AREA HISTORY: Churches, Wrightsville, 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 597-599 The first church in the town was a brick Union Chapel built about the year 1817 or 1818, on ground donated for that purpose by Susanna Houston, being the same ground that is still occupied as a Union Cemetery. This church antedated the formation of any regular congregation in the town of any of the religious denominations, and was used for several years by both the Presbyterian and Methodist preachers of other denominations also, as a preaching place. This church, which was afterward used as a schoolhouse, was torn down about the year 1854. The Methodist Church – There is no record by which the date of the organization of the first Methodist class or society in Wrightsville can be definitely fixed, but at the time of the erection of the Union Chapel, referred to above, the Methodists had a small society here, and for several years the Methodist preachers had appointments for occasional services in that building. In the year 1828 a lot of ground was purchased from Leonard Rathfon and wife, for the erection of a Methodist Episcopal Church. This was the same lot on which the present church building now stands. During the next year (1829), the frame church, which formerly occupied the present site, was erected. At that time, and for a number of years before and after, Wrightsville was one of the appointments on Shrewsbury Circuit. The first record we have is in the year 1840, when Revs. John A. Collins and Penfield Doll were the preachers of Shrewsbury Circuit, to which Wrightsville was still attached. They were succeeded, in 1841, by Rev. Oliver Ege, as preacher in charge, and Rev. Thompson Mitchell, as junior preacher. This was the last year that Shrewsbury Circuit extended so far. In the spring of 1842, Codorus Circuit was formed, and Rev. Thompson Mitchell appointed preacher in charge. In 1844 Rev. John Morehead was appointed to Wrightsville, the appointment at that time consisting of Wrightsville and Margaretta Furnace, as it does at the present time. He was succeeded, in 1846, by Rev. I. H. Torrence, now secretary of the Pennsylvania Bible Society, during whose pastorate of two years the congregation resolved upon the erection of a new and more commodious house of worship, and the preliminary steps to that end were taken, including the securing of subscriptions and the laying of plans, but the building itself was erected in the year 1848, during the pastorate of Rev. Dabney Ball, who, by the way, afterward joined the Methodist Episcopal Church South, and was a chaplain in the Confederate army during the Rebellion. In 1849 Rev. R. S. McClay, now the superintendent of missions in Japan, was appointed to the charge, but remained only a short time, when he was sent to another field of labor, being succeeded for the same year by Rev. William Reed. In 1850 Rev. Franklin Gearhart was appointed, remaining one year; in 1851 Rev. William Gwynn, two years; in 1853 Rev. W. C. Steele one year; in 1854 Rev. W. W. Welsh, two years; in 1856 Rev. D. S. Monroe, one year; in 1857 Rev. W. S. Wilson, one year; in 1858 Rev. S. W. Sears, one year; in 1859 Rev. Oliver Ege, one year; in 1860 Rev. M. S. Drum, two years; in 1862 Rev. G. W. Dunlap, two years; in 1864 Rev. Emory Buhrman, two years; in 1866 Rev. J. Max Lantz, three years. During the pastorate of Mr. Lantz, the church was repaired and painted at an expense of between $600 and $700, and the appearance of the building was much improved. In 1869 Rev. J. W. Olewine was appointed to the charge, remaining two years, and, in 1871, Rev. H. M. Ash, three years. During his term the congregation erected the convenient and pleasant parsonage connected with the church. In 1874 Rev. Richard Mallalieu was appointed for two years; in 1876 Rev. E. E. A. Deaver, for three years; in 1879 Rev. J. Y. Shannon, for three years; and, in 1882, Rev. J. P. Moore, the present pastor, was appointed. In that year extensive repairs were made to the church building, and it now presents a handsome appearance, and is a pleasant and comfortable church edifice. The present membership is a little over 200, while there is in connection with the church a large and flourishing Sunday-school, having thirty officers and teachers and 290 scholars on the roll. C. S. Budding is the superintendent. The Presbyterian Church – The Presbyterian congregation dates from May 8, 1828, when the Rev. William F. Houston became the pastor of the church, services being held in the Union Chapel, on Chestnut Street, until 1847, when the lot of ground at the northwest corner of Second and Locust Streets was purchased, and a convenient two-story church was built. This was occupied by the congregation until the year 1882, when it was torn down and the present church built on the same site. This building is still incomplete, the lecture or Sunday-school room being finished and occupied, but the interior of the main audience chamber has not yet been finished. When completed it will be a handsome and convenient church building and an ornament to the town. The pastors of the congregation in their regular order have been as follows: Revs. William F. Houston, G. L. Moore, R. W. Dunlap, Stephen Boyer, Joseph J. Graff, Elijah Wilson, John J. Lane, S. Morton Pearce, S. Henry Bell and the present pastor, Rev. George S. Bell. The longest pastorate was that of the Rev. John J. Lane, which continued from 1853 to 1868. The present membership of the church is 120, and the Sunday- school, which is under the superintendency of Mr. James H. McConkey, is in a prosperous condition. The Evangelical Lutheran Church – The Lutheran Church of Wrightsville was organized on the evening of July 11, 1852, with seventeen members, by Rev. J. B. Christ. The church records fail to show the date of the commencement of the first church building, which stood on Chestnut Street, between Second and Third, but it was completed in the fall of 1854, and dedicated to the worship of God on the 7th of October in that year. Soon after the completion of the church building, Rev. Mr. Christ tendered his resignation as pastor, and the pastorate was vacant until Rev. F. Ruthrauff took charge of the congregation July 8, 1856. He resigned January 1, 1858, and was succeeded on March 9, 1858, by Rev. P. Raby. Mr. Raby served the congregation until April 1, 1860, and was followed by Rev. L. B. Berry, whose pastorate lasted for over three years. Since that time the several pastors of the church have been Revs. Albert McLaughlin, J. M. Rice, George P. Weaver, L. K. Sechrist, S. E. Herring, and the present pastor, Rev. D. Stock. April 28, 1870, the church building occupied by the congregation was struck by lightening, and totally destroyed, and the congregation immediately took steps to erect a new and more commodious place of worship, and the present edifice was built, the lecture-room being finished and occupied in October, 1871, and the entire building completed and dedicated October 24, 1875. During the pastorate of Rev. D. Stock, which commenced December 1, 1880, the congregation has been growing in numbers and spirituality, and has at the present time over 100 regular communicant members. The Sunday-school connected with the church, of which Mr. William Witman is the superintendent, is also interesting and successful. The African Methodist Episcopal Church – There is a congregation of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in the town, but there are no records by which the date of the organization can be obtained. The congregation have a neat and substantial brick church, which was built in the year 1855, on Orange Street. The congregation here is connected with that of the same denomination in York Borough, under the pastorate of the Rev. Jacob Wilksheim.