A Cursory History of Saint John'due south Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sinking Spring

By MARGARET Yard. RUMBAUGH

Introduction

Saint John'southward Lutheran Church celebrates its bicentennial in 2012 and this manuscript was written to commemorate this milestone anniversary. Although Saint John's Lutheran church began in 1812, the primeval written records of the congregation are from 1896 when in that location was a dispute between the Lutheran church and the Reformed church in Sinking Spring.

After separating from the Reformed congregation the first order of concern for the Lutheran congregation was to build a new church in which to worship. But why did they build the church right next to the Reformed church building afterward the disagreement? This manuscript describes what happened and why.

Agreements and Disagreements

As early as 1818 the Lutheran congregation shared the Reformed congregation'southward church building building. Ten years later, on December 27, 1828, Elijah Ruth deeded ii acres to the "Sinking Spring Congregation" for $99.56. However, the deed does not specify the congregation's denomination. This tract of state lies to the west of the Reformed Church and includes the land on which Saint John'southward Lutheran built their church.

Since the Reformed congregation agreed to let the Lutheran congregation utilise their church every other Sunday, the Lutherans helped to pay the church building'south expenses. This informal organisation lasted until the Reformed congregation added a steeple in 1851. Apparently the expense of this add-on was hard to manage, and in 1854, a large corporeality of the expenses for the steeple's construction remained unpaid. In club to satisfy the debts, the Reformed congregation and Lutheran congregation formally agreed for each to pay half of the church'due south expenses. They too agreed to jointly elect pastors, and both congregations would equally split the bacon. Finally the agreement stated that they would also as share the expense for all improvements and additions to the church. The concluding provision stating that both congregations would share every bit in paying for all improvements and additions to the church caused the disagreement over forty years later on.

In 1896 the Reformed congregation wanted to remodel the church building that would cause pregnant expense and disruption. The Lutheran congregation disagreed with this decision, and the resulting dispute led to annulling the 1854 agreement. The formal dispute began on October 2, 1896, when the Lutheran congregation filed the suit confronting the Reformed congregation.

While Sinking Spring families were preparing for Christmas, the founding fathers of Saint John'southward Lutheran Church building in Sinking Bound had something else on their minds. They were in the midst of a dispute with the Reformed congregation, and this was non something that faithful men undertook lightly. The final arguments to resolve the dispute were scheduled for December 21, 1896, but when the case was called, the officers of both congregations stated that they reached an agreement–an early on Christmas present for both.

This agreement fabricated front end-page news in The Reading Eagle. The 1897 understanding rescinded the 1854 agreement and the settlement required that the Reformed congregation give the Lutheran congregation $ii,500.00 and title to the western half of the state acquired from Elijah Ruth in 1828, while the Reformed congregation kept eastern half. Each congregation met to vote and accepted the agreement in January 1897. This is why Saint John's Lutheran church is built right adjacent door to Saint John's Reformed.

Who were the men who took such bold activity? The side by side section provides biographical sketches of Saint John's Lutheran church building's founding fathers.

Founding Fathers

The founding fathers of the congregation are considered those who were vestry members when the Lutheran congregation divide from the Reformed congregation. The congregation's record book from 1896 identifies 10 leaders:

  1. Adam Dechert
  2. Daniel Huyett
  3. Henry Huyett
  4. Joshua Huyett
  5. Howard Y.  Potteiger
  6. Webster Potteiger
  7. Aaron Fox
  8. James Lash
  9. Charles Yocum
  10. Henry Yost

Since Mr. Adam Dechert was the congregation's President in 1897, this manuscript begins with his biography.

decherti. Adam Dechert

No stained glass window bears his name, yet he donated a considerable amount of money to build the church. No plaque commemorates his service yet he was elected to be the congregation President, Vice President, and Elderberry year after year. His biographical sketch provides some insight into the man who was very influential in establishing the Saint John'due south Lutheran church.

Adam Dechert was born on Baronial 23, 1823, in Lower Heidelberg Township, son of Daniel and Maria Magdalena (Lerch) Dechert. He was educated in local German schools when the Psalter and the New Testament were textbooks. He was raised working on the family unit farm and stayed with his parents until he was twenty-4 years quondam.

In 1851 Mr. Dechert married Maria Weitzel, who was born on March 31, 1819. They raised a niece every bit their own daughter who was given Mrs. Dechert's maiden name, Maria Weitzel. Adam Dechert worked his own subcontract in Heidelberg Township until he moved to Sinking Jump in 1859. After 1860 he became the treasurer of the Sinking Leap cemetery. He built a business firm most the tollgate when he was the Berks and Dauphin turnpike managing director subsequently retiring from farming in 1863.

