CHURCHES OF THE VALLEY AN HISTORICAL SKETCH THE OLD PRESBYTERIAN CONGREGATIONS CUMBERLAND AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES, IN PENNSYLVANIA. REY. ALFRED NEVIN, OF THE PRESBYTERY OF CARLISLE. "Walk about Zion, and go round about her: tell the towers thereof. Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces, that ye may tell it to the generation following."—Ps. xlviii. 12, 13. PHILADELPHIA: JOSEPH M. WILSON, NO. 228 CHESTNUT STREET. 1852. Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1852, BY JOSEPH M. WILSON, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. C. SHERJIAN, PRINTER, 19 St. James Street. THIS VOLUME IS DEDICATED PRESBYTERIAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY. PREFACE. The early history of the old Presbyterian Churches of Cumberland Valley is fast growing dim. Many of those in whose memories interesting facts and incidents were treasured^ are now dead ; and others, to whom they were intrusted by tradition, are rapidly passing away. That it is desirable to have embodied in an accessible form, the recollections and records connected with the origin and progress of these venerable congregations, none, it is believed, will cjuestion, who appreciate the ties which bind them to the past, or the duty which they owe to the future. These churches, are almost the only relics of an- tiquity that are to be met with in our new country, and for this reason, to say nothing of their deep religious associations besides, an effort should be made to save them from oblivion. From the Presbyterial Records it is evident, that the VI PREFACE. importance of such a measure was felt at an early day. In 1792j each minister was ordered to prepare a history of his own church ; and in 1801, Dr. Cooper was appoint- ed to draw up a short history of the Presbytery of Car- lisle. That historical account, which was prepared ac- cording to injunction, is not now to be found. Neither is the book which contains the proceedings of Presbytery, from the year 1750 to 1759. It was borrowed, we have been told, by a gentleman in Virginia, and, after his death, was sought for in vain. When, therefore, in connexion with these facts, it is remembered that many of the unwritten reminiscences, from which an ecclesiastical history of this valley must be compiled, are now floating in minds which age must soon enfeeble or death remove out of the body, it cannot but be acknowledged, that the work which we have undertaken, however imperfectly accomplished, has not, at least, been prematurely attempted. It is unnecessary, perhaps, with the title of the volume in view, to state, that it was not our purpose to prepare a history of the Prc^hytery to which the congregations re- ferred to, belong. This would have been a pleasing task. For in addition to the facts that this Presbytery, which is one of the oldest in the country, has several times changed its name and territorial limits, and has always occupied a high position, many of the churches which it now includes, though not lying within the boundaries which we have PREFACE. Vll affixed to our labour, possess as much interest^ arc invested with as much importancCj and deserve as extended a no- tice, as those whose rise and development we have sketched. We thought it best, however, to confine our effort principally to a more limited field ; and the re- collection of this, it is hoped, will prevent any expectation from our present effort, beyond what it legitimately pro- mises. We have, indeed, given, in a supplemental form, a very brief sketch of other congregations pertaining to the Pres- bytery, besides those which are embraced by the limits of Cumberland and Franklin Counties ; but this was done at the suggestion of an esteemed and judicious friend, after the announcement of our plan rendered any material alte- ration of it impracticable; and will not, it is trusted, either be regarded as inconsistent with our primary intent, or lead to any misapprehension of it. We are free to say, that our great object in the enter- prise, has been the humble, but grateful one, of placing within the reach of those to whom veneration for departed ancestry, or long association, or present residence, has made Cumberland Valley a region of peculiar interest, such a record of its religious history as we supposed it would gratify them to read, as well as to hand down to their children. Many such there are, still worshipping where their fathers did, and meditating, at times, with deep solemnity over their last resting-place. Many more, VIU PREFACE. too, are dwellers in the distant West, where, surrounded with new scenes, yet bound to old ones by tics that never can be broken, often with tender interest "Fond memory brings the light Of other days around" them. To