The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1899-12-20
Old Pennsylvania Churches.

Many of the famous old churches of
Pennsylvania were endowed with large
tracts of land by William Penn or his
descendants. From ancient records it
appears that wherever a congregation
of any denomination was organized the
proprietors gave land literally for its
support. Some of these properties have
been sold as congregations moved, but
almost every old endowed Presbyterian
church in the State still stands as me-
mortal of Penn's liberality and the per-
severance of the Calvinists. These
early churches seem to have had a pO-
litical as well as religious significance.
for they are now regarded as the nurs-
cries of the local aristocracy.
Donegal church is especially distin-
guished in this respect, as it is still sup
ported by the descendants of the early
founders who hare been for generations
landowners in Lancaster county. Lo-
Gated some 10 miles from the city of
Lancaster, and seven miles from the
town of Mt. Joy, this congregation,
composed chiefly of the country fami-
lies, has for one hundred aud seventy
five years of worship under the hal
lowed roof been untainted by invasion
of the newly rich.
Donegal church was built in i72l, oc.
cupied in l722, and around the sacred
edifice lie the graves of five and six
generations of the descendants of the
early founders. One thing which has
preserved the integrity of the sacred
edifice is its large landed possessions.
Some of these lands have been sold
from time 10 time and the proceeds in
vested as sustaining fund. With
portion of the money so received a
daughter church was built at MI. Joy.
The Lancaster Presbyterian church,
which is known as Donegal chapel, has
wealthy congregation of the grand
children and Observation-Disclosures of the
patriarchs of the ancient fame where
once the sturdy pioneers sat at the pew
doors with guns beside them, to be
ready for d sudden Indian onslaught.
From this same old Donegal, now but
hamlet of half dozen houses, went
three fImilies, who in the course of
time had seven sons each, to settle at
the foot of the Alleghenies. In all the
Indian wars these families never once
sought the shelter OF the forts erected
for the protection of the settlers. The
seventh son of the Battles was the very
flower of the forest. He feared an In
dian no more than he did bear, and
not one of these twenty one fearless
men was ever killed by red man. 1t
is said that these Donegal Presbyterians
were such fine fighters that one of the
Penns persuaded them TO move 10 the
Cumberland Valley, where they could
fight each other. Every ten years the
Scotch-Irish Presbyterians of Pennsyl-
vania assemble themselves together and
recite the deeds of their ancestors, and
it is amazing TO see how the society
bellies and gay young sprigs Of fashion
on such occasions preen and plume
themselves on being Children of the
Covenant.
One Of the most important Of the
Penn grant churches is the First Pres
byterian church of Pittsburgh. The
land is located in the heart of the bus
iness city, on Wood-st, between Fifth
and Sixth-aves. The building is Of
gray stone, with handsome architectu-
raj features and all modern.
There still worship some of the de
scendants Of the early pioneers, but it
has been so long the open sesame Of
fashion 10 belong to the old First Pres
byterian church, and the influx of
wealth has been so great, that the Cow
enant itsslf would be very much sur
prised could it peep down on its child
rem.
Among the Penn church grants was
little plot of ground on the east side
Of Washington Square, where the RO-
man Catholics built chapel that stood
for Christ, while still half-savage negro
slaves held their midnight fires and su-
perstitious rites on the west side of the
same Washington Square. On the
south side Of the square the First Pres
byterian church of Philadelphia has
stood for two hundred years, and in
the southwest angle is the staid aud
stately meeting-house Of the Orthodox
Friends, or Q1akers. Such univer-
sali'y Of religious liberation is sufficient
in itself to make the name of Penn i'm
mortal.