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History of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Sewickley, PA
The early history of St. Paul’s Luther Church of Sewickley, PA is not very generally known and is rather hazy. This is due to the fact that no records were kept, or if so, they were removed by the organizing pastor. It has been the desire of quite a few members of this church that a history be recorded, as accurately as possible under the existing conditions. I have made an extensive study of such records as the County Court, Sewickley Herald, and the church book and also interrogated the older members. I find that little information from this latter source can be used as different accounts are conflicting and some are not substantiated by other reliable records.
The first work in the interest of a Lutheran Church in Sewickley Valley was by the Reverend Paul Kummer during the years of 1904 and 1905. Reverend Kummer, at the time was pastor or St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church, Zion Ambridge and professor of languages in the Ambridge High School. Services were entirely in German and as a result were limited to a small group of German and Austrian emigrants. Services were held in the Episcopal Chapel. This church did not progress and soon died.
The preliminary work of the founding of the present church was done by Reverend H.T. Speckin of Freedom and Reverend F. Kroenche of Pittsburgh. They surveyed the field and held both German and English services in the Episcopal Parish House starting September 24, 1905. This was known simply as the Lutheran Mission at Sewickley. After the resignation of Reverend Kummer at Leetsdale, he was succeeded by Reverend P.J.C. Glatzert. Reverend Glatzert bought a home and located in Sewickley. He relieved Reverend Speckin of the Mission and on January 15, 1907 a temporary organization of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church was formed. The congregation consisted of ten members; Reverend Glatzert, Peter Scheidemantel, George Hoenig, Henry Hartling, George Trudel, Henry Sickeler, Freida Lenk, Henry Siegel, Louis Lautenschlager, and William Hoenig.
The first Sunday School session was held April 14, 1907 at two o’clock in the Episcopal Parish House. The group was small, consisting of the families of the above members. Reverend Glatzert acted as Superintendent and Miss Albreight as organist. The Sunday School was a failure and discontinued and restarted several times until about 1911.
On April 18, 1907 at a meeting in which Reverend W.J. Miller, President of the General Council of the Pittsburgh Synod presided, a permanent organization was formed with thirty members. No record of these members can be found, but it is safe to assume the wives and the relatives of the original ten comprised the majority. The first church council was elected at this time also and consisted of Reverend Glatzert, Peter Scheidemantel, William Hoenig, Henry Hartling and George Hoenig. A corporation charter was applied for with Thomas Neely, legal counsel, and it was granted by Judge D. Shafer of the Common Pleas Court of Allegheny County on August 23, 1907.
Services were continued at the old Episcopal Parish House with Reverend Glatzert the pastor. Reverend Glatzert received no salary, only such amounts of money as were received in the offering and he continued being pastor at Leetsdale and Wallrose and taught Latin and English in the local High School.
The first Ladies Aid Society was organized at the home of Mrs. Glatzert on March 3, 1908. The officers included Mrs. R.R. Shouse, President; Mrs. J. Hill, Vice President; Mrs. Glatzert, Secretary; and Mrs. George Herz, Treasurer. This organization has continued down to the present time without any interruption.
In April 1910 a lot was purchased by the congregation on the corner of Washington and Logan Streets at the cost of $4000.00. The Episcopalians were preparing to build a new parish house and our congregation planned to buy the old building, move it to the above lot, and repaint and re roof it. A financial campaign was instigated with Mr. George Herz, Treasurer, and funds were solicited among the congregation and townspeople. This campaign was not successful and as a result the church did not buy the parch building and had a heavy debt on the lot.
Following the razing of the Episcopal Parish House, services were held starting in March 1911 in the LOOF Hall above Patton’s old plumbing shop. Sunday School sessions were resumed with a membership of thirty-five. Mrs. S.D. Jennings was the organist and a teacher and Miss Martha Hays, with the Pastor and his wife were also teachers. Things were at a standstill and the future of St. Paul’s did not look very bright. In the early part of 1914 Reverend Glatzert resigned.
In July 1914 Reverend Robert R. Durst was called and became pastor. Reverend Durst instilled new life in the congregation and with the help of the Mission Board, Reverend R. G. Resoenbaum, and Superintendent, secured and erected a portable chapel on the lot in October 1914. The first service held in the chapel was a Reformation service on November 1, 1914. The chapel was erected by Reverend Durst, Nathan Buckley, John Fetter, a German Pole by the name of Groski, W.D. Beck and the writer, who, being quite young, was more of a hindrance than anything else. Steady progress was made from this time on, a Men’s Brotherhood being organized in 1915.
Upon the arrival of Reverend Durst, Sunday School was held in the mornings. W.C. Beck was superintendent and the school grew with several additional teachers. In 1917 Mr. Beck was called to war and on October 12, 1917 Dr. G.W. Peiffer became superintendent.
On November 23, 1919 Reverend Durst resigned. The church membership at this time was seventy members. On February 15, 1920 a call was extended to Dr. C.B King to become pastor of St. Paul’s. The remaining debt of $1000.00 on the lot was quickly raised and on October 20, 1920 the note was burned publically.
In September the men of the church gathered and razed the chapel, clearing the size for the present church. Services were held in the council hall of the Municipal Building until the new church was ready for occupancy. In September 1921 the contract for the present building was let to Duncan L. Swearingen at the cost of $24,500.00 and an additional sum of $4500.00 for the furnishings. The firm of Rutan, Russel and Wood were the architects with E.A. Foht, John Fetter and A.V. Ague as the building committee. On January 15, 1924 Dr. King resigned leaving a membership of one hundred and forty.
During the early months of 1924 a brick parsonage on the corner of Beaver and Logan Streets was purchased at a cost of $7500.00. A call was extended to Reverend Myron E. Cole to become pastor and he arrived on June 17, 1924. The first meeting of the young people as a Luther League was held on June 29, 1924. The Common Service Hymnal was adopted and a robed choir with the processional and recessional. On October 5, 1925 the vacant lot on the north west side of the church was purchased by the Luther League at a cost of $2200.00 and presented to the church. In the spring of 1927 the frame house in the rear of the church was purchased for $10,000.00. In 1928 a two manual organ was presented to the church by the Shanor family in memory of Reverend H.K. Shanor.
--Charles H. Bashaar
2004 Copyright
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