The floor was temporarily boarded over, the
old pulpit was stood at one side and an organ
and choir imported for the service. This choir
was composed of well known singers of that day,
chiefly from Market Square and Pine Street
Presbyterian churches. They were: Mrs. J. W.
Deeter, Mrs. G. M. McCauley, Mr. and Mrs. E. Z.
Gross, Miss Chayne, Miss Helen Espy, Miss
Mollie Bingham, Mrs. John Garner, Dr. H. B.
Buehler, John P. Charlton, George Rinehart,
William A. Robinson and George R. Fleming,
with Miss Mary Sergeant at the organ.
A. Boyd Hamilton presided. There were ad-
dresses by Judge Simonton and Dr. Egle; Rev.
Samuel A. Martin, of Lebanon, preached; and
there were prayers by Rev. George S. Chambers,
D.D., and Rev. William West, D.D. The corner
stone was laid by Mrs. Charles L. Bailey and
Mrs. William E. Guilford, of Lebanon, direct de-
scendants of Parson Elder, assisted by Mrs. Mary
H. Hickock, Miss Martha Alricks and Dr. James
Kerr, of York, descended from prominent mem-
bers of the early Derry Church.
At the close of the services the ladies of Leb-
anon served lunch in the old session house, the
proceeds going to help pay for the church.
Later, the stained glass windows were given
in memory of the pastors of old Derry and of
some of the prominent parishioners. The beau-
131
tif ul medallion window above the pulpit was pre-
sented by the Bailey family and Mr. and Mrs.
Gilbert McCauley in honor of Parson Elder.
Some of these windows were the gift of descend-
ants, as those of Mr. Snowden, Mr. Bertram,
James Wilson, James Galbreath; most were
given by contributions from Sunday schools of
different Presbyterian churches — that to James
Adair by Christ Church, Lebanon; to Joshua
Williams, by Lancaster Presbyterian Church;
to John Marshall Boggs by Market Square
Church, Harrisburg, and to Andrew Dinsmore
Mitchell by Pine Street Church, Harrisburg.
The story of Derry's early ministry is told
elsewhere. Parson Bertram and Rev. John Roan
were the only ones who had Derry alone. The
latter, born in 1717, was from Greenshaw, Ire-
land, a weaver by trade, who emigrated to Amer-
ica and taught school to carry on his theological
studies in the famous old "Log College." He
was licensed by the Newcastle Presbytery in
1744, and came to Derry the following year, to
become pastor of the "New Side" faction of
Derry, Paxton and Conewago. He died on Oc-
tober 2, 1775, when Derry and Paxton again were
united under Parson Elder.
With the building of the new church. Rev.
Albert Williamson, of Paxton, held services at
Derry in the evening; but he was not the joint
pastor of the sister churches, as in the early days.
After Mr. Williamson left. Rev. John H. Groff
drove over from Middletown to preach to the
Derry people, so sure was he that the old church
had a future. During the first part of this
132
decade, from 1895-1905 lie came every four weeks
in the evening; later, he came every alternate
fortnight in the afternoon. It was discouraging
work, and one of pure self-sacrifice, as the con-
gregation was small and widely scattered.
Page 50
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
The floor was temporarily boarded over, the old pulpit was stood at one side and an organ and choir imported for the service. This choir was composed of well known singers of that day, chiefly from Market Square and Pine Street Presbyterian churches. They were: Mrs. J. W. Deeter, Mrs. G. M. McCauley, Mr. and Mrs. E. Z. Gross, Miss Chayne, Miss Helen Espy, Miss Mollie Bingham, Mrs. John Garner, Dr. H. B. Buehler, John P. Charlton, George Rinehart, William A. Robinson and George R. Fleming, with Miss Mary Sergeant at the organ.
A. Boyd Hamilton presided. There were addresses by Judge Simonton and Dr. Egle; Rev. Samuel A. Martin, of Lebanon, preached; and there were prayers by Rev. George S. Chambers, D.D., and Rev. William West, D.D. The corner stone was laid by Mrs. Charles L. Bailey and Mrs. William E. Guilford, of Lebanon, direct descendants of Parson Elder, assisted by Mrs. Mary H. Hickock, Miss Martha Alricks and Dr. James Kerr, of York, descended from prominent members of the early Derry Church.
At the close of the services the ladies of Lebanon served lunch in the old session house, the proceeds going to help pay for the church.
Later, the stained glass windows were given in memory of the pastors of old Derry and of some of the prominent parishioners. The beautiful medallion window above the pulpit was presented by the Bailey family and Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert McCauley in honor of Parson Elder. Some of these windows were the gift of descendants, as those of Mr. Snowden, Mr. Bertram, James Wilson, James Galbreath; most were given by contributions from Sunday schools of different Presbyterian churches — that to James Adair by Christ Church, Lebanon; to Joshua Williams, by Lancaster Presbyterian Church; to John Marshall Boggs by Market Square Church, Harrisburg, and to Andrew Dinsmore Mitchell by Pine Street Church, Harrisburg.
The story of Derry's early ministry is told elsewhere. Parson Bertram and Rev. John Roan were the only ones who had Derry alone. The latter, born in 1717, was from Greenshaw, Ireland, a weaver by trade, who emigrated to America and taught school to carry on his theological studies in the famous old "Log College." He was licensed by the Newcastle Presbytery in 1744, and came to Derry the following year, to become pastor of the "New Side" faction of Derry, Paxton and Conewago. He died on October 2, 1775, when Derry and Paxton again were united under Parson Elder.
With the building of the new church. Rev. Albert Williamson, of Paxton, held services at Derry in the evening; but he was not the joint pastor of the sister churches, as in the early days.
After Mr. Williamson left. Rev. John H. Groff drove over from Middletown to preach to the Derry people, so sure was he that the old church had a future. During the first part of this
decade, from 1895-1905 lie came every four weeks in the evening; later, he came every alternate fortnight in the afternoon. It was discouraging work, and one of pure self-sacrifice, as the congregation was small and widely scattered.