Mr. Groff was followed in 1905-1906 by Rev. Edward P. Robinson. Then came a period of summer supplies and occasional services in win- ter until the coming of Rev. C. Benjamin Segel- ken in 1909, who, in the two years of his pastor- ate, did a good work and started many new en- terprises. Rev. John McDonald was minister from January, 1911, to May, 1912. The present pastor. Rev. George Rentz, has only been in charge since March last, long enough, though, to prove his usefulness as a builder up of this his- toric church. The surroundings of old Derry are most in- teresting. The glebe presented to the congrega- tion by William Penn in 1717 numbered 160 acres of woodland which might be sold down to its present amount, seven acres, which must be kept by the church in perpetuity. In this grove are many rare old oaks and a famous spring re- cently made sanitary, walled and beautified as one of the many beneficences of Mr. Milton S. Hershey. To the west of the church, still standing, is the original old session house, supposedly built in 1732. This log building, with its big fireplace, has been used through the years as school house and study. At times it took the place of the kitchen in the modern institutional church, as 133 between morning and afternoon service in the early days, a huge kettle was hung in the fireplace and coffee and tea made for the congregation, many of whom had driven long distances from their farms. There was a sexton's house nearby, but this, too, has been torn down and rebuilt through the kindness of Mr. Hershey. The old sexton, J. P. Hatton, was an interesting character, especially in his later days, and to his vivid imagination and love of anecdote may be traced some of the traditions that give color to the tale of Derry's beginnings. It would be pleasant, for instance, to think that William Penn tied his horse to the old oak — but in those days the church, if built at all, was at Wingert's. Then, that tale about the old pewter com- munion service being a gift of royalty and made in the time of King Richard! This old pewter is beautiful enough and valuable enough not to need enhancing by a romantic tongue. It bears the touch mark of Richard King, London, on the tankard, and the date 1783. Curiously, an old receipt has been found that seems to point to the cups being of another date; or the rest of the service may have been ordered through the Phila- delphia merchant. It reads : Phila. March 5. 1788 Robert Clark, Esq. Bot of Wm. Will 4 Communion Cups 12 s, 6 d £2.10 Cr't by 6 lbs of pewter 6 Rec'd Contents. 2.5. Wm. Will. 134 This pewter, which originally consisted of four cups and platters and a wine pitcher, is of such historic interest and beauty that it should be kept some place on exhibition, where the many visitors to Hershey may see it and thus grow in- terested in the old church. With it might go the old walnut table and two chairs, which are nearly two hundred years old and are yet in use in the church proper.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

Mr. Groff was followed in 1905-1906 by Rev. Edward P. Robinson. Then came a period of summer supplies and occasional services in winter until the coming of Rev. C. Benjamin Segelken in 1909, who, in the two years of his pastorate, did a good work and started many new enterprises. Rev. John McDonald was minister from January, 1911, to May, 1912. The present pastor. Rev. George Rentz, has only been in charge since March last, long enough, though, to prove his usefulness as a builder up of this historic church. The surroundings of old Derry are most interesting. The glebe presented to the congregation by William Penn in 1717 numbered 160 acres of woodland which might be sold down to its present amount,, seven acres, which must be kept by the church in perpetuity. In this grove are many rare old oaks and a famous spring recently made sanitary, walled and beautified as one of the many beneficences of Mr. Milton S. Hershey. To the west of the church, still standing, is the original old session house, supposedly built in 1732. This log building, with its big fireplace, has been used through the years as school house and study. At times it took the place of the kitchen in the modern institutional church, as between morning and afternoon service in the early days, a huge kettle was hung in the fireplace and coffee and tea made for the congregation, many of whom had driven long distances from their farms. There was a sexton's house nearby, but this, too, has been torn down and rebuilt through the kindness of Mr. Hershey. The old sexton, J. P. Hatton, was an interesting character, especially in his later days, and to his vivid imagination and love of anecdote may be traced some of the traditions that give color to the tale of Derry's beginnings. It would be pleasant, for instance, to think that William Penn tied his horse to the old oak — but in those days the church, if built at all, was at Wingert's. Then, that tale about the old pewter communion service being a gift of royalty and made in the time of King Richard! This old pewter is beautiful enough and valuable enough not to need enhancing by a romantic tongue. It bears the touch mark of Richard King, London, on the tankard, and the date 1783. Curiously, an old receipt has been found that seems to point to the cups being of another date; or the rest of the service may have been ordered through the Philadelphia merchant. It reads : Phila. March 5. 1788 Robert Clark, Esq. Bot of Wm. Will 4 Communion Cups 12 s, 6 d £2.10 Cr't by 6 lbs of pewter 6 Rec'd Contents. 2.5. Wm. Will. This pewter, which originally consisted of four cups and platters and a wine pitcher, is of such historic interest and beauty that it should be kept some place on exhibition, where the many visitors to Hershey may see it and thus grow interested in the old church. With it might go the old walnut table and two chairs, which are nearly two hundred years old and are yet in use in the church proper.

Historic Paxton, her days and her ways, 1722-1913