The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1897-04-15
A building committee having been

selented, composed Of George Miller,
Andrew Berger, George Gemberling
aud Jacob SChoch, work was begun
i2 earnest in the spring of 1914. A
"kirchen" Ordnung was now drawn
up which was TO bs 4 guide in the
performance Of the various duties OF
the members OF the different con.
gregations, which was adopted at
the cornerstone laying August 7th,
1914. This has ever since contin ued
to be the rules aud regulations of
the two congregations. Article /,
gives the name, This Salem church
shall be and remain q German Evan.
gelical Lutheran and form
church.. The name Salem was Civ.
on to the new, brick structure, the
old, log church was called Rows.
The old constitution, as we may call
It, needs revision ~ is seen In artic.
les which have long since become ob.
solete. Article 2, reads, THAT the
members OF the church councils shall
be obligated to make provision for a
German school master, and occss.
sioaallv visit the same and endeavor
to maintain the ssme in q good con-
dition. The school master, who
lives on the church property, shall
serve the congregations Of both re.
ligious parties. on Sundays, without
compensation, for tho use OF it,"
The school management has long
since been assumed by the state in
providing for the public schools.
The present church has stood for
eighty-one years. It was substan.
tial structure and received very little
attention during all these years. It
is 36 by ~ lest and seats about four
hundred. yet on special occasions
more than Eve hundred people could
be accommodated. 1t contains three
galleries on the east, south and west
sides, with the pulpit on the north.
The church must have been grand
structure ia. its time and WAS doubt.
Less the pride OF the whole commun.
ity. While externally it presents q
very modest appearance, vet on the
intefi0I arc found some of tho most
delioote carvings, the paunels, pil.
lars and Dnlpit have been grooved
and fnished with the best vkill Of
II 1891 tks rri.Q .Qoarto Centsnrial
OF ita, erection was celebrated with
appropriate services. At that time
Prof. d. 5. Boyer OF Freeburg and
Rev. Jacob +. Wampole, Lutheran
pastor Of the Freeburg charge, pre-
pared a history of the Salem church
in connection with that of the other
IN this charge, to which /
Am indebted for much Of the infer
nation given above.
All who helped to build the dear
old church have gone to their re-
ward She alone has outlived them
oil. Although presenting a worn
appearance and having become de-
lapidated with age, and even pro.
nounced unsafe for large crowds for
several years, yet it seemed the peo-
pie could hardly think OF tearing
down the old structure about which
cluster so many ballowed memories
and in which nearly three genera
lions have received the spiritual
bread from Heaven.
But the old church must go, it has
we'll served its high purpose. The
two congregations have resolved to
build new house of God on the site
of the Old building. The Luthersns
and Reformed have worshiped to.
gether at this place in peace and
harmony for more than century,
and it is to be hoped that the new
union church of 1897 will be built in
the same energetic and harmonious
spirit which characterized the erec-
tion of the old log church of 1880 and
the old brick church of 1916