these, we felt assured we could not render a more acceptable service, than furnishing them with a remem- brancer of the old churches with which their earliest re- collections are blended, and of the old graveyards in which many of their dearest friends are buried. In the preparation of the several sketches, great regard has been had to chronological accuracy, and, as we sup- pose, with about as much success as is attainable. But as the organizations of the old congregations were so nearly synchronous, we have not deemed it important to insert them in the order of time. On the Records of the Presbytery, kindly placed in our hands by the Stated Clerk, we have, of course, mainly relied for information. Several gentlemen also, however, among whom may be mentioned Dr. Moodey, Dr. M'Giuley, Hon. Geo. Cham- bers, Judge Clendenin, Dr. J. K. Davidson, John Cox, and L. H. Williams, Esqrs., have, by important data which they have supplied, brought us under obligations which we gratefully acknowledge. We have, too, been materially aided by Mr. I. D. Rupp's History of Cumber- land and Franklin Counties. Our indebtedness to other sources, is noticed in the proper pLice. PREFACE. - IX We send the volume fortlij confident that it is not^ in many respects, what it should be, yet hoping that it may in some measure fulfil its design. We do so, likewise, with the assurance, that those who can form any idea of the difficulty of its preparation, growing out of lost and faded records, and the sameness of material to be pre- sented, and the vagueness of traditions to be consulted, will regard it with much more readiness to appreciate any merit it may have, than to condemn the defects from which it does not claim to be free. Alfred Nevin. — CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTORY. Reasons of the rapid Settlement of Pennsylvania—Extract from Dr. Williamson's " History of North Carolina"—Extract from Dr. Davidson's " History of the Presbyterian Church in Ken- tucky"—The Huguenots who settled in the Province of Penn- sylvania—The Welsh—The Germans—The English Puri- tans from New England—The Presbyterian Church formed out of these various Materials — The First Presbyterian Church that was organized and furnished with a place of worship in the American Colonies—The Constitution of a Synod in 1716—Extent of the Presbytery of New Castle in a Western direction until 1732—Presbytery of Donegal or- ganized in that year—Lancaster County originally embraced all the Territory west of the Susquehanna—First Settlement of the White Man across the " Long, Crooked River" The Purchase of the Lands west of the Susquehanna by the Pro- prietary of Pennsylvania—The Establishment of Cumber- land and Franklin Counties—Applications by the Settlers to Presbytery to have the Gospel preached among them, . .13 — Xll CONTENTS. CHAPTER ir. JI I D D L E STRING CHURCH. Origin of tlie Name—Organization of the Congregation—Names of the First Elders—Extracts from the Session-Book—Rev. Mr. Blair the First Pastor—Rev. Mr. Calls and Rev. Mr. Clarke had loreviously been supplies—History of the Con- gregation not known from 1750 to 1759—Rev. Robert Cooper becomes Pastor, and continues so until 1797—Dr. Moodey's Letter concerning Dr. Cooper—Inscription on Dr. Cooper's Tomb—Rev. John Moodey is Dr. Cooper's Successor—Notice of the Church—The first Log Building erected for Worship —The second Log Building—Epitaph of John Reynolds, Esq.—Epitaph of Capt. Samuel Kearsley—Erection of the Old Stone Church—Poem written on a Visit to it— Congrega- tion not now as large as formerly—Reasons of the Change, 24 CHAPTER III. BIG SPRING C 11 IJ R (J II. Originally called Hopewell—Rev. Thomas Craighead, First Pastor—Difficulty in regard to the erection of a Meeting- House—Mr. Craighead's Death—Mr. James Lyon supplied the Pulpit for some months—Big Spring connected with Rocky Spring and Middle Spring—Rev. George Duffield called to be Pastor of the Church—Rev. William Linn Mr. Duffield's Successor—Mr. Linn resigned his Charge in 1784, and was followed by the Rev. Samuel Wilson—Copy of the Call given to Mr. Wilson—Rev. Joshua Williams chosen Pastor in 1801—Extracts from Two Obituaries of Dr. Wil- liams—Rev. Robert M'Cachren Dr. WiUiams's Successor Names of Elders—The First Church at Big Spring—The present Edifice—The Graveyard, 48 — CONTENTS. Xlll CHAPTER IV. CHURCH AT silvers" SPRING. Name by which it was first known—Origin of the present Name—Gospel first preached in this Church by Rev. Alex- ander Craighead in 1734—Rev. Samuel Thompson installed Pastor in 1739—Extract from Presbyterial Records concern- ing Mr. Thompson—Mr, Thompson resigned his pastoral re- lation in 1745—Suggestions in relation to the duty of Con- gregations to make provision for superannuated Pastors Rev.