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SAINT PAUL'S LUTHERAN CHURCH
OF ARCADIA, BALTIMORE COUNTY
GEORGE PRECHTEL
One of the very early, if not one of
the earliest German churches in the
the eastern part of Maryland was St.
Paul's Lutheran Church at what is now
Arcadia in the upper part of Baltimore
County. It was, in fact, the only
church of any denomination in that im-
mediate section of the county. Its re-
corded history dates back to 1794, but
by tradition its beginning is placed
about a quarter century earlier.
The early settlements in the northern
part of the county and westward in
Frederick and Washington counties
(the latter then a part of Frederick)
were largely German. These settlers
belonged, in the main, to that numer-
ous German immigration which set in
soon after the opening of the 18th cen-
tury. They drifted from the border
counties of Pennsylvania into northern
Maryland, and many of them crossed
the Potomac to settle in the Shenan-
doah Valley of Virginia.
Of this stock and of their descendants
and successors were the founders of
St. Paul's. They brought with them
the deep religious feeling inherent in
the German race, no matter of what
faith or creed, and therefore felt the
need of providing facilities for its sym-
bolical manifestation. Some adhering
to the Lutheran, some to the Reformed
creed, and neither class being numerous
enough to maintain itself independently,
the custom, then generally followed, of
combining efforts in erecting a build-
ing to serve the purposes of both as a
place of worship, was adopted.
Prior to this they attended the serv-
ices of the mother church at Manches-
ter, now in Carroll County (also a
union church of Lutheran and Re-
formed congregations) which was
founded about the same time, or very
shortly after Zion Lutheran Church of
Baltimore. This involved a journey of
more than seven miles both ways, either
afoot or on horseback, unless a vehicle
devoid of springs was available, over
primitive country dirt roads, for the
Hanover turnpike was not constructed
until about the early part of the last
century. A part of the original ante-
turnpike Hanover road is still used, di-
verging from the pike at Woodensburg
and, after a distance of more than three
miles, rejoining it at Fowblesburg. It
is bordered by a branch of the Western
Maryland railroad practically this en-
tire distance. This is known as the
"Old Road," but smooth, hard surface
has replaced the original dirt and mud.
The tradition of an earlier date than
the authentic 1794 is not without a
more than probable foundation. One
of the oldest inhabitants of the locality,
Francis Rhinehart, who claimed com-
mon ancestry, more or less remote, with
the sculptor Rinehart, also from this
section of the state and not very dis-
tant, often asserted to the writer that
he had the statement concerning the
traditional, earlier church from some of
its members. As he was living before
all of the original members had passed
away, and being an old-time country
schoolmaster, especially interested in
historical data and therefore well in-
formed on the past history of the settle-
ment and its early families, the relia-
bility of the statement is highly prob-
able if not certain.
Meager inscriptions on old tomb-
stones in the adjoining churchyard,
with name and date still fairly legible,
go back to that of E. Poe, 1782. An-
other greystone slab contained only the
rudely carved date, 1771. Whether it
was then already a churchyard or only
a neighborhood or family burial
ground, very frequent throughout this
section, is undetermined. There is also
a record of baptisms August 31st, 1793,
recorded among the later data.
In 1902 Rev. C. Stork Jones, one of
the late pastors, published a pamphlet
[23]
on the history of the church containing
the data pertaining thereto gathered
from the old church records and ap-
parently reliable traditions stored in
the memories of the older people as
well as facts within their own knowl-
edge. In preparing this the writer
was of some little assistance, as the
earliest entries were mostly in German
script with which the author was not
sufficiently familiar. The record of the
Lutheran congregation has since been
unfortunately destroyed in a fire while
in possession of the writer, that of the
Reformed congregation still exists. The
former was the more comprehensive.
The pamphlet gives nearly all that is
preserved of its contents, practically the
essentials, and has been used in the veri-
fication of dates and occurrences not
coming, primarily, to the knowledge
of the writer by observation or from
reliable sources.
