The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1920-09-10
WESLEY CHAPEL
DESTROYED BY FIRE
BLAZE STARTS IN BELFRY OR6AE,
FURNITURE, sONG BOOKS SAVED
INSURED FOR $1,000 HAMPSTEAD
FIRE COMPANY RESPONDED AND SAVES
BUILDINGS NEARBY CHURCH WAS
BUILT IN 1878.

Last Friday few of the men met
at the Wesley Chapel Methodist Epls-
copaI church TO get things IN order
for the picnic to be held September
4. After the tables, stands and seats
were in place the men Went into the
cemetery to clear OFF some grass that
had been mown few weeks previous.
Then some one suggested to burn it.,
which had often been done before,
when the men left the fire was praeti7
callv out. smoldering in few places.
In about an hour after that O'Clock,
If was discovered that the church was
an fire. catching right next TO the
belfry and the fire was IN the
cemetery at the rear Of the church. 1t
is thought while the fire was blazing
4 shark blew on the roof and smold7
cred for more than an hour before 1t
struck a blaze The Hampstead and
Arcadia Fire Companies were called
and they responded promptly, but It
was too late to save the church, but
protected the social hall, school house,
bench and coal houses, which were
all saved. The people of the commu-
nity saved all the pulpit furniture,
organ. song books, choir chairs, etc
They could have saved all the peWs.
if they had known how long the bell
would have stayed in tact, but when
the bell, that weighed l150 pounds
alone, with fixtures, over a ton, came
down it took the ceiling and every
thing with 1t to the. first floor. The
church was built in 1873, being AZ
years old, and had on the original
single roof An order had been
given for metal roof which was
to have been put on the 10Th of.@Au-
gust. but was delayed in some way
The insurance was $1,000, loss at least
$4,000 for 1T was insured when things
were cheap and since the HI. G. OF J..
ii had not been Increased. Seemingly
the walls are not damaged to any
great extent Tt is not known just
what the people Of the community
win dos. Fhey viii either remodel or
ha1lld 4 new church. The fire took
place on Friday night and the fol-
lowing Saturday the picnic took place.
1t was a very sad affair, but largely
attended. The Conway Band did ev-
erything possible to cheer the people
but the church SO dear to the hearts
OF the people of this community and to
some people perhaps in every state and
large city in the Union. The beginning
of the Church dates back almost to the
beginning of Methodism in America.
The first preaching was held in John
AllgiYe's residence, log cabin. Fred
erick Basler now owns the farm and
his house is almost on the exact spot.
1t is thought that Bishop Francis As
bury, Rev. Robert aStrawbridge and
Rev. Henry Smith preached in the old
house. In those days the people new
er knew when the minister would
preach, he came on any day In the
week, then messengers were sent out
and the people left their work to hear
the gospel explained John Allgire
was the great grandfather of W. H. s.
Allgire, Ruth Allgire Buchanan and
Kate AlIgire Green, of this vicinity,
are members of the present church.
John Brown decided a portion of the
land now owned by the church in 1897
and in 1900 a log church was erected.
The logs were given by Henry Allgire.
The. farm is now owned by Harvey
Lippy. The old church, Browns
Meeting House was a Union Church,
founded for four denominations
Methodists, Baptists, Episcopalians
and Presbyterians The signers Of
the old deed, which is now in posses
sion OF John w. Abbott, we're John
Allgire, John Brown, George Ebaugh
and VIM Chenowith Then it was re-
modelled in 1880 by David and Andrew
Houck, acting as the committee. 1t
was plastered on the side. gallery
putsl ON the two sides and one end
on the inside. The old slab benches
were removed and better ones put in
their place. In 1878 the stone church
was built and Browns Meeting House
torn down George Stull gave the
ground that the present structure IS
on. The building committee was Mel
chour Allgire, George Stull. Silas Mar
tim, John Payne and George w. Kel-
Ter and later on it was remodled in
side and kept up-to-date as far as 1t
was possible with the present struc-
ture Everyone seems to sympathize
with the people in their loss.
Democrats t0 Meet