The following pastors have served the congregation: 1747, Rev. Leonard Schnell; 1748, Rev. Abraham Reinke; 1751, Rev. George Neisser; 1753, Rev. Christian Rauch; 1754, Rev. Otto Krogstrup; 1755, Rev. Christian Bader; 1756, Rev. Christian Rusmyer; 1757, Rev. Charles G Rundt; 1759, Rev. Christian Bader; 1762, Rev. Christian Rusmyer; 1766, Rev. Andrew Langgaard; 1773, Rev. Otto Krogstrup; 1785, Rev. Ludwig F. Boehler; 1786, Rev. John Herbst; 1791, Rev. Abraham Reinke; 1795, Rev Ludwig Huebner; 1800, Rev. John Martin Beck; 1803, Rev. Abraham Reinke; 1810, Rev. Constantine Miller; 1819, Rev. Samuel Reinke;* 1823, Rev. Peter Wolle;* 1826, Rev. John G. Herman;* 1829, Rev. Rev. Charles F. Reichel; 1834, Rev. Charles A. Vanvleck; 1835, Rev. Samuel Reinke;* 1839, Rev. George F. Bahnson;* 1849, Rev. Robert de Schweinitz; 1853, Rev. Henry A. Shultz;* 1855, Rev. Lewis F. Kampman; 1858, Rev. Joseph H. Kummer; 1862, Rev. Edwin T. Senseman; 1864, Rev. David Bigler, * Epis. Frat.1

*This mark denotes that the clergymen to whose names it is attached have become Bishops.

PRESBYTERIANS.2

The Presbyterian Church of Lancaster was founded in 1763. The names of the originators, as far as can now be ascertained, were Edward Shippen, Esq., Dr. Robert Boyd, William White, Henry Helm, Charles Hall, Samuel Boyd, William Montgomery, William Ross and Judge Yeates.

William White and Henry Helm were the first Ruling Elders. The congregation worshipped first in the Court House, then situated in Centre Square.

The first Pastor of the Church was the Rev. John Woodhull, called in 1769. Only one-third of the time of the Pastor was given to Lancaster, the remainder being devoted to the neighboring Church of Leacock, at that time much more flourishing than its sister Church of Lancaster.

The first Church edifice was finished in 1770 or '71. In 1770 the Church obtained leave of Synod to place itself under the New Castle Presbytery.

The Pastorate of Mr. Woodhull continued about ten years.

In 1780, the three Presbyterian Churches of Leacock, Lancaster and Middle Octoraro united in calling Mr. Nathaniel W. Sample. The call was accepted in August of next year, and Mr. Sample was ordained and installed in December, 1781. This pastoral relation continued unchanged for 40 years, the Lancaster Church as before having but one-third of the time of the Sabbath ministrations, and probably not so large a proportion of the pastoral labors, as the Pastor lived all this time within the bounds of the other churches.

Mr. Sample demitted his charge in September 1821. During his ministry the Church seems to have made considerable advancement. In 1804 the Church was incorporated through the enterprise of a very efficient Board of Trustees. In 1820 the Church edifice was somewhat enlarged and improved.

The Rev. Wm. Ashmead succeeded Mr. Sample in the pastoral charge of the Church at Lancaster in 1821. At that date the Church was sufficiently large to demand the entire services and sufficiently wealthy to be able to pay a salary of $1,000 a year. A very liberal salary for that time.

Mr. Ashmead was ordained and installed by the Presbytery of New Castle on the evening of September 26, 1821. His connection with the Church was dissolved on the 7th of April, 1829, owing to continued ill-health.

The Rev. Richard W. Dickinson was installed as the successor of Mr. Ashmead on Monday evening, October 26, 1829.

Rev. John T. Marshall Davie was installed as the next Pastor of the Church, Janu

1 Communicated by Rt. Rev. David Bigler.

2 Drawn up by Rev. George Robinson, chiefly from a MS. Sermon by the late Rev. W. Powell.

ary 21, 1834, and remained about six years. In 1841, the Rev. John McNair was called to the pastorate and on the 1st of June installed by the Presbytery of New Castle. Under Dr. McNair's ministry the edifice now standing was built and dedicated to the worship of God on May 11, 1851. In the following October, after ten years' service, and against strong solicitation, the pastoral relation was dissolvednot by the New Castle Presbytery, but by the Donegal, which had again come into existence, and within whose limits the Church of Lancaster then was and continues to be.

