PABERKS-L Archives

From: Elida <>
Subject: (2) church locales?
Date: Tue, 13 Jul 1999 09:26:20 -0400

Mark,

This is a brief report taken from an address before a Historical
Society in 1904 by d.G. LUBOLD, which has been reprinted in one
of the "Schuylkill Roots" books:

Church is in SW Schuylkill Co. in Swatara Valley area, a
place first permanently settled prior to the Rev. War. By 1771,
when Pinegrove Twp. was formed there were 62 on tax list, most actual
residents. They had come from below the Blue Mountains by way of the
Swatara Gap following the old Indian paths. They named their church
"Jacob's Church".

Exact location is 2 miles west of Pinegrove, near Exmoor
Station on the railroad leading to Lebanon. Formed as Lutheran with
Rev. Wm. KURTZ as first minister. First church bldg. erected in 1780.
Many of the members had to travel long distances to attend. Records
of the first 19 years are missing. By 1800 the membership of the
church included these persons:
Eliz. BIGLER
Eliz. BORIN
Barbara EKELS
Cath. GAMBEL
Christian GARDLIS (?)
Cath. HAMES
Eva KLEMAEN
Cath. LAEHMAN
Conrad LAENGEL & Wf.
Margareta LENGEL
Anna Maria LUSELIN (?)
Bernhard MILLER
Adam MUNICH
Bernhardt MUNICH
Lenhard MUNICH & Wf.
Magdalena MUNICH
Johannes MUNICH
Lenhard REED & Wf.
Johannes RIED
Cath. RIED
Eliz. RIED
Cath. ROEHRER
Jacob ROEHRER
Jacob ROEHRER
Johannes SCHROB
Cath. SCHMITH
Eliz. SCHNOK
John STEIN & Wf.
Jacob STEIN & Wf.
Johannes STEIN
Henrich STEIN
Stophel STEIN
Johann George STEIN
Eva STEIN
Andreas STROH & Wf.
Jacob WEBER
Margareta WAGNER
Bernhard ZIMMERMAN & Wf.

The first burial occurred in 1771, a Philip KEISER, who was a pioneer
settler of the Williams Valley, locating on the present site of Tower City.
The seconf minister, Rev. Andrew SCHULTZ served while he lived in the
Tulpehocken.

In 1804 the congregation merged with Hetzel's, Summer Hill and Zion's
below Orwigsburg, and St. John's near Friedensburg. These five
parishes bought some land & built a joint parsonage near Friedensburg.
This lasted until 1840, when the property was sold and proceeds were
divided among the churches, Jacob's retaining a half interest in the
parsonage.

A second Jacob's Church was built in 1833, very early a school house
wAs built. A plot of ground next to the church was set aside as a
burial place called, "God's Acre".

Several congregations have evolved from Jacob's Church. They are:
St. Peter's built 1806 in lower end of Pinegrove, from that church
evolved St. John's of the same place. By 1874 an old schoolhouse
near Ellwood was purchased for members living on the lower end of
this charge (which charge not identified by LUBOLD)- by 1903 a new
church was built, known as "Ellwood Lutheran".

At the time Jacob's Church was begun the only other church in the
county of Schuylkill was Zion's below Orwigsburg.

Jacob's Church was never a union church, an exception to the custom
of those early times.

The ministers of St. Jacob's were:
Rev. Wm. KURTZ 1780-1798
Rev. John KNOSKE, 1802-1811
Rev. George MINNICH 1811-1833
Rev. Wm. MINNICH 1833-1839
Rev. A.B. GOCKELEN 1839-1845
Rev. Benj. SADTLER 1845-1849
Rev. E. BREIDENBAUGH 1849-1852
Rev. Elias S. HENRY 1852-1897
Rev. Herman S. KROH 1897- 1804 (date of LUBOLD address)

---------- Forwarded Message ----------

From:INTERNET:, INTERNET:
TO:PABERKS-L, INTERNET:
DATE:7/12/99 8:00 PM

RE:church locales?

Hi all--
I am seeking the location of
the St Jacob's Lutheran Church
of Pine Grove Tp, Schuylkill Co, PA
What town is it in and does anyone know the address?
Does it have a nickname?
Thanks, Marc

My PA families: Mary Cath STEINER Batdorf b1784/96, Peter BATDORF
b1785/94, Saml PETERS b1820/1, Maryann SWARTZ Peters b1821, Cath
UMBERHAUER Wertz b1790/2, Sarah A C/KULP Updegrove b1844, Michael GOODMAN
b 1800, Jos WORKMAN b1795

This thread:

• (2) church locales? by Elida <>