CLOSED CHURCHES WITHIN THE PRESE

CLOSED CHURCHES WITHIN THE PRESENT BOUNDARIES OF THE

SUSQUEHANNA CONFERENCE OF THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
The information for each church is arranged in alphabetical order within counties. Select a county.

SCHUYLKILL COUNTY PA

0. The Evangelical Association in Western Schuylkill County

     The early Evangelical Association had two circuits operating in the portion of Schuylkill County considered by the Methodists to be Central Pennsylvania: Mahantango and Williams Valley. Each circuit had two church buildings in western Schuylkill County at the time of the 1894 denominational split. The Mahantango churches (Zion and St. Paul's, both near Pitman in Eldred township) became United Evangelical 1894-1922. The Williams Valley churches (Zion and Grace, both near Tower City in Porter township) were more involved: Zion became United Evangelical 1894-1922, and the Grace congregation split ― with both the Association and the United Evangelicals maintaining separate buildings 1894-1922.
    The 1922 denominational re-union that formed the Evangelical denomination produced an interesting mix of results. The two Mahantango United Evangelical congregations (Pitman St. Paul's and Pitman Zion) stayed out of the re-union, left the Evangelical Church, and joined the new Evangelical Congregational denomination. The Muir Grace United Evangelical congregation also stayed out of the re-union, left the Evangelical Church, and joined the new Evangelical Congregational denomination. The Muir Grace Evangelical Association congregation [now Muir Grace United Methodist Church] and the Tower City United Evangelical congregation joined the re-union and became Evangelical, and later EUB, congregations.
    For the completeness of this document, the 3congregations that left the main denomination to become Evangelical Congregational are listed as "closed" congregations.

1. Fearnot St. Peter's UMC

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Address: Church Road, village of Fearnot
Municipality: Hubley township
County: Schuylkill
State: PA

Directions:
From Valley View, go west on PA 25 3.0 miles to Fearnot Road. Go north on Fearnot Road 2 miles to the vilage of Fearnot. Turn left onto Church Road and go 0.2 miles. The church is on the left.

Historic Conference:
     East Pennsylvania Conference of the United Brethren Church

Journal references:
     2015,139 – merged in Spring Glen St. Mark’s

Brief History:
     The congregation grew out of the class held on the Jacob Schwalm farm, beginning as early as 1862. The building was erected in 1886. While the cornerstone, written in German, clearly identifies the structure as St. Peter’s Church, it was known locally as Schwalm’s Church. In 2015 the congregation merged into St. Mark’s in Spring Glen to form Pine Creek UMC.

Final disposition:

2. Muir UE

muir

Location: village of Muir
Municipality: Porter township
County: Schuylkill
State: PA

Directions:
The village of Muir is just south of US 209, 3 miles east of Tower City.

Historic Conference:
East Pennsylvania Conference of the United Evangelical Church

Journal references:

Brief History:
The first Evangelical church building for this class was a log structure erected in 1857 between Muir and Orwin. In 1872 the congregation erected a new building 200 feet south of town. That congregation was divided by the denominational split of 1894, and the structure pictured above was erected in 1895 by those Evangelical Association members in Muir that sided with the United Evangelical Church. Some of the members returned to the main body in the denominational re-union of 1922, and that re-united congregation erected the present Grace United Methodist Church on the corner of Wiconisco and First in 1923. Those not returning in the 1922 re-union joined with other like congregations to form the Evangelical Congregational denomination.

Final disposition:
The building now houses the Grace Evangelical Congregational Church of Muir.

3. Orwin UB

orwin

Location: 221 Dietrich Avenue, village of Orwin
Municipality: Porter township
County: Schuylkill
State: PA

Directions:
From the intersection of US 209 and PA 325 in Tower City, go south 1 mile on PA 325 to Dietrich Avenue. Turn left on Dietrich Avenue and go 1 mile to the village of Orwin.

Historic Conference:
East Pennsylvania Conference of the United Brethren Church

Journal references:
1949,47 - church building sold
1952,66 - cemetery transferred to Cemetery Association of Trinity Evangelical and Reformed Church in Orwin

Brief History:
A United Brethren class was organized at Johnstown, now Orwin, about 1890. A lot was secured in 1892 and a frame church erected the same year. The appointment was served from Tower City during its entire existence. The congregation peaked during the ministry of Rev. Wallace Miller (1906-1909) and then there was a split and a separate Union Church was erected in 1910 (at 110 Dietrich Avenue).

Final disposition:

4. Pitman St. Paul's UE

St. Paul's E.C. Church

Location: 172 Ridge Road
Municipality: Eldred township
County: Schuylkill
State: PA

Directions:
The village of Pitman is on Main Road, off PA 125 about half-way between Hegins and Shamokin. From Pitman go west on Main Road 1.5 miles to PA 125. Go south on PA 125 1.0 miles to Ridge Road. Go east on Ridge Road 100 yards to the church. The church is on the left.

Historic Conference:
East Pennsylvania Conference of the United Evangelical Church

Journal references:

Brief History:
Pitman St. Paul’s and Pitman Zion have united to form one congregation with two locations.

Final disposition:
The building is now the St. Paul’s campus of Pitman Evangelical Congregational Church.