Soon after the completion of the house of worship, there was unhappily a division of the church, and the formation of what was called the Second Presbyterian Church of Lancaster. This branch called the Rev. Alfred Nevin whose pastorate continued about four and a half years.

The First Church, as the old society came to be called after the division, called the Rev. J. Abeel Baldwin, who was installed over it on Tuesday evening, October 28, 1852, and continued his ministry until April 8, 1856.

On the 9th of July, 1857, Mr. Walter Powell was ordained and installed as pastor of the First Church. During the early part of his ministry the breach between the two branches was healed, and the struggle to maintain separate existence was happily brought to an end in 1858. The pecuniary embarrassments which had greatly hampered the churches in their separate existences were gradually removed. The debt on the church edifice was paid. In 1864 a comfortable house was purchased for the free use of the pastor and family, and the church edifice, chiefly through the exertions of the ladies of the church, was put into a better state of repair.

During the summer of 1867, the health of Mr. Powell, which for some time had been impaired, became so much reduced as to render it impossible for him to perform the arduous duties which were incumbent upon him. The congregation with commendable liberality granted him a six months' leave of absence, but the respite came too late. His disease, which was of an insidious character, gradually sapped his strength until, on Jan. 23, 1868, his Master, whom he had so faithfully served, released him from all earthly labors.

After a vacancy of several months a call was extended to Mr. George Robinson, and by him accepted. On the evening of Sept. 8, 1868, Mr. Robinson was ordained and installed over this church. Present membership, 255.

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES IN LANCASTER COUNTY WITH DATES OF THEIR ORGANIZATION.

Donegal, 1722; Pequea, 1724; Middle Octoraro (Bart), about 1727; Chestnut Level, unknown; Leacock, about 1741; Little Britain, unknown; Lancaster, 1763; Columbia, 1807; Coleraine, 1816; Marietta, 1822; Bellevue, 1832; Strasburg, 1832; Mount Joy, 1839; Cedar Grove, 1839; Mount Nebo, 1858; Carnarvon, -; Free Presbyterian Church of Colerain (Octoraro),

THE ROMAN CATHOLICS.1

The Catholics of Lancaster County, were first organized in 1740. The first Church, St. Mary's, was built in 1745, destroyed by fire in 1760, and rebuilt in 1762. The German and English speaking Catholics worshipped together until 1850; when the congregation had been so largely increased, that it became necessary to build a larger Church; the German portion withdrew, and selected a site in the south-western part of the City, and erected a fine building, under the patronage of St. Joseph; that church, owing to the increase of the congregation, now requires enlargement. Those who still worshipped in the old church, soon found it necessary to erect a larger building also, the foundation of the present edifice was laid in 1852, and the church dedicated in 1856. In January, 1867, a fire in the basement, supposed to have been occasioned, owing to some

1 Contributed by Mr. Peter McConomy.

defect in the flues of the heater, damaged the church considerably, and owing to the defective framing of the roof, it became necessary to remodel the entire church which was re-dedicated on Sunday, May 3d, 1868. The archives of St. Mary's Church, exhibit the names of the following Clergymen, who served as Pastors: Fathers Molineaux, Farmer, Schnider, Pellentz, Ailing, Brosius, Hellron, Rosseller, Stafford, Geisler, Homm, Mongrand, Fitzsimmons, Lewermond, Janin and Entzen, from 1740 to 1802; in the latter year, the Rev. Dr. Egan, and the Very Reverend Louis De Barth were stationed at Lancaster. The former was transferred to St. Mary's Church, Philadelphia, in 1806; and in 1808, the Diocese of Philadelphia was formed, which then comprised the States of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. The Rev. Dr. Egan was appointed the first Bishop of Philadelphia. He died the 22d of July, 1814. His former associate in Lancaster, the Very Reverend De Barth, was appointed Administrator of the Diocese, after the Bishop's decease.