The first page of the Lutheran record
contains the signatures of the male
members. They are, with two excep-
tions, written in German script, some
quite creditable, others partly or en-
tirely without capital letters, indicating
that the literacy of these fathers was
not of a high order, whatever may have
been their natural talents or their
efficiency as pioneers. The two excep-
tions, written in very good English or
Latin script, were both Lautenschläger.
As originally written, the signatures
were: Married—Jacob Algeier, Sr.,
Ludwig Bäuerle, Johannes Algeier,
Johann Peter Schnepf, John Brown,
Jacob Oberkugen, Conrath Bäuerle,
Michel Homan, George Lautenschläger,
Phillip Lautenschläger, Heinrich Gut-
länder, Frenk Lautenschläger, Elias
Rathge, Georg Treuer, Michel Weber,
Georg Tänner, Peter Ziegeler, Friedrich
Frankfurter, Daniel Helm.
Single—Jacob Allgeier, Jr., Georg
Allgeier, Soloman Lautenschläger,
Adam Lautenschläger, Adam Bortz.
There are no signatures of females,
but their names appear among the com-
municants of 1794, and in the case of
the married were written with the then
customary feminine terminal -in, which,
as yet is not entirely obsolete, at least
in speech. They were:
Barbara Lautenschlägerin, Rosina
Barbara Radge, Margaret Treyer, A.
Maria Fletter, Maria Barbara Allgeiger,
Eva Roth, Maria Catherina Schneider,
Anna Catherina Elzrothin, Christina
Sturm, Elizabeth Margaret Riebelin,
Anna Maria Brownin, Magdalene
Brownin, Sarah Hegerin, Margaret Roth,
Elizabeth Gettingerin, Christina Radge,
Rahel Diehlin, Barbara Hohmanin.
The additional male names:
J. Georg Fletter, Christoph Roth,
Daniel Radge, Conrad Bayerle, John
Jacob Gutländer also appear on this
list.
The first pastor of record was Rev.
Johann Daniel Shroeter.
The book contains mainly the dates
of birth and baptisms with names of
parents and sponsors. Deaths were
frequently not recorded. It was ex-
clusively German, except here and there
a Latin term, until about 1817. Then
there is a hiatus, no entry whatever
until 1826, when entries far from per-
fect, however, were resumed, but there-
after exclusively English. At the latter
date the English service was introduced
alternating with the German.
The first pastor of the Reformed con-
gregation was Rev. Christoph Kobrecht.
Its records do not contain the signa-
tures of its members, although the pref-
ace states the intent, and likewise begin
in 1794, but, including a hiatus from
1811 to 1817, end definitely in 1842,
when only seven communicants ap-
peared. This register is more defec-
tive than that of the Lutheran congre-
gation. It contains, with meager ex-
ceptions, only names and dates of birth
and baptism together with those of par-
ents and sponsors. It is utterly devoid
of data relating to deaths. The entries
in both records plainly show that they
were not always made by the pastors.
The following excerpt relating to the
church building is from the pamphlet
of Rev. Jones, stating:
[24]
"The first house of worship was built
of logs. It was nearly square and
large enough to hold about fifty people.
This old temple, erected by our grand-
fathers, stood until 1838, when it gave
way to a stone structure. In the center
of the unplastered room stood the stove,
its pipe going straight up through the
roof. This pipe became the habitation
of flying squirrels. On one occasion
they greatly disturbed the spirit of a
funeral sermon by their excited sailing
about the church, the fire in the stove
having driven them forth. The seats
were benches made from the slabs of
logs with legs driven into them. There
were no backs to these benches. What
a blessing to the preacher! The drowsy
member could not settle back and take
his Sunday nap. What a test of faith
an hour's discourse must have been!
However, all discomforts were forgotten
in the great privilege of having preach-
ing once a month and the Lord's Supper
once a year. Unchanging human na-
ture manifested itself then as now.