5. Pitman Zion UE

Location: 247 Zion Church Road
Municipality: Eldred township
County: Schuylkill
State: PA

Directions:
The village of Pitman is on Main Road, off PA 125 about half-way between Hegins and Shamokin. From Pitman, go east on Main Road 0.5 miles to the elongated cross roads. At the elongated cross roads, go straight on Zion Church Road 2 miles to the church. The church is on the left.

Historic Conference:
East Pennsylvania Conference of the United Evangelical Church

Journal references:

Brief History:
Pitman Zion and Pitman St. Paul’s have united to form a single congregation meeting at two locations.

Final disposition:
The building is now the Zion campus of Pitman Evangelical Congregational Church.

6. Sacramento UB

sacrement sacrament

Location: village of Sacramento
Municipality: Hubley township
County: Schuylkill
State: PA

Directions:
The village of Sacramento is on PA 25, 3 miles west of Valley View.

Historic Conference:
East Pennsylvania Conference of the United Brethren Church

Journal references:
     1966,134 – resolution to discontinue
     1966,145 – congregation discontinued; trustees intact to care for cemetery
     1967, 142 & 161 – approval to unite with Valley View under the name St. Andrew’s

Brief History:
The church building at this site was erected in 1873 at what was then the corner of Tuplehocken Street and Elm Street, on the main road to Valley View, in the village of Sacramento. The site is now rural, and on a loop off to the south of the main road, PA 25.

Final disposition:
The building was taken down in 1967, and the site is marked by a small monument containing the church bell. Some of the windows were incorporated into the interior of the church at Valley View.

7. Tower City UB

tower

Location: 642 E. Grand Avenue, Tower City
Municipality: borough of Tower City
County: Schuylkill
State: PA

Directions:
Tower City is on US 209. Grand Avenue is US 209. The building is on the south side of the road in the east side of town.

Historic Conference:
East Pennsylvania Conference of the United Brethren Church

Journal references:

Brief History:
This class was organized in 1871 by Rev. James Shoop of the Valley View charge. The congregation met in the Jonathan Kuntzleman home before erecting a frame building in 1872. That house of worship was replaced by a new brick church in 1921, and a Christian education wing was added in 1958. The congregation is truly ecumenically minded. In 1947, after a denominational union had produced two EUB congregations in Tower City, they accepted the members of the former Evangelical Church into their fellowship. In 1978, after another denominational union had produced two United Methodist congregations in Tower City, they joined with the former Methodist Church and are now part of Christ United Methodist Church.

Final disposition:
The building is now a flower shop.

8. Tower City Wesley ME

tower

Location: Grand Avenue and Fourth Street, Tower City
Municipality: borough of Tower City
County: Schuylkill
State: PA

Directions:
Tower City is on US 209. Grand Avenue is US 209. The church stood on the southeast corner of Grand Avenue and Fourth Street.

Historic Conference:
Philadelphia Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church

Journal references:

Brief History:
In the spring of 1870, the Methodist preacher from Lykens and Wiconisco began preaching in Tower City every two weeks, sometimes in a school house and sometimes in an open grove. A lot was purchased in the west end of town, and a church building was erected there in 1871. The congregation grew and a larger facility was needed. The lot in the center of town on the corner of Grand Avenue and Fourth Street was secured, and a new frame church building was dedicated there on July 13, 1890. That structure was replaced by the brick edifice pictured above in 1918. While the new building was being erected, the congregation worshiped in the United Evangelical Church diagonally across the intersection. In 1978 the congregation united with the former United Brethren Church to form the present Christ United Methodist Church and erect a modern facility in 1991.

Final disposition:
The building was razed when the new sanctuary was erected on the lot next door, to the east. The site is now a landscaped lot.

9. Tower City Zion EV

towercity

Location: Grand Avenue and Fourth Street, Tower City
Municipality: borough of Tower City
County: Schuylkill
State: PA

Directions:
Tower City is on US 209. Grand Avenue is US 209. The church stood on the northwest corner of Grand Avenue and Fourth Street.

Historic Conference:
East Pennsylvania Conference of the Evangelical Church

Journal references:
     1925,214 – permission to merge with Reiner City [Muir] Grace … apparently never happened
     1943,99 – destroyed by fire; recommend continue sharing the UB building
     1946,631 – permission to sell the lots from the church and parsonage
     1947,58&72&100 – approval to use funds from sale to apply to merger with UB congregation

Brief History:
The first Evangelical church building for this class was a log structure 1 mile south of Tower City, at the foot of Peter's Mountain. It was on the north side of the old Powell's Valley Road, and the site is marked by a graveyard. In 1872 the congregation purchased the lot on Grand Avenue and constructed a frame building. The congregation identified with the United Evangelical Church during the 1894-1922 denominational split and were a two-point charge with the United Evangelical portion of the split congregation in Muir. The frame building was razed in 1922 and replaced with a brick structure. That structure and the neighboring parsonage were destroyed by fire in 1947. As a result of the 1946 denominational merger, both this congregation and the former United Brethren congregation a few blocks to the east were both part of the EUB Church. Rather than rebuild, the congregation merged into the former United Brethren Church.

Final disposition: