AREA HISTORY:  St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran 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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ST. PAUL’S EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH – Page 537

The services of the First Lutheran Church for nearly a century were all conducted in the German language.  In the course of time, 
however, the English language unsurped the place of the German, and it became necessary, especially in order to retain the 
young, to conduct part at least of the public services in English.  Of this necessity no one was better aware than the Rev. Dr. J. G. 
Schmucker, then the pastor of the First Church, and hence, as early as the year 1825, he introduced occasionally English 
preaching, and in the year 1828, established also an English Sunday-school.  This school was held in the old brick schoolhouse 
which stood in the rear of the church.  The superintendent of this First Lutheran Sunday-school in York, was the late Charles A. 
Morris.  The necessity for English preaching increased, and, in 1829, a call was extended to Rev. Jonathan Oswald, then a student 
in the Lutheran Seminary at Gettysburg, to act as joint pastor with Dr. Schmucker, and to officiate in the English language.  Mr. 
Oswald entered upon his duties in July, 1829.  He laborer in this capacity for about seven years, until 1836.  Shortly before the 
latter date, it became evident, however, that the demand for the use of the English language was not being fully met by the 
occasional holding of English services in the German church, but that there was a necessity for the establishment of an 
exclusively English church.  The first meeting for this purpose was held February 18, 1836.  Dr. Luke Rouse was elected 
president; Frederick Baugher and Adam Eichelberger, secretaries.  A board of trustees was appointed, consisting of Daniel 
Kraber, Charles Eppley, Luke Rouse, Michael Sowers, John Immel, Adam Eichelberger, Christian Hildebrand, Christian G. 
Pfahler, George S. Ziegler, Conrad Shultz, Benjamin Johnston and Abraham Forry.  At a meeting held February 26, 1836, 
Charles Weiser, Luke Rouse, George P. Ziegler, Charles A. Morris and Adam Wert, were appointed trustees, Lewis Rosenmiller 
was appointed treasurer.  A congregational meeting was held on Sunday, February 28th, in the lecture room of the Reformed 
Church, at which the first council of the church was chosen as follows:  Elders, Frederick Baugher, Jacob Weiser, Abraham 
Forry, Adam Wert, Dr. Luke Rouse, and G. P. Ziegler; deacons Robert W. Long and John Immel.  On February 26, 1836, a 
constitution was adopted and signed by sixty-eight male members.  The number of female members who entered into the 
organization was about thirty.  The Sunday-school was organized in November, 1836, with Rev. J. Oswald, president; Daniel 
Kraber, superintendent; Charles A. Morris, treasurer, and Mrs. C. A. Morris, female superintendent.

The exercises of the Sunday-school and of the congregation, from the time they left the old church until they began worship in 
the lecture-room of their own church, were held in the lecture-room, and on special occasions in the main room of the German 
Reformed Church, which had been kindly tendered for that purpose.  A building committee was appointed, consisting of Charles 
Weiser, Dr. Luke Rouse, Charles A. Morris, George P. Ziegler and Adam Wert.  The board of trustees purchased the lot on the 
southeast corner of Beaver and King Streets, of James S. Conallee.  The corner-stone was laid on May 29, 1836, the Rev. Drs. H. 
L. Baugher and J. G. Morris, together with the pastor and other clergymen of the town officiating.  On the 19th of the following 
December, the first worship was held in the lecture-room of the new building, Rev. Dr. H. L. Baugher, officiating.  But “the great 
day of the feast,” in the early history of the church, was June 11, 1837, when the finished building was dedicated.  The ministers 
officiating, besides the pastor, were the Rev. Drs. Benjamin Kurtz, J. G. Morris, H. L. Baugher and C. P. Krauth.  The size of the 
church was 50x75 feet.