Their successors in the Pastorate of St. Mary's Church, Lancaster, were the Rev. I. Beschter, S. J., Rev. Mr. Byrn, the Rev. Schenfelder, Rev. J. J. Holland, succeeded by the Rev. B. Keenan, who still survives, and although time has made its marks, he still possesses considerable elasticity of spirits, and regularly officiates at the Altar. He is the oldest priest in the Diocese, and ministered to the spiritual wants of the Catholics of Lancaster for nearly half a century, having assumed the duties of his charge in 1823. The Pastors of Lancaster attended, in former times, to the Missions of Milton, Sunbury, Harrisburg, Lebanon, Colebrook, Elizabethtown and Columbia. The old stone church, built in 1762, is still in excellent preservation, though wearing the unmistakable mark of old Father Time. It was used for divine service in 1867, after the fire had occurred, until the repairs on the new church were finished.

It is interesting to look back over the early history of the Catholic Church in Lancaster, to recall the zeal and devotion of its forefathers in the cause of Religion. It is recorded that during the building of the old stone church, the women of the congregation came daily to mix the mortar, while the men gathered the stone from the adjoining farmers, and carried them to the site of the building, where they assisted in the erection of the edifice, considered, at that period, a very fine and commodious church. The Catholic churches in the County, exclusive of those in the City, are St. Peter's and Holy Trinity, of Columbia; St. Peter's, of Elizabethtown, and St. Catherine's, of Drumore township.

NEW JERUSALEM CHURCH,1

Universally styled, by the members thereof, the "New Church," as contradistinguished from all other christian denominations, which they collectively regard as the "Old Church;" but by the world in general better known perhaps as Swedenborgians. There has not been a period since the year 1765 when there has not resided within the limits of Lancaster city and county one or more receivers of the doctrines of this church, as revealed through the writings of Swedenborg; yet owing to their paucity of numbers, during the long interval between the above date and the present time, and the absence of all attempts at proselytism, their very existence has almost been unknown to the mass of the population.

Baron Henry Von Buelow, a German nobleman, and a native of Prussia, who in his early years had adopted the military profession, visited America in 1765, and spent some time in Lancaster. He had some time previously embraced the peculiar views of Emanuel Swedenborg, and with a view to the dissemination of those doctrines, had brought with him from Europe a number of works, containing them, for gratuitous distribution and for sale.

About the same period, William Reichenbach, a native of Saxony, and a man of

1 Contributed by Mr. S. S. Rathvon.

classical attainments, left his native country, and immediately on his arrival in Lancaster was appointed professor of mathematics and German literature in Franklin College. This college was located on North Queen street near James, and the building during the Revolutionary War had been used as "Barracks" for the accommodation of soldiers. Afterwards it was known as the "Old Store House," and more recently as "Franklin Row;" it is now occupied by five or six families of some of our most worthy fellow citizens as their private residence.

Through the teaching of Von Buelow, Reichenbach became a receiver of the Doctrines of the New Church and avowed them openly. He afterwards wrote and published several works on the doctrines, one of which was entitled Agathon-published both in English and German-and was favorably received, but has become so rare that it is doubtful whether more than a single copy exists in the county now.

Von Buelow afterwards returned to Europe, but from his efforts, before he left Lancaster, there arose a small band of "receivers," about the year 1788, which has continued with alternately increased and diminished numbers, down to the present day. Among the first, besides Von Buelow and Reichenbach, in this county, who became receivers of the doctrines of the New Church, were Francis Bailey and family, Jacob Carpenter, the intimate friend of Buelow, Frederic Damish, a Saxon, a teacher of music, and a Mr. Eckstein. Subsequently, Joseph Ehrenfried, John Funk, Henry Keffer, intimate friends of Damish-William Girling, formerly a Methodist minister, John Henry Young, Henry Baer, Henry A. Carpenter and wife, Louis C. Jungerich, Charles Frederic Nauman and wife, Frederic J. Kramph, John Robertson, the intimate friend of Girling, Henry Pinkerton and son, Christian Fritz and wife, William H. Benade, previously a Moravian minister, Alexander Officer, L. J. Demuth and others, became receivers of these doctrines, and were members of the Lancaster Society. Of those who became receivers elsewhere and afterwards settled here, either permanently or for a time, were Joseph C. Boardman, David Pancoast and family, Mrs. Ann Kramph, Mrs. Mary Kramph, William Toelle and others.