While the aged saints listened devoutly
in the front benches, the young sinners
courted in the back seats as they have
ever done.
"In those days the proverbial country
mile was in fashion. Distance was not
such a barrier to church going as at
present. Our grandfather and grand-
mother mounted their horses, sometimes
the same horse, and rode many miles to
church. Until many years later car-
riages were unknown hereabouts. Be-
fore St. Paul's was built many walked
to Manchester and back, a distance of
fifteen miles, and for years afterwards
the Lutherans of Reisterstown held
their membership at St. Paul's, six miles
distant. In those days our grandmother
gathered together chickens, geese and
whatever she had for market, threw
them on her horse, climbed on top and
thus rode into Baltimore. Sometimes
the pigeons she sold beat her home.
"In walking to church on warm days,
men and women, old and young, carried
their shoes until they came near the
Church, when they would put them on
until the homeward journey was begun.
The shoes made by the itinerant shoe-
maker were too clumsy and uncomfort-
able to be worn except when necessary,
and of course would not stand the wear,
year in and year out, like the human
epidermis that repairs itself free of
charge. Our ministers with their saddle-
bags were genuine rough-riders."
Further on the author cites a set of
resolutions inscribed upon the Register
by one of the ministers to govern his
conduct, one of them being: "That I
will do all I can for the suppression
of eating to such a vast degree at
funerals; also labor to banish ardent
spirits from among the people at all
times, but more particularly at this
time."
The author comments as follows:
"These resolutions give us a glimpse of
the times—of the funeral feasting and
drinking. Ardent spirits were legion.
It is said nearly every farm had its
liquor still. When the minister stopped
with a family, it was regarded as a
lack of hospitality not to pass around
the bottle. An incident is told of one
man who, on his way to Hampstead,
told a neighbor he expected the Metho-
dist preacher to stop with him on Sun-
day, and, as he was out of liquor, he
was on his way to get enough for the
occasion. An elder of St. Paul's kept
a tavern and entertained the preachers.
In looking backward we can see that
we have made some progress."
A part of the dismantled old log
structure still stood within the recollec-
tion of the writer. In 1838, as already
stated, it was replaced by a square
structure of rough stone. This was of
larger dimensions and provided with a
gallery along three of its sides. The
timbers used in its construction were
hewn and the nails wholly hand-
wrought. Although the Reformed con-
gregation was then nearly defunct, it
was still a union church, as attested by
the documents later taken from the
corner-stone. However, no representa-
tive of this congregation is named as
assisting in the ceremony of laying the
stone.
[25]
The name St. Paul's, chiseled into
a stone imbedded high up in the wall,
was probably adopted about this pe-
riod, as no earlier record thereof is
available. This building gave way in
1882 to the present brick structure,
more imposing and of larger dimen-
sions, which, however, is exclusively
Lutheran. The inscription on the title
page of the Record by the Lutheran
pastor gives no name, and as to loca-
tion, states in the first recorded com-
munion service, 1794, that it was in
the church "beim Allgeiger, Sen." A
half century later it was mostly referred
to as Algire's church, and even today
some of the old people still so desig-
nate it. Nor do the records of the Re-
formed congregation mention the name.
The pastor's inscription on the title
page, in 1794, gives the location, "Bal-
timor Caunty, Peib Krück Hundert."
Pipe Creek is in Carroll county, but a
part of this, at that date, was included
in Baltimore County. The term hundred,
as designation for subdivisions of a
county, was in use at that period of our
colonial history.
There evidently was very little akin
to segregation, as there is a regular
intermixture of names in both books,
therefore the final merging into one,
when the Reformed congregation went
out of existence about 1842, encoun-
tered few if any obstacles. The German
service had entirely ceased some time
before this occurrence. However, about
this time, and for some years after,
there was another influx of newcomers
from other localities as well as immi-
grants, and this later led to the forma-
tion of another German congregation
apart from the English one composed
mostly of the descendants of the orig-
inal settlers. This had a rather flourish-
ing existence for some years, but in-
creasing adverse conditions caused its
dissolution about 1871.
