Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1910-11-18

At the time on the coming Oh tHe
present pastor there was no parsonage
and a nome was secured in one OF
the Boarman houses on the south side
of East King street, the enc now occu-
ing of Virginia Chassis he was received
and installed. At this same meeting
Dr. Bowman was licensed and the next
day ordained and installed as pastor
of the congregation at Shepherdstown.
At that elme there were on the roll
of Virginia Chassis ministers. The
enrolment today is II. The records
show that at the meeting of Chassis in
'76 the benevolent contribution of the
Chassis was s49S and that of the Mar
tinsburg congregation s125. This year
Martinsburg contributed s7S5 and
the Chassis $3.50, more than six times
as much as in 1875.
DIR. Hoffiheins preached his intro
ductory sermon en- Sundar, November
10, 1875, and had for his text, Acts
LII 6: Gold and silver have / none,
pied by Mr.. Max Robinson. In this
the pastor and his family lived for
one year, during which time the pres.
ent parsonage was built at a cost Of
$500 From time to time this prop
erty has been improved.
Many will recall the old church
building IN which the congregation
worshiped at that time. 1t was com
pleted in 1916 and stood where the
present church building stands. 1t was
later torn down and rebuilt as the
present chapel. 1t has been in use
for 80 years when the present pastor
undertook it's remodeling in 1880, at a
cost of $4,000 An eight foot recess
was built in the rear. the cd win
dows replaced with stained glass ones,
which are now in the chapel. New
furniture was placed in the building
old fashioned stoves and gas was sub
stituted for the oil lamps.
The pulpit was made by Mr.. A.
Kogelschatz ,Sr., and now stands in
| the chapel. The reading desk and
baptismal font were made by the pas
tor and with the altar, made by the
| late Andrew Bowman, are in use to-
| day in the Reformed Church at Har-
risonburg, Va. The ends and arms of
| the pews were made by the pastor in
| the old Fitz shop which was partially
| destroyed by fire few days ago. The
| inside walls were frescoed and the ex-
terror painted. After the remodeling.
| it was considered the best appointed
church in the city, and was the be-
ginning of the improvement of the
church properties in this city, which
| have been marked since that time. At
| ter all the expenses had been paid the
pastor turned into the treasury a sur
plus of $937O.
The building was reconsecrated on
Sunday, October 81, 1880. Rev. e. "
| Gerhardt, D. D., of the Theological
seminary at Lancaster Pa, preached
| the sermon.
At meeting of the consistory, May
2, 1881, the following testimony was
recorded:
Resolved; That the present condi-
| ton of this congregation is source
of gratitude and thankfulness to the
great head of the church and that we
recognize the present beautiful and at
tractive, convenient and appropriate
change in our church edifice as the
result of the energy, taste and zeal of
our pastor.
In tir1e there was need of larger and
better accommodations and adjoining
! property was secured by the church
and at a congregational meeting he'd
on Thanksgiving day after the service,
| November 80, 1899, Elder d. M. Kill
mer submitted the following resolu-
ton which was almost unanimously
| adopted.
Whereas; the Reformed congrega-
ton of Martinsburg finds its present
church building inadequate to the
needs of its large and growing mem
bership,