The present charter of the church was obtained on the 24th of May, 1839.  In January, 1842, a parsonage was purchased, at the 
northwest corner of George and King Streets, for $2,500.  On January 1, 1856, every dollar of the church debt was paid.  And 
from a report then prepared and made to the congregation by Daniel Kraber, it was ascertained that since the formation of the 
congregation, up to that time, the sum of $15,287 had been collected and paid.  On December 9, 1857, the organ was bought, and 
the gallery lowered and other repairs made, the entire cost of which was $946.

In 1858 the church was remodeled, the walls frescoed, gas and furnaces introduced, at a cost of $2,500.

On the 4th of November, 1868, a committee was appointed, consisting of Daniel Kraber, David Emmit, William Smith, George 
W. Ilgenfritz and M. B. Spahr, for the purpose of building a new church.  The design for the new building was one presented by 
S. D. Button, of Philadelphia.  Nathaniel Weigle was superintendent and builder; Charles S. Weiser, treasurer.  April 4, 1869, the 
last services were held in the old church.  It is an interesting fact in this connection that whilst, as already mentioned, Dr. H. L. 
Baugher preached the first sermon that was delivered in the old building, his son, Prof. H. L. Baugher, preached the last one it it; 
and as the father preached at the dedication of the first house, so the son preached the sermon at the dedication of the chapel of 
the second house.

The corner-stone of the old building was relaid June 12, 1869.  At the same time a new corner-stone was also laid.  The 
dedication of the chapel took place January 9, 1870, on which occasion, in addition to the $26,000 previously subscribed, 
$10,000 more were subscribed.

The dedication of the church took place March 12, 1871.  The ministers officiating besides the pastor, were the Rev. Drs. H. A. 
Pohlman, J. A. Brown, F. W. Conrad and J. Oswald, together with Revs. Solomon Oswald, B. C. Suesserott and Prof. H. L. 
Baugher.  Dr. Pohlman preached the sermon; Dr. J. Oswald, read the dedicatory services.  The fine bell, weighing over 3,000 
pounds, and costing $1,400 was the handsome Christmas gift of the church’s faithful treasurer, David Emmit.  The cost of the 
building was about $60,000.  The Sunday-school has steadily grown; it numbers at present about 440 pupils.  During the year 
1884, the average attendance of the school was:  officers, 14; teachers, 36; scholars, 180; infants, 83; total 312. 

The present treasurer of the church, David Emmit, filled this position for more than thirty years.  The old organ, which was 
bought in 1857, was, in 1882, replaced by a much larger one, costing $3,600.

The first pastor was Rev. Dr. Jonathan Oswald, who still worships with the congregation.  Chosen pastor by the little band, which 
almost a half a century ago colonized from the old German Church, Dr. Oswald continued most faithfully and successfully to 
serve the congregation for more than twenty-five years, until June, 1861, when his labors were suddenly interrupted by serious 
illness.  With unfeigned sorrow, his devoted people were obliged to accept his resignation on December 31, 1861.  In a recent 
communication, among other things, he writes as follows:  “The old pastor is yet living, and he asks nothing of this generation 
but that only which John asked of the disciples of his day: ‘Little children, love each other.’  He wishes for nothing in behalf of 
this church but that only which Paul supplicated in behalf of the Ephesian Christians.  And for himself he asks nothing but that he 
may worship with the children, whose fathers he so often directed in the way of truth.”

The second pastor was the Rev. Dr. W. M. Baum.  He began his ministry January 1, 1862, and continued for twelve years, 
resigning in February, 1874.  The present beautiful church edifice is largely the monument of his tact, perseverance, and ability as 
a pastor.  A large part of the present membership of the church was brought into it through his instrumentality.

The present pastor, the Rev. Luther A. Gotwald, D. D., began his labors in this church on the first Sunday in April, 1874.  After 
an experience of eleven years, he states that he has found the congregation kind, united, liberal and faithful in the discharge of 
their Christian duties.  St. Paul’s Church is one of the finest and one of the most delightfully located churches in Pennsylvania.