Today the sounds of the German lan-
guage are rarely heard in this section.
The few who still retain some knowl-
edge of it have practically abandoned
its use. Even its modified form, known
as the Pennsylvania German or Pennsyl-
vania Dutch, once so generally in use
that some could scarcely speak passable
English, is practically extinct except,
perhaps, among a few very old people.
The writer recalls hearing it almost ex-
clusively used in many homes as the
medium for family intercourse.
Some of the family names are no
longer found in the community, others
have undergone a decided change. Some
of the forefathers could scarcely trace
their descendants by the names as now
written, although the sound might serve
as a means of identification. For ex-
ample: Allgeiger has become Algire;
Opferkuchen, Upperco; Armegast,
Armacost; Ibach, Ebaugh; Bäuerle,
Byerly; Bortz, Ports; Eltzroth, Else-
road; Diehl, Deal; etc., etc. A list of
original names, with their variations
and present form, is appended.
The only pastors of the Reformed
congregation named in the record are
the first, Christoph Kobrecht, 1794, and
the last, Philip Philips, whose ministry
ended in 1842. If there were others
intermediate no names are given, nor
does the variation of the handwriting
furnish any reliable clue. The entries
were in German verbiage to 1834;
thereafter they were in English.
The records of the Lutherans, too, are
not clear as to the early pastors. The
first, as before stated, was Johann
Daniel Schroeter, 1794, succeeded by
Rev. John Herbst, presumptively in
1797, continuing until 1825. Then came:
Rev. Emanual Keller, 1826-1827.
Rev. Jacob Albert, 1827-1836.
Rev. Jeremiah Harpel, 1837-1839.
Rev. Philip Willard, 1841-1843.
Rev. Frederick Ruthrouff, 1843-1844.
Rev. Elias Schwartz, 1845-1848.
Rev. Jacob Kaempfer, 1848-1849.
Rev. John Winter, 1850-1853.
Rev. Daniel Hauer, D.D., 1853-1860
(nephew of Barbara Frietchie).
Rev. J. M. Graybill, 1860-1861.
Rev. Jos. R. Facht, 1862-1864.
Rev. Jacob Martin, 1864-1867.
Rev. P. P. Lane, 1870-1872.
Rev. Christian Lepley, 1873-1881.
Rev. Albert Bell, 1881-1884.
Rev. Geo. H. Beckley, 1885-1897.
Rev. A. Harrison Burk, 1898-1900.
Rev. C. Stork Jones, 1900-
[26]
NAMES OF MEMBERS OF ST. PAUL'S CHURCH
Original names,
Names as now
with variations
written
Allgeiger, Jacob, Sr.......
1794 Algire
Algeier, Jacob, Jr..........
1794
Allgeier, Georg..............
1794
Allgier
Allgeyer
Allgire
Algire
Armegast, Magdalena...
1795 Armacost
Armegast, Adam...........
1809
Ormagosh, John............
1842
Armacost
Bäuerle, Ludwig...........
1794 Byerly
Bayerle, Peter
...............
1795
Byerle, Elizabeth... .1796-1843
Byerly, Thomas.............
1853
Bortz, Adam...................
1794 Ports
Borz, Adam
Portz, Adam
..................
1797
Portz, Elizabeth.............
1803
Ports
Becker, Geo. et al..........
Baker
Busch, Rhoda.................
1827 Bush
Coldrider, George..........
1820 Caltrider
Diehl, Rahel..................
1794 Deal
Diel, Susanna................
1808
Diehl, Catherine............
1831
Deal, David P
................
1830
Diehl, David
..................
1837
Deal, David P
................
1838
Duhs, Margaret.............
1854 Duse
Elzrothin,
Anna Catherina
.........
