The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1909-07-24
THREE FEAsTs OF ROSES.

rich men of the long ago to give valu-
able land to church congregations
with the stipulation that there should
be paid annually to a representative OF
the family of the donor one rose, to be
received In full payment of the rent
of the land. For years it was sup
posed that the "Feast of Roses" was
confined to Mannheim, where the rent
for the use of the ground on which
the Zion Lutheran church stands has
been paid annually to descendant of
Baron Stiegel, but within the past
few days a similar rental has been
paid to the Chambers estate, in
Chambersburg, for the use of the
ground on which the First Lutheran
church stands, and to the Wistar
family, of Philadelphia, for the Tul-
pehocken Reformed church. Per-
haps there are other districts to be
heard from.
The Mannheim rental has attracted
more attention tha n the others.
Mannheim was founded by a German
nobleman named Baron Stiegel, who
came to the United States when a
young man and in 1862 he and others
formed the Stiegel company and pur-
chased seven hundred acres of ground
where Mannheim stands. There the
company engaged in iron manufac-
ture and he laid out the town. In
1910 he considered 1t advisable that
church be built for his workmen and
others who had settled in the new
town, and he gave the land needed
for the purpose. This land was deed
ed to the congregation for the sum of
FIVE shillings and-in the language of
the deed, which is still preserved
"the annual rental of one red rose in
the month of June to me or my de-
scendants forever whenever legally
demanded" During his life the rent
was demanded only twice. The
Baron fell into financial difficulties
and his latter years were spent almost
in obscurity. He was almost forgot
ten then, and was altogether forgot
ten soon after his death, which oc-
cured in 1888. The Baron forgotten,
nobody remembered the terms of the
deed. Besides, nobody claimed the
rent. In the early nineties the old
church was torn down in order that
a larger one might be erected on the
site, and the old deed was discovered.
Thereupon inquiries were made for
the descendants of the Baron, and
annually some representative of the
family has gone to the church at
Mannheim and received the red rose
provided for in the deed.
The services at the church on the
occasion of the payment of the rent
have been very interesting, and the
event attracted many strangers to the
town. For years some of the men,
bers of the congregation objected
strongly to the character of the cere-
mony, and by a narrow vote 1t was
decided to discontinue the famous
"Feast of Roses" But when the
pastor appealed to the congregation
In favor of the continuance of the
memorial celebration, and proposed
that instead of abandoning 1t alto
gether it be simpli6ed, the former
action was rescinded. It would be
indeed pity to abandon 1t altogether.
There is no reason why 1t should be
treated as a religious function alto
gether, and of interest only to the
people OF Mannheim. 1t is in every
respect romantic rather than theatri-
cal, and the public payment Of the
rose cannot hurt either the church or
the congregation in any manner
whatsoever. 1t should be perpetual
ed because of its character.
Ceremonies at the Chambersburg
and Tulpehocken churches appear to
be in every respect like the Mannheim
Feast" perhaps, in respect of their
popularity and attendance of stran'
gers. They are beautiful affairs, and
appeal to the best in everybody. The
wealth of honor and devotion that
goes with the payment of the one red
rose is greater than the value of the
money that might have been exacted
and received as a rent.--Haryis6n,g
INDEPENDENT.