Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1889-05-24
Staunton vindicator.
FRIDAY MORNING. MAY "a. 1889.
LOCAL.
LOCAL.
CONSIDERATION TO GOD
THE CONSIDERATION OF CHRIST CHURCH
NEXT SUNDAY MORNING.


TORY OF THE CoNGREGATIoN-TH
GERM FROM WHICH THE CHURCH SPRUNG
A LITTLE SABBATH SCHOOL GIVES
RISE TO A CIIURCH-LIST OF THE MIN
listers WHO HAVE FILLED IT'S PULPIT
DESCRIPTION OF THE CHURCHBUILDING.
&C, &C., sc.
Those who sit next Sunday in Christ
church, the handsome church building on
Lewis street, to be dedicated on that day,
will, especially if they are Lutherans, go
back to the germ from which it grew and
Which Was planted more than q generation
ago. Thirty eight years ago little band
OF Lutherans were living in Staunton. They
had no church organization, and so they
opened a Sabbath school in what was then
the old Bell Tavern, the building on the
Southwest corner Of New Court House and
New Streets. The band was composed of
Abraham Venable, the Deputy Sheriff
and county jailor land afterwards the hus-
band Of MIS- Venable, who is now the
Oldest member of the congregation), Miss
Bell Graves, afterwards Mrs. BraithWaite:
Miss Carrie Pickering, afterwards Mrs.
Thomas Coleman; Miss Elvira Davis; Col.
George Baylor and his two little daughters
now Mrs DR.. Eichelberger Of Staunton and
Mrs. Dr. McChesney of Middlebrook, and
Henry Wehn and wife. OF this little com
pany of workers, four are dead-Abraham
Venable, died August 8, 1854; George Bay
lor, Oct. 81, 1871; Mrs. Carrie Coleman,
July %, 1863, and Miss Elvira Davis, May
80, 1877. These We're the original mem
bers Who were conducting the Sunday
school. Then came later, Frank Prufe I
and wife from SaXony in Germany, and
David Butcher from Frederick Co., Va,
bringing with him three young men-AleX.
Grove, VIM. Wilson and John Butcher. There
was ministering in this part Of the Valley
on mission work about that time, Rev. John
B. Davis from NeWtoWn in Frederick
county. He was called by the little congre-
cation and accepted the call. The congre-
cation determined to build a church and
the Evangelical Lutheran Synod Of Vir-
ginia, which had begun to turn its atten :
ton to planting churches in the towns, de-
termined to aid them. Its Financial Agent
was Rev. Dr. Lewis Eichelberger Of Win
chester, and he began the energetic collec-
ton of funds to give the required aid, and
Rev. MI. Davis and Col. Baylor actively can
vassed the Valley in the same interest. By
this time Hon. Absalom Koiner and Geo.
Shuey were members Of the little congrega-
ton, and with George Baylor and others
constituted the building committee.
THE FIRST CHURCH ERECTED.
A lot where the Y. NJ. G. a. building
now stands, and including the present res
| idence Of Dr.. n. Wayt, WAS bought from
| George Shuey. 1t was at first intended to
make q parsonage out Of the residence on
the lot, but the congregation afterwards
concluded to sell that portion Of the prop
erty off. In the year 1858 the new church
was let to contractors, Capt. David Butcher
contracting for the wood work at 81 800,
and Simpson Taylor contracting for the
brick work. By the following year the
building had gone far enough for the con-
gregation to occupy the basement. They
had not been in it long, however, before
the great flood Of 1854 came, throwing the
clock tower nine inches out Of plumb and
damaging the walls. To avoid repetition
of this, a stone wall Of great thickness was
built on the water side Of the church. The
first confirmation that took place in the
church was that of Mrs. Venable. Hell
| husband had died, and as was the custom
then, his funeral sermon was preached on a
set occasion, three weeks after his death.
It was at the close Of the funeral sermon of
her husband, that Mrs. Y. was confirmed.
1t was agreed in 1854, by the Church
Council and the Town Council, that Gown
clock should be put up in the church tower.
The county court appropriated $500 and
the town council appropriated $3.50, besides
coyenanting to keep the clock in repair. The
deed arranging this matter is dated June
8, 1854, and signed by B. f. Points, John
Brandeburg and j. G. M. Merrilat for the
town, and Gee. Shuey, Geo. Baylor and Alb
solom Koiner for the congregation. The
church building was finished i'll 1855, at a
cost of 81 900, Capt. David Butcher having
had charge Of the building. The marble
pulpit it held was bought by him i'll Balti-
more In that year the building WAS dedi-
Gated. Rev DE-. Cease Of Baltimore and
later Of Philadelphia, preaching the dedica-
tory sermon. Its first sexton was the late
Frank Prufer, who, with his wife, had
Joined the original little congregation, and
who undertook the work Of caring for the
church building as a labor Of love.
IT'S PASTORS.
The first pastor Of the congregation, Dr.
Davis, remained with it till 1859. His first
wife had died and during his passionate he
married q daughter Of MI. Paul Sieg OF
Augusta. DR.. d. is now living in Ohio
His successor in charge was Rev. Dr.. d
M. Gilbert, who filed the pulpit till 1862
when he accepted a call to Savannah, Ga.
Rev. j. I. Miller was then called, but the
War was going on, and When MI. Miller got
as far on his way as Shepherdstown, he was
| turned back by the Federal troops. In 1865
when peace came-the pulpit having beer
vacant in the meantime-Mr. Miller was
able to get here and take charge. He re
manned till 1870, when he founded the
Stanton Female Seminary, and Dr.. Gil
bert came from Savannah and resumed his
passionate Of the church. Since then the
pastors have been-from 1870 to 1871, Dr..
Gilbert; from 1872 to 1876, Rev. N. Reed
Minnich of Philadelphia; from 1876 to 1881.
Rev. J. Bachman Haskell Of South Carolina
from 1881 to 1888, Rev. John Croll Of Penn
sylvania and Rev. NJ. Weitzel of Wood
stock, Va, alternated in the pulpit; from
1884 to 1885, DR.. S. A. Repass of Roanoke:
from 1885 to 1886, Rev. W. FL. Settlemyel