belonging to Nicholas Shuster, hence the origin of the name “Shuster’s Church.” The land on the other side, belonged to Conrad Curfman. The following is a copy of receipt for money paid for the land: Philadelphia, March 28, 1774. Received of John George Hella and Nicholas Henry, in trust for Lutheran Congregation, the sum of one pound and four pence current money of Pennsylvania, in lieu of fourteen shillings and two pence sterling, in full for purchase money interest and quit rent due on eight acres and 110 perches of land in Shrewsbury Town, York County, surveyed pursuant to application entered Nov. 24, 1768. Received for the Honorable Proprietaries. £1.0.4. By Edmund Physick. William Earhart and Jacob Ness, on the 4th month and 16th day, 1774, received from Nicholas Henry and John George Hella, £4 13s. for expenses paid in patenting church lot, for great seal, for recording patent and for incidental expenses. In the year 1848 a charter was granted under the name of the “Evangelical Lutheran Congregations of Friedensaals Church in Springfield Township.” At that time George Leader, John Meyer, John Crout and Henry B. Castoe were church elders, and Joseph Ness, Henry Crout, George Ebrhart and Samuel Castoe, church wardens. A parochial school was kept in a building on the church property for many years, supported by the members of the congregation. August 9, 1851, Jacob Schnell, William Swartz, Joseph Steils and Adam Ness, elders of the church leased to Jacob Koller, John Williams, John Snyder and others, school directors of Springfield Township, leased the schoolhouse erected on the church lands. The property on which the schoolhouse stood, at that time, adjoined the lands of John Goodling and Joseph Hildebrand. The conditions of the lease were for a term of ten years “if the common school system shall so long be in operation.” The present church building, the third one in succession, stands on the original plat. The first building was made of logs. The second building was a frame structure painted white and was called “Die Weis Kirche.” The name which the present brick church bears was given to it by Rev. Mr. Burg, who for many years was the pastor. Rev. C. M. Eyster, who has recently been called to Manchester, Md., was the last pastor. St. Peter’s Reformed Church – The reformed congregation which now worships in this church was organized about 1783, and from that date to 1876 worshiped in Shuster’s Church, which is not far distant. During the centennial year the handsome new brick church was built. The ministers since the organization in order of succession were Revs. Adam Ettinger, Henry Fries, F. Scholl, Henry B. Habliston, John A. Foersch, F. Bucher, John Reineka, C. W. Reineka, W. Vandersloot, Daniel Gring and the present efficient pastor, Rev. A. P. Driesbaugh, of Shrewsbury. The membership is 150. Mount Zion Church – In the private house of John Seitz, religious services were held by ministers of the Evangelical Association as early as 1810. Revs. John Erb, Matthias Betz, A. Buchman, and A. Henning held meetings here for a number of years. Services were held in dwelling houses until 1826, when the congregation became so strong that a stone church was built that year. In the annals of the Evangelical Association, this is an historic spot, as it is the site of the first church erected by the members exclusively of that denomination in York County, and the second one in America. This landmark is now used by the firm of Anstine & Hildebrand, as a store-room. It was used as a house of worship until 1855, when a large brick building was erected; this stood until 1880, when the present brick church was built, at a cost of $2,400, under the pastorate of Rev. H. M. Greninger. It occupies the same site as the second church. Near this place Mount Zion camp meeting is annually held, under the auspices of the Evangelical Association. It is one of the largest meeting of this kind conducted by this church body, and is regularly attended by a great number of ministers and people. Mount Zion Sunday-school of ninety pupils, is superintended by William H. Snyder. Loganville Church - As early as 1810 religious services, under the auspices of this denomination, were held in the vicinity of Loganville by missionaries, in the private houses of Peter Goodling, and Samuel Raver. Revs. A. Buchman and A. Henning formed a class during the year 1812. From the time of the organization until 1842, meetings were conducted in a schoolhouse used for religious worship. It was during that year that the church was built, at a cost of $1,200, under the pastorate of Revs. George Sheaffer and Conrad Link. Rev. Link afterward became the first missionary of the Evangelical Association sent to Europe. He was commissioned to go to Stuttgart, Germany, where he did efficient work and died there a few years ago. The church is a frame structure, and this appointment originally formed a part of the Shrewsbury circuit. It is now the central congregation of the Loganville circuit. Rev. S. Aurand is the present pastor. A Sunday-school containing 110 pupils is kept in the church. For a number of years W. A. Spate has been superintendent. Salem Lutheran and Reformed Church, in Springfield, near New Paradise, was organized in 1841, by Rev. Peter Herman, of Windsor, at Hartman’s Schoolhouse. In 1842 the first church was built, of wood. Prominent in this undertaking were John Dehoff, John Glotter, John Becker, Daniel Ness, John Barshinger and George Hartman. In 1882 the present large brick church was built, one of the finest and most commodious country churches in the county, while the Lutheran congregation was under the pastoral care of the late Rev. C. J. Deininger. Revs. Gotwald, of York, and Gerhart, of Lancaster, officiated at the corner-stone laying; Rev. Enders, of York, and Rev. Gerhart, at the dedication. At the corner-stone laying of the first church in 1842, Revs. J. G. Schmucker, A. H. Lochman, J. Kempfer and F. W. Vandersloot, and at the dedication on November 20, of the same year, Revs. Lochman, Schmucker, Cares and Lennert (Moravian) were present. The prominent members of this congregation were Emanuel Ness, Samuel Ness, Isaac leader, Isaac Hovis, Lewis Bupp and Henry Harting. The official labors of Rev. Deininger, at this church, from 1853 to 1885, besides preaching were: Infant baptisms, 443; adult, 29; burials, 135; confirmations, 338; present membership, 200. Rev. J. H. Leeser is pastor. The Reformed pastors have been Revs. John Cares, who organized the Reformed congregation in 1842; John Reineke, William Good and Bossler. Rev. Rhinehart Smith took charge of the congregation, August, 1866, and is now the pastor. Paradise Church – In 1842 Revs. George Sheaffer and Conrad Link, while traveling the Shrewsbury Circuit, began preaching in the dwelling house, of John Snyder. An organization was not effected until 1861, when Rev. Adam Ettinger, one of the fathers of the Evangelical Association, formed a class of seven members. Paradise Church was built in the year 1882 under the pastorate of Rev. Stambach. It is a frame building and cost about $1,000. The Sunday- school of eighty pupils is under the superintendency of Eli B. Krout. The German Baptist Meeting-house is located in Dunker Valley, a short distance east of Loganville. It is a fine brick building 70 x 40 feet with basement and attic, built about 1872. Five acres of densely wooded church land adjoins it, on one corner of which is a graveyard. The annual love feast usually held in May of each year, is very largely attended.