In 1897 Adam Dechert was instrumental in building Saint John'south Lutheran Church by generously donating $two,600 (about $seventy,000 in 2010 dollars) and leading the building committee. He was unanimously elected as the vestry President in 1897 and held that role until 1900 when the Pastor became Vestry President. At that time the congregation elected him to exist the Vice President and Elder. In addition to these formal offices in the congregation, he took a leadership role in maintaining the property including painting, lighting, and getting a new bell. Not only was he generous with his fourth dimension, he was also generous with his coin. He paid the bills when the treasury was low; once he donated $435 (equivalent to $11,600 in 2010) when the treasury residuum was but $42.00. His generosity, still, was not express to the church building building. He also bought an acre of state adjacent to the cemetery for the poor who were unable to purchase burying lots and donated it to the congregation.

His wife died on October 11, 1891, when she was seventy-ii years old. The niece they raised as a daughter had grandchildren who lived with Mr. Dechert and took care of him until his death. Adam Dechert died on October 2, 1907 and although he left no heirs, his legacy lives on in the church he helped to build.

two. Daniel Huyett

Daniel Huyett was built-in August 7, 1836. In 1860 he married Lydia Ann Gaul who was built-in on October 26, 1830.

Daniel and Lydia had 6 children: Garson McClellan (June 21, 1863), Calvin Douglas (September 13, 1864), Emma Adeline (July 19, 1866), Martha Madora (Nov 27, 1867), Harvey Tyson (March 17, 1870), and Yard. Luther (August 7, 1874). They were all born on the 108-acre Huyett homestead in Cumru Township.

Daniel Huyett was a successful farmer and farmed the family homestead. It was fantabulous farmland that had a spring. For many years he owned a subcontract in Wernersville that he sold to the state of Pennsylvania to build an asylum. The Pennsylvania Full general Assembly authorized the creation of the State Asylum for the Chronic Insane (Wernersville Land Hospital) on June 22, 1891.

In addition to being a farmer, Daniel Huyett was involved in church and community leadership. For example, he was a schoolhouse lath director in 1872.

He was elected Secretary of the Church Consistory in 1896 and a member of the edifice committee in 1897. Daniel and Lydia Ann Huyett besides sponsored the stained glass window in the sanctuary with the flying pigeon. He died on December 26, 1900, when he was 64 years onetime. He was buried on New year'south 24-hour interval in Sinking Bound cemetery.

3. Henry M. Huyett

Henry Huyett was a son of Garson and Eve Huyett. Henry married Catherine Reber and had seven children: Thomas, Irwin, Harry, Nora, Sarah, Cyrus, and Mary.

Henry Huyett's name is on the formal complaint that the Lutheran congregation filed in the Court of Common Pleas of Berks County in 1896. He voted in favor of separating from the Reformed congregation along with the remainder of the founding fathers. He was elected as an Elder for three consecutive ii-year terms in 1901, 1903, and 1905.

four. Joshua Huyett
Joshua Huyett was built-in on July 4, 1830. He married Annie Kurtz and had five children: Joshua, John, Catherine, Jacob, and Franklin.

Joshua Huyett was one of the leaders in the early on days at Saint John's, and he voted in favor of the resolution to separate from the Reformed congregation in 1896. He was elected to exist an Elder in 1898 and 1899.


hpotteiger5. Howard Y. Potteiger

Howard Potteiger was the tertiary child of Henry and Eliza Ann (Yocum) Potteiger'southward twelve children: Daniel, Franklin, Howard, Albert, Henry, Webster, Emma, Charles, William, Samuel, Ellen, and Agnes.

Howard Potteiger was a leader in both the church and the community. At Saint John's, he was one of the men who voted in favor of separating from the Reformed congregation. He was besides the Teller for the Church Vestry (Council) election in 1897 and was nominated to be on the edifice commission to build the new church, just was not elected. Howard Potteiger was later elected every bit Church Elder in 1906.

In the community he was a fellow member of two fraternal organizations: The Washington Camp Patriotic Sons of America and the Knights of the Gilded Eagle. The Patriotic Sons of America is a fraternity that began in the early on days of our American Republic. Patriots banded together to uphold American principles. Information technology was formally established in 1847 to serve our country. It was incorporated past an Act of the Pennsylvania State Legislature on February 27, 1867.


wpotteiger6. Webster J. Potteiger

Webster J. Potteiger was born Dec 9, 1861. He was brought up on the family farm and worked for his father until he was old plenty to be out on his ain.

