Just when the congregation of Paxton was
first formed is not definitely known. Most of the
old records are lost or inaccessible, but as the
first settlers in this part of the valley were with
one exception Scotch-Irish from Ulster, it stands
to reason that a church building was soon
erected. A rough limestone grave marker bear-
ing the date 1716, with graves of the pioneers
about it, was to be seen near the present sight of
the church up to 1820 ; thus, the old log church,
known to have been standing in 1722, was prob-
ably erected about that time.
There was a congregation here in 1732, as the
first business before the Presbytery of Donegal,
organized in that year, was to consider the call
of Rev. William Bertram to Paxton and Derry.
Before that we find complaints in no less than
five meetings of New Castle Presbytery because
Derry and Paxton are in arrears in the salary of
Rev. James Anderson.
The old log church stood about twenty feet in
front of the present building ; its traditional site
where grows the walnut tree just opposite the
south door. Miss Lizzie Rutherford well remem-
bers the marks of excavation at that spot.
17
To this log structure, in 1738, came Rev. John
Elder, that famous man of God who was a
marked figure in the early history of Pennsyl-
vania, and whose history during the fifty-two
years of his pastorate at Paxton is that of the
church. The power of the man was soon felt and
he probably occupied the old log church but two
years, as his flock had outgrown it.
Again, mystery surrounds the beginnings of
our church. The first actual mention of the
stone building in which we worship to-day is in
the deed of the glebe from the Foster heirs to
the congregation in 1754. But we have seem-
ingly conclusive authority for our date 1740 from
a son of Parson Elder, Thomas Elder, a brilliant
lawyer of Harrisburg, who, in 1852, as an old
man at the funeral of his life-long friend, Mrs.
Sarah Rutherford, wife of William Rutherford,
told Captain Rutherford that he had often heard
his father say the walls were built in 1740.
The stone building erected at that time was
just as it stands to-day, almost untouched by the
storms of one hundred and seventy-three years.
It is the oldest Presbyterian church, now in use,
in Pennsylvania, and the second oldest in the
United States, the other being Rehoboth Church,
Somerset County, Maryland, built in 1706. We
do well to hold it in high honor.
The church, with its thick walls and graceful
proportions, 36x66 feet, is built of irregular lime-
stones, which are held together by mortar now as
hard as the stones themselves: there was no
shoddy workmanship in those days. We find in
18
one of the records of the Harris family that the
first John Harris contributed most of the stones
for this building. Both of the Harrises, father
and son, were warm friends of Parson Elder and
supporters of Paxton church, though Episco-
palians.
Page 4
Presented as published in 1913. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Just when the congregation of Paxton was first formed is not definitely known. Most of the old records are lost or inaccessible, but as the first settlers in this part of the valley were with one exception Scotch-Irish from Ulster, it stands to reason that a church building was soon erected. A rough limestone grave marker bearing the date 1716, with graves of the pioneers about it, was to be seen near the present site of the church up to 1820 ; thus, the old log church, known to have been standing in 1722, was probably erected about that time.
There was a congregation here in 1732, as the first business before the Presbytery of Donegal, organized in that year, was to consider the call of Rev. William Bertram to Paxton and Derry. Before that we find complaints in no less than five meetings of New Castle Presbytery because Derry and Paxton are in arrears in the salary of Rev. James Anderson.
The old log church stood about twenty feet in front of the present building ; its traditional site where grows the walnut tree just opposite the south door. Miss Lizzie Rutherford well remembers the marks of excavation at that spot.
To this log structure, in 1738, came Rev. John Elder, that famous man of God who was a marked figure in the early history of Pennsylvania, and whose history during the fifty-two years of his pastorate at Paxton is that of the church. The power of the man was soon felt and he probably occupied the old log church but two years, as his flock had outgrown it.
Again, mystery surrounds the beginnings of our church. The first actual mention of the stone building in which we worship today is in the deed of the glebe from the Foster heirs to the congregation in 1754. But we have seemingly conclusive authority for our date 1740 from a son of Parson Elder, Thomas Elder, a brilliant lawyer of Harrisburg, who, in 1852, as an old man at the funeral of his life-long friend, Mrs. Sarah Rutherford, wife of William Rutherford, told Captain Rutherford that he had often heard his father say the walls were built in 1740.
The stone building erected at that time was just as it stands today, almost untouched by the storms of one hundred and seventy-three years. It is the oldest Presbyterian church, now in use, in Pennsylvania, and the second oldest in the United States, the other being Rehoboth Church, Somerset County, Maryland, built in 1706. We do well to hold it in high honor.
The church, with its thick walls and graceful proportions, 36x66 feet, is built of irregular limestones, which are held together by mortar now as hard as the stones themselves: there was no shoddy workmanship in those days. We find in
one of the records of the Harris family that the first John Harris contributed most of the stones for this building. Both of the Harrises, father and son, were warm friends of Parson Elder and supporters of Paxton church, though Episcopalians.