Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1906-11-17
HISTORY or LUTHERAhS
Building Of New Church at Shep
herdstown Recalls Many Events.
OLD CHURCH BUILT IN 1895
Congregation Was Formed of Immi-
grants Driven From Palatinate
Prosperous and Happy People.

town. writes the following interesting
history of the Lutheran church in
Shepherdstown. which. is of timely
interest because of the having Of the
cornerstone of the new church edifice
on Saturday
The boildlng of new Lutheran
church in Mecklenbnrg (now Shep-
herdstownl by the first German
colonists recalls some remarkable
events of European history, of which
il may we'll stand as an appropriate
monument.
The PalatinSs, as these emigrants
| we're called in differentiation dws,
came from the Rhine Paltinate, being
driven away from that fertile. heauti-
full region when it was devastated by
the famous Turenne according to the
order of his master. Louis XIV. the
grand monarch, who thereby would
place desert ON frontiers of France
to bar the invasion of enemies reused
by his arrogance and cruelty. The
Vivid ages of MacaulevN tell how
thorough was this destruction.
A whole nation was thus turned
out of a house aud home, rich,
thriving people reduced to crowd of
needy emigrants.
SHENANDOAH VALLEY.
Across the Atlantic they came to
find land as beautiful and even
more fertile than their Rhineland.
From the Delaware. on the Susque-
hanna. they spread through Pennsyi.
vania's Carlyle Valley across Mary.
land aud its Antietam, over which
stream they built splendid Roman
arch bridges OF stone. one OF these be-
coming so traginally famous in the
ICivil war: then crossing the Potomac
they came into theValley of tire Shen-
andoah, the sparkling river, named
the Daughter of the Starlight by the
poetic fancy OF the Indian
They brought here the industry and
thrift that had made a paradise of
their fatherland. Accustomed to
congregated' town life, they gathered
In villages, like Mecklenburg, to all
the neiRhboring lands: unlike the
lEnglish plantation lords of Lower
Virginia, who built their manor
houses in the center of their broad
domains. The farms were smaller.
better cultivated. and. with the vine.
they transplanted the custom of their
old home. In the village the highest
hill was crowned by a churchspire
like the minister's along the. Rhine or
in the high burgs OF Germany. III
these churches pealed forth the chorals
of the German professionals and Martin
Luther was to them grandfather q
Preside memory.
In few years they had retrieved
their fortunes by their industry, were
happy, contented. fearing God. mind
ing their own business, and perchanoe
cared not to know how soon after the
clouds of eternal vengence came
with quick thunder bolt upon their
enemy. when their people with the
English duke trampled the Or ide and
Dlumes of the grand monarch. in the
bloody marshes Of Bleuheim.
AN ANCIENT CHURCH.
The Lutheran congregation was
formed about the middle of the ejph-
teenth century. though tradition AYERS
that these were not the first white
settlers on this spot; that had been
occupied by group OF Scotch-Irish
IPresbyterians. who called tneif
Village Pocomoke. These latter
moved MP toward the Tuscarora neigh
borhood unon the ADVENT of the Pala.
tine Lutherans and Reformers 1t
seems religion did not create friendly
Isympathy among these Professionals,
though like persecution did form a
bond of union between the Lutherans
and German Rpformeis. who came
here together from the Palatinate.
and oft times used the Same union
building on alternate Sabbaths, or,
in Mecklenbure, built their churches
side by side. in thorough good will.
The old Lutheran church. built in
1875, and used up to this time. with
slight remodeling, stood on bill east
OF town. and on the opposite side Of
tile street from the German Reform
ed The building was OK brick. witt,
no architectural interest. but strangely
enough the old bell there that rang
for century among these hills and
mountains was also an emiRrant from
the city of Marseilles, France. It was
thrown overheard by some explosion
IF the French revolution. thar sought
to abolish bell, book AMI candle OF
the old religion; but its TOMS rang a.
cheerily for these doughty German
Lutherans as ir had done to summon
the Erauch Gafhnline IN vacn.,re