Later on leaving home, Webster Potteiger worked in Conrad D. Reber'due south warehouse in Sinking Spring. But farming was in his claret, so he returned to his roots and became a farmer. He bought milk from other farmers and delivered it daily in Reading from1897 until 1904. In 1904 he bought a 115-acre subcontract from Mrs. H. W. Potteiger of Reading. Information technology had a large befouled and well kept buildings. Mr. Potteiger had xx head of cattle and horses too. Webster was a well-known dairy farmer who lived in Sinking Spring and used modernistic methods and mechanism on his farm.

On Oct 30, 1887, Mr. Potteiger married Miss Sallie Y. Phillips, daughter of Reuben and Mary (Yoder) Phillips. She came from a farming family unit in Leesport. Webster and Sallie had eight children: Herbert P., Reuben H., Clinton S., Grace E., Mary M., Mabel I., Granville West., and Paul Eastward. The members of this family were all highly respected in the community.

Webster Potteiger held various leadership positions at Saint John's. He was elected to exist a Deacon in 1898 and 1899. The stained glass window with the lamb is dedicated to Howard and Webster'south parents by the children. Webster's son, Reuben, followed his father'south example and became a Deacon in 1914.

7. James G. Lash

James One thousand. Lash was a community leader in addition to his role every bit a founding father at Saint John'south Lutheran Church building. The post role in Cumru Township was established in 1858 and James 1000. Lash was the postmaster at that place in1871 and earned $seven.00 in annual salary.

Mr. Lash had experience prevailing in a dispute when he joined others in 1884 to foreclose the construction of a turnpike route over a public road (Lancaster Road) in Cumru Township. The Reading Turnpike Company claimed that information technology could enter the public route to build a turnpike road past the right of eminent domain. The Court of Common Pleas ruled that they did not take the correct to advisable a public road unless the legislature specifically granted information technology.

In 1896 James Lash voted to separate from the Reformed congregation and became a member of the building committee in 1897.

James One thousand. Lash too ran for Judge of the Appellate Court of the 2nd district as a Socialist in 1912, just did not win the election. At that time the Socialist Party was the political party of the working grade. They were confronting a small-scale number of individuals controlling the sources of the nation's wealth for their private turn a profit in competition with each other.

The Socialist Party platform in 1912 consisted, in role, of the following tenets, some of which we take for granted today. They believed that the Federal Government should:

  • Provide work for the unemployed by building schools, and building canals.
  • Ain collectively all railroads, telegraphs, steamboat lines, and all country.
  • Establish a graduated income taxation.
  • Permit equal voting rights for men and women.
  • Establish a Department of Education and a Department of Wellness.

8. Aaron G. Fox

Aaron K. Flim-flam was built-in on October 12, 1841, in Muhlenberg Township. He was raised on his father's farms in Bern and Lower Heidelberg Townships and was educated in the public schools. In 1864 he worked for a butcher in Sinking Spring, took over the business afterwards the owner retired, and ran that business for nearly forty years. In 1867 Mr. Fox married Ann Elizabeth Yocum, daughter of George and Catharine (Hemmig) Yocum, of Cumru Township. He and his wife lived in Sinking Spring after retiring in 1904.

Mr. Fox was elected to be Saint John's Treasurer for six years from 1897 through 1903. He resigned as Treasurer in 1904 but was re-elected in 1905. He resigned equally Treasurer in 1907 due to physical inability. In addition to serving every bit treasurer, he was also appointed to exist on a standing committee for light in 1899 and on the church property committee in 1906.

9. Charles Due south. Yocum

Charles S. Yocum was built-in in 1846 and died on Feb half dozen, 1901. He was a carpenter, farmer, and a lifelong resident of Spring Township. He also served on Saint John's edifice committee in 1897.

Charles Yocum was married twice. His first married woman was Catharine Faust, and they had one son, William H. His second married woman was Mrs. Kate A. (Shalter) Reeser, widow of Cyrus Reeser. She was born on October nineteen, 1848.

Politically Charles Yocum was a member of the Republican Party, and the Republican party of 1896 believed in:

  • Taxing foreign products.
  • Maintaining the gilded standard.
  • Providing Ground forces veterans employment preference.
  • Allowing every denizen of the The states to bandage one ballot.
  • Providing Congressional representation for Alaskans.

10. Henry H. Yost

Henry H. Yost was born in Cumru Township on July 8, 1856. He was the son of Amos S. and Catherine (Yocum) Yost.

Henry H. Yost was educated in Spring Township and was a farmer. At ane bespeak in his career he traveled through the West doing farm piece of work in Minnesota, Illinois, and Iowa, and learned different farming methods. When he returned from his trip, he bought a 207-acre farm in Lower Heidelberg Township. In 1899 he moved to Sinking Spring and built a house there.

