HistoricSiteMarkers
Colonial America

Christ Reformed Church

Union Township, Adams County, Pennsylvania

Marker Inscription

Known as "Mother of Reformed Churches" of this region. Congregation organized, May 1747, marking settlement of German pioneers in southern part of Conewago Valley. Section of present building erected, 1798. Many notable persons lie buried in the old churchyard.

Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission

The Story

Organized in May 1747, this congregation earned its title as the "Mother of Reformed Churches" for the region, marking the arrival of German pioneers settling the southern reaches of the Conewago Valley. A section of the present building dates to 1798, and its old churchyard holds the graves of many notable early settlers — a physical record of the German communities that shaped colonial Pennsylvania.

Why it matters

The church testifies to the deep imprint of German-speaking immigrants on Pennsylvania, whose faith and farms helped define the culture of the American backcountry.

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Related events

  • · German settlement of the Conewago Valley

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