Old Log Church
Napier Township, Bedford County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
On land granted by John Schell for the purpose of erecting a union church, construction of this primitive log church building was begun in 1806 by the Reformed and Lutheran Congregations of this area.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
On land donated by John Schell, the German Reformed and Lutheran families of this Bedford County valley raised a plain log meetinghouse in 1806, sharing it as a "union church." Such joint congregations were common on the early Pennsylvania frontier, where scattered settlers of the two German Protestant traditions pooled their labor to build a single house of worship. The rough-hewn structure reflected the practical faith of the Pennsylvania Germans who settled the backcountry.
Why it matters
Union churches like this one embody how immigrant faith communities cooperated to plant institutions in the young republic's rural interior.
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Related people
- · John Schell
Themes & tags
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