Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1884-11-22
LOCAL HISTORY.
SKETCH or iST BAPTIST CHURCH

desty history of Berkeley County, for
which it was prepared by Rev. A. E.
Rogers -
The first Baptist church of Martinsbure
was originally organized in 1858, with
ten members. Rev. j. w. Jones was
chosen pastor, and, for one or two years,
preached in the stone academy that stovd
near the Episcopal cemetery. In 1859,
the lot on West King street, where the
present building stands, was bought,
with view of building a church edifice,
but the late war between the States soon
afterward came on, and comparatively
little was accomplished until after the
close OF the war. During this time, the
society had merely nominal existence,
and nothing worthy of note occurred in
its history but preaching was had at in
tervals in the German Reform and Luth-
eran churches.
/ Inc the spring of 1859, ground was
broken, and work was commenced for
| the erection of a church building. Aug.
/ gath. 1869, the corner stone was laid with
imposing masonic ceremonies. Rev. J.
A. Haynes, of Middleburg, was present
by invitation, and delivered an appropri-
ate and eloquent address upon the occa-
sion. The work thu begun was contin-
ued without interruption until the build
| ing was under roof. In the mouth of
May, 1870, the lecture room was COM
pleted. and the first sermon was preach
ed in the new house of worship on the
third Sunday of that month, by the pas
tor, Rev. w. S. Penick. At this time, the
church was reorganized for active work
with Rev. w. S. Penick as pastor, and
w. M. VanCleve and Joseph B. Kearfott
as deacons. The Sunday School was al
SO permanently established, in connec-
ton with the church, on the second Sun
day ID June. 1870.
The building was completed in March,
! 1874, and ON the Goth of that month, it
was dedicated. Rev. j. w. M. Williams,
ID. D., of Baltimore. delivering the dedi-
catory sermon. A collection was taken
up. which amounted to $656.50. The to-
tai cost of the building, including furni-
ture, ETC., was S7.362.43, which amount
has been entirely paid.
Rev. W. S. Penick served the church
as pastor from 1869, to July list, 1874,
when he resigned. In September, 1874,
call was extended to Rev. P. P. Muir
ry, of Buckhannon, West Virginia, who
| accepted, and entered upon his pastorate
with the church October 18th, 1874. con-
tinuing until November 18th, 1875, when
he rendered his resignation. The church
was without pastor from this time un-
til the third Sunday in September, 1876,
when Rev. A. E. Rogers accepted call,
and preached his Introductory sermon.
He still continues their popular and eff
| ficient pastor. The present deacons are
j. B. Kearfott, Joseph West, B. f. Fiery,
+. d. Boyer. Thomas. c. Grove, Nathan
Cue. w. l.. Pearl and Samuel Aler.
Since the advent of the present pastor,
the church has been constantly increas-
ing, until it has reached a present mem
bership of 23S. During the fall of 1881,
and exterior of their building. by chang
ing its entire front, and putting in hand
some stained glass windows, at cost of
five hundred dollars.
The church, after the call of Rev. A.
E. Rogers to Missouri, was left without
a pastor for several months, until the
call of the present pastor, Rev. r. II Pitt,
who came from Richmond. Va, to fill
! the vacant pastorate, succeeding Rev. A.
Z. Rogers Nov. 1st. 1888. Mr.. Pitt was
born i'll Middlesex Co., Va, June Goth,
1858. He was educated at Richmond
College, Va, received his first pastorate
in the immediate neighborhood of the
battle fields of Cold Harbor, Gaines Mills
and Seven Pines. From thence he went
to Richmond where he filled pastorate
of three and half years he was mar
ried to Miss Annie Glare Robertson, step
daughter of Chas. r. Cullen. a prominent
physician of that place, his first passionate.
During his stay here the past year he
has added by letter, by experience and
by baptism, twenty-five persons to the
fold. The church under his care as pas
tor has prospered gratifyingly beyond
the expectations of the congregation.
while the contributions both for home
and foreign purposes have been alike
most encouragingly satisfactory. During
this summer in addition to its regular
home Sunday School the church has had
in operation two mission Sunday Schools
one at the 9Th Ward School building,
Martinsburg, with an attendance of so,
the other at Walker S School house with
an attendance of 60; the former is now
closed for the winter. There has been
recently organized a Parsonage Society
and it is understood that vigorous efforts
will be made to secure a suitable parson-
age for the church. The church under
its present pastor enters the second year
of its pastorate with great hopefulness to
increase its membership above
242, the present recorded number of the
congregation. The following are the
names of the deacons of the church -
Messrs. T. G. Grove. F. d. Boyer, B. F.
Fiery. Jos. West, w. L. Pearl, JOS B.
Kearfott. F. S. Emmert is the
Superintendent of the Sunday School
and leader of church music.
The services on Sunday begin at II A.
NJ. and P. NJ. Sunday School at 9:15
A. NJ. Weekly meetings, Thursday
nights at 7:30 P. NJ.
A few instances in the history of this
church will serve to show how much in
dividuals can accomplish in good work.
Mr.. Elias Emmert was baptized into the
membership of the LIST Baptist church of
Martinsburg, and went to Hagerstown
where he started Baptist church. Mr..
Thomas Emmert was also a member of
the church here, and went to Tarkio.
Mo-, where soon there sprung up Bap-
fist congregation. The Martinsburg
church was organized in the parlor of
Mrs. Henry Kratz. A church at Mar
tinsyille, Va. was organized a few
months ago, in the parlor of Mrs. Clar-
ence Kearfott, daughter of Mrs. Henry
Kraft, formerly member of this church.
A Baptist church was organized at Cher.
ry Run. this county, recently, by Revs.
r. HI. Pitt and j. T. Eubank one OF the
constituent members of which. it is un.
derstood, is Mr.. Bailey, who was former
ly member of the parent church. The
church in this place is entirely out of
debt, and looks TO a promising and pros
porous future for its religious cause.
Telescope for the High School.
Some time ago the pupils of the Gram
ny SohnOl hnld IN arafo Uni laIl1af nk