Mr. Yost married Emma C. Pottieger, daughter of Henry Pottieger. They had ii daughters: Stella and Florence. Florence died as an babe and the fist sermon preached in the church was her funeral on Baronial 31, 1897. A stained glass window memorializes Florence.

Mr. Yost was a leader serving not just Saint John'southward Lutheran Church, merely also the local community. For example, he was on the building committee in 1897. And then he was elected Deacon in 1898 and 1899. In addition to beingness a Deacon, he was the Recording Secretary for six years from 1898 through 1904. He likewise served the congregation as a member of the standing committee on light. He took the initiative when there were issues. For instance on July 24, 1903, the Church building's insurance was due and in that location was non enough fourth dimension to call a meeting, so Henry Yost and Adam Dechert paid for the insurance coverage. The Council reimbursed them at the adjacent meeting on August 3, 1903. He also served the congregation as the Financial Secretary in 1910.

In addition to serving Saint John's Lutheran Church, he was a Schoolhouse Board Director and chairman of the board that incorporated Sinking Spring as a borough. Henry Yost was also a member of the Independent Club of Odd Fellows.

These 10 men laid the foundation for the congregation and the church building. They were more than farmers and merchants; they were Christians with a strong faith who believed that they could build their ain congregation.

Several of the founding fathers were members of the edifice committee elected on January xvi, 1897, and they wasted no time getting started. They selected Mr. Isaac Maurer as the architect to set up a program for the new building past their next coming together on Jan 23, 1897.

Breaking New Ground

Mr. Isaac Maurer was a local architect who was built-in in Lower Heidelberg Township on May 31, 1835. He became a carpenter's apprentice and worked as a millwright. With this experience Isaac Maurer worked extensively in contracting and building. The committee accepted his plans with a few changes. Next, the building commission agreed to pay ten cents per hour for common labor to build the church.

Mr. Maurer designed the church to be a ii-story building 50 feet past 80 feet with a slate roof and a steeple nearly 100 anxiety alpine. The beginning story was made of Berks County sandstone and was designed to be a chapel and Lord's day School room with a 10-foot ceiling. He designed pilasters on both sides of the main archway and two stairways to lead up to the Audience Room, which is what they called the sanctuary at that time. The interior woodwork was oak, and the original pattern called for the organ and choir to be on the left side of the pulpit. The pastor's robe room was behind the pulpit.

The illustration beneath is the builder's line drawing shows the initial plans for the church building in 1897.

arch-draw-church

The congregation broke footing for the new church building in March 1897. The cornerstone laying ceremonies were held 2 months after Sunday, May 23, 1897, and were big events that attracted thousands of people from far and wide. There were at least 50 teams of horses in front of the cemetery and near 150 more than at local hotels. Electric cars brought people from Reading, Womelsdorf, Robesonia, Wernersville, and other places forth the railroad line. Anticipating a crowd, the congregation had stands that sold soda, mineral water, cakes, and candies.

In that location were two services: a worship service in the morning and the cornerstone laying service in the afternoon. The anniversary concluded by laying the cornerstone with a fourth dimension sheathing that contains English and German language Bibles, a Lutheran Church Book, an Evangelical Lutheran hymn volume, a copy of Luther's Pocket-size Catechism, the minutes of the final Lutheran synod, church almanacs, wine, and the names of contributors towards the edifice. Information technology also includes uncirculated U.S. coins of different values, the names of church building officers and building commission, pastor, every bit well equally national, land and county officials' names. Finally they added a re-create of the Reading Eagle paper article about the cornerstone laying.

Church Consecration

The induction ceremonies began on Saturday, October 23, 1897, and continued into Sunday, October 24, just five months after the cornerstone was laid. Berks County residents attended the services every bit the church was filled, and many more were outside. Services featured sermons past renowned Pastors along with hymns and musical presentations.

The pictures beneath illustrate the church'southward outside and interior in 1897.

ext1897sant1897

Today the church building looks unlike inside and out. The exterior is different considering the grade of Penn Avenue was changed in 1940 to build a three-lane highway. Changing Penn Avenue's class required Saint John's to build actress steps to access the church. Over the years in that location were many renovations, the most recent was a new organ installed in September 2011.

2011extcsant2011

Conclusion

This manuscript describes the early on days of Saint John's Lutheran Church that was founded in 1812. The congregation'southward formal records brainstorm in 1896 and this manuscript summarizes that history. It describes the founding fathers who worked and worshiped together serving God and their community and reviews the special events that commemorate the church building building including laying the cornerstone and conducting the induction ceremony The congregation's bicentennial is a time to reflect on the church building'south history and await forward to the hereafter.