The Lancaster New Jerusalem Society was organized February 14th, 1836, and although small in number, and unaided by any one outside of their own organization, they purchased a property in East Vine Street, Lancaster city, and erected a small Temple in 1837, since which time, religious services have been held therein, almost every Sunday, down to the present time. This Society was regularly instituted by Rev. Manning B. Roche, of Philadelphia, on the 17th of April, 1836, and was incorporated by the Legislature of Pennsylvania, June 8th, 1841. No resident Pastor, regularly elected, has been employed by the Lancaster New Jerusalem Society, except Rev. Isaac Worrell, from October 1839, to April 1840, and Rev. N. C. Burnham, from July 1866, to October 1868; but the ordinances of the Church have been administered semiannually or quarterly, and occasional preaching had, by New Church Pastors and Ministers, ever since the Society was first instituted. The Sunday School was organized in 1840, and has been in operation from that time to the present, under the direction of a Superintendent. In the absence of a Pastor the services are conducted by a Leader. UNITED BRETHREN IN CHRIST, OR VEREINIGTE BRUEDER.

The founders of this sect were William Otterbein, a German Reformed Minister in charge of the congregation at Lancaster (see GERMAN REFORMED) and Martin Boehm, a Mennonite. The origin of the name of this sect is said to have been as follows: About 1758 a large meeting attended by Christians of many denominations took place at Lancaster. Boehm, a man of small stature wearing the Mennonite costume, at the close of a discourse was folded in the arms of Otterbein, a man of liberal dimensions, who exclaimed, "Wir sind Brueder," "We are brethren;" to this incident is ascribed the denominational title of this sect, which exists in Lancster county, but whose statistics I have not been able to secure.

DIVISION VI.

EDUCATIONAL.

The first school seems to have been established by the Seventh Day Baptists, at Ephrata, as early as 1733. They employed a master who taught the primary branches and the classics in German. See Ephrata in Division II. p. 354 sq.

Within a few years from that period, we read of Lutheran and German Reformed Schools, in connection with the respective congregations at Lancaster; they were supplied with teachers, books and bibles by the generosity of European friends, and the zeal of the church authorities at home. The Rev. Michael Schlatter, a German Reformed minister, and an accomplished teacher, sent out at the expense of the Reformed Synod of Amsterdam, in 1746, had an excellent school in operation at that early period. In 1749 the Rev. Leonard Schnell, a Moravian, opened a school at Warwick, which was afterwards transferred to Litiz, and ably conducted by the Rev. B. A. Grube. The first Sunday School in America was opened by Ludwig Hacker, at Ephrata, in 1740.

The Governor of Pennsylvania, Chief Justice Allen, Messrs. Peters, Turner, Benja min Franklin and Conrad Weiser, were appointed Trustees and Managers of the Public Schools to be established in the province.

An account of the Moravian Schools at Litiz, and the Latin School which ultimately developed into Franklin and Marshall College, is given below. See also Div. II. p. 380 sq. Towards the close of last century private schools and academies were founded in the Borough and County of Lancaster. Under the operation of the Act of Assembly of April 4, 1809, entitled "an act for the education of the poor, gratis," numerous poor children were taught the elementary branches, but the system introduced by said act failing to lead to satisfactory results, another act was passed by the Legislature, April 1, 1822, entitled "an act to provide for the education of children at the public expense within the City and incorporated Boroughs of the County of Lancaster," which provided, that the City and incorporated Boroughs of the County were erected into the "Second School District of the State of Pennsylvania," and that 12 Directors should be annually appointed by the Court of Quarter Sessions of the county. It prescribed the duties and powers of the Directors, regulated the admission of children, ordered the adoption of the Lancasterian System and provided the expenses, described the subdivision of the District into sections whenever required, and the mode of its accomplishment. The first and only section of the District was the City of Lancaster.

The Directors appointed by the Court forthwith bought a lot of ground, erected a large and convenient school house, employed teachers of both sexes, adopted the Lancasterian System and were so successful in their conduct of the school that the City of Lancaster forbore for a long time to accept the General School Law of June 13, 1836. But the partiality of the system rendered it very unpopular and at last under the provisions of an act of the Legislature, passed April 14, 1838, the county by a popular vote accepted, with certain modifications, the Common School System.

A brief account of this system, the chief promoters of which are intimately con nected with the county, is given in the following extract from Mr. J. R. Sypher's