1794 Elseroad
Eltzroth, Johannes and
and
Eltzeroth
....................
1809 Elsroad
Elseroad, Geo................
1817
Elserote, Geo..................
1819
Elserode, Catherine
.......
1820
Elsrode, Francis.............
1820
Elsroad, Francis............ 1825
Elseroad, Francis
.......... 1828
Ibach, Anna Catherina.
1796 Ebaugh
Ebaugh, Geo
.................
1806
Ebach, Geo....................
1817
Ebaugh, Geo
.................
1818
Ibaugh, Jacob...............
1818
Ebaugh, Conrad............
1825
Ebaugh, Rachel
............
1827
Fletter, J. Georg...........
1794 Flitter
Fleter, John
..................
1825
Flitter
Fauple, Elizabeth............ 1796 Fowble
Faubel, Melcher............
1808
Fouble, Malchor
............ 1811
Vaubel, Savina............... 1824
Fowble, Frederick.......... 1827
Fowbel, Frederick
......... 1832
Fauble, Salome............. 1831
Fowble, Sarah..............
1833
Original names,
Names as now
with variations
written
Frenger, Rebecca...........
1795 Fringer
Fringer, Michal.............
1808
Frankforter, Friedrich..
1794 Frankforter
Gittinger, Elizabeth
......
1794 Gettinger
Gittinger, Jacob.............
1810
Gettinger, Francis.........
1820
Helm, Daniel
.............1794-1811 Helms
Helms, Daniel, Jr.
........
1846
Homan, Michel..............
1794 Hohman
Hohman, Barbara.........
1794
Heger, Sarah.................
1794 Hager
Hager, John..................
1809
Haug, Christian F.........
1796 Houck
Houk, Geo.....................
1824
Hauck, Geo...................
1826
Houck, Catherine...........
1855
Hennystoffel, John........
1810 Hennistoffel
Hennestopher, Samuel..
1826
Hildebrand, Katherina..
1809 Hildebrand
Hildebrant, John
...........
1810
Hiltebrand, Jacob.........
1828
Huber, Heinrich.......
1811 Hoover
Hoover, Adam...............
1842
Hallenbach,
John
.............1819-1830-1844 Hollenbaugh
Hallenbaugh, Catherine.
1829
Huster, Godlieb
.............
1844 Huster
Ibach, Anna Catherina..
1796 Ebaugh
Ebaugh, Jacob...............
1818
Ebaugh, Geo..................
1818
König, Frederick...........
1858 King
Lautenschläger, Georg..
1794 Loudenslager
Laudensläger, John.......
1809
Laudenschläger,
Elizabeth
...................
1823
Lautenschleger,
Catharine
...................
1819
Laudenslager, Elizabeth.
1833
Lepo, Jacob...................
1829 Lippo and
Leppo, Peter..................
1848 Leppo
Lammott, Gothard
.........
1858 La Motte
Mash, Barbara
..............
1811 Marsh
Meyer, Geo. E
................
1841 Myers
Noll, Heinrich and
Maria .........................
1811 Null
Null, Mary
....................
1843
Oberkugen, Jacob..........
1794 Upperco
Opferkuchen, Catherine
1794 and
Oberkuchen
Uppercue
Oberkugen
Opferkuchen, Rachel...
1830
Ormagash, John
.............
1842 Armacost
[27]
Original names,
Names as now
with, variations
written
Rathge, Elias................
1794
Radge, Daniel
...............
1794
Reister, John................
1796
Reinhard, Magdalena...
1803 Rhinehart
Reinhart, Eva.................
1806
Reinhart, Maria
.............
1836
Rhoten, James
(orig. Roth)................
1897 Rhoten
Schnepp, Johann Peter..
1794 Schnepf
Schnepf, Margaret.........
1795
Snapth, Peter (in deed)
1840
Sturm, Christina
...........
1797 Storms
Sturm, Georg.................
1796
Schneider, |