Charter Members of the
Lone Pine Christian Church
(D of C)
Simeon Hathaway
Frederick Shrontz
Jacob Egy
Albert Gordon
David Egy
Sarah Shrontz
Annie Young
Mary Egy
Christiana Cooper
Sarah Hatfield
History - 1841 - 1882
Lone Pine Christian Church or
Pleasant Valley Christian Church
by
Rev. W.L. Hayden
as found in
History of Washington County, Pa.
edited by
Boyd Crumrine
and published
1882
L.H. Everts & Co.
press of
J.B. Lippincott & Co. Philadelphia, Pa.
pp 666-668
Historian - Louise Sowers - 1963 - 1966
When the house of worship of the Ridge Baptist Church was
built, John Frederick Shrontz, Sr. a faithful disciple of Christ,
proposed to give fifty dollars to the building fund, on
condition that he should have the privilege of using the house
occassionally for preaching when the Baptists were not using it.
This condition was agreed to in a church meeting, and teh fifty
dollars was paid. In the exercise of the right thus granted
to him, John T. Smith, a Disciple preacher of good ability and
of genuine piety, who lived at that time on Pigeon Creek, was
employed to preach once a month.
The gospel proclaimed by him was "like unto leaven which a
woman took and hid in three measures of meal." "The word of
God, which effectually works in them that believe", worked in
the hearts of his hearers, and prepared them for the advent of
two preachers from the state of Ohio, who came in November,
1840. They were the saintly Marcus Bosworth and the youthful
and zealous Lyman P. Streator. They preached in the Ridge
Baptist Church, and after holding several meetings in Washington
and adjacent counties, Marcus Bosworth returned to Ohio, and
left Lyman P. Streator to labor in the neighborhood into which
he had been thus introduced.
By agreement, he was to preach in the Ridge meeting house
once a month for a year for fifty dollars. In the following
spring and summer crowds attended the ministrations of the
young evangelist, and under his labors several persons
"confessed the good confession before many witnesses." Some
of the good Baptist brethren united with these immersed
believers, who were known by the humble name of Disciples of
Christ in their weekly commemoration of the death of their
common Saviour.
This communion of saints regardless of party tenets
aroused the jealous fears of some of the stricter Baptists, who
resolved to turn the Disciples out of the house. Accordingly,
in October, 1841, when the youthful preacher came to fill his
appointment, he found the congregation assembled outside of the
house, the door was locked, and a guard was standing between
the waiting assembly and the empty sanctuary.
The little company of Disciples quietly gave up their
rights under the agreement that was made when the house was
built, and formally planted the Christian Church of Pleasant
Valley by subscribing to a church covenant at a meeting held
for the purpose on the 16th day of October, 1841, at the
house of John Frederick Shrontz, Sr. The names subscribed are:
Simeon Hathaway, J. Frederick Shrontz, Sr., Sarah Shrontz,
Jacob Egy, David Egy, Mary Egy, Albert Gordon, Anna Young,
Christiana Cooper, Sarah Hatfield. On the next day David Smith
and Elizabeth Smith were received by unanimous consent of the
congregation.
In order to remove an erroneous impression it is well here
to remark that the expression "the Scriptures of divine truth"
means, with the Disciples, the "old family Bible", or more
specifically, relating to the Christian dispensation, the
New Testament of our Lord Jesus Christ. While they accept
the aid of the best scholarship in ascertaining the mind of
Jesus Christ, and rejoice in the electric light of the highest
criticism, and have always been the friends of pure versions,
they have used the commonly received version in their public
ministrations.
At first the meetings on Lord's Day were held at the
private residences of J. Frederick Shrontz, Sr., Zebulon Ferrel,
and Jacob Egy. Very soon, however, the young church began to
prepare for housekeeping, and in the fall of 1843 a comfortable
frame meeting house was built on land then owned by David Slusher.
On March 30, 1944, Mr. Slusher made a deed of "eighty-nine
and eight-tenths perches, strict measure", of land to Col. David
Frazee and Zebulon Ferrel, trustees of the Disciples, meeting-house thereon erected, "to have and to hold the same for
the use and benefit of said Disciples Church, excepting the
third week in each month, for the proper use of other persons
who may have contributed to the building of said meeting house".
The earliest record of organization is on January 27, 1844,
when there was a meeting for the purpose of choosing officers
in the church. J.F. Shrontz, Sr., and Zebulon Ferrel were
chosen deacons, and set apart to that office by the imposition
of hands. Henry Bennett was chosen as a teacher, both in the
congregation and wherever he may have an opportunity or be
called to preach the word, and was set apart in like manner,
L.P. Streator officiating on the occasion.
The earliest record of elders is Dec. 15, 1850, when
Col. David Frazee and G.B. Shidler were appointed to that office.
On April 8, 1857, David Frazee, Sr. and David Slusher gave a
deed "to the Christian Church, composed of the Disciples of
Christ meeting at Pleasant Valley, in Amwell Township,
Washington County, for and in consideration of one dollar, of
three acres, strict measure", of land, to be held sacred
to the construction of a cemetary and the erection of a meeting
house, and for no other purpose.
The trustees of the church: David Frazee, Sr., David
Slusher, and Samuel L. Hughes, on Feb. 22, 1859, filed a
petition for incorporation agreeably to the provisions of the
act of Assembly of the 13th of October, 1840 and after due
notice thereof was given, the final decree of court was issued
May 17, 1859, incorporating the members of this church into
one body politic by the name and title of the "Disciples
Church of Pleasant Valley".
For more than twenty-five years, "upon the first day of
the week", the Disciples came together to "break bread" in
their first house of worship in the valley. But the growing
congregations became too large for the small house, and in
pursuance of duly authorized call, a meeting of Church - members
and citizens was held on March 7, 1868, when it was
unanimously voted to build a new meeting house on the lot
opposite the cemetary, the present site, which was then owned
by David Frazee, Sr. He immediately pledged himself, his heirs,
executors, etc. to make a good title to siad lot as soon as the
house was finished. Accordingly the deed was given to the
Disciples Church of Pleasant Valley on October 13, 1869, A.D.
for and in consideration of the sum of ten dollars.
A committee of five of the subscribers to the building
fund was chosen by ballot to determine the size, form, and
style of the building, and was constituted a building committee,
with instructions to begin the erection of the house when five
thousand dollars were subscribed. David Slusher, L.P. Streator,
A.J. Closser, J.M. Ross, and Samuel L. Hughes were said
committee.
By order of this meeting the old house was disposed of at
public sale. Christianity develops and elevates the highest
faculties of human nature, and consecrates them to the service
of God, that the man of God may be "thoroughly furnished unto
all good works", hence schools are the legitimate fruit of the
gospel. The members of the Pleasant Valley Christian Church
wished to provide proper educational advantages in their own
vicinity for their children and their neighbors' children.
The church led the way, and the citizens of the place heartily
united in the enterprise.
The Court of Common Pleas of Washington Co., Pa., on
Nov. 26, 1853 granted the application for a charter and issued
decree and declared Daved Frazee, Sr., Philo Paul, Samuel L.
Hughes, David Bane, David Slusher, David McElhinny, David
McDonough, Lyman P. Streator, Edward Riggs and such other
persons as may be associated with them a body corporate and
politic by the name and title of "Pleasant Valley Academy".
A deed was given by Col. David Frazee, dated May 20, 1854,
to the directors of the academy, for and in consideration of
one hundred and thirteen dollars and seventy-five cents, of
"one acre and twenty-five perches, strict measure", of land
for the only and proper use of said company. A suitable
building was erected, and the grounds were improved at an
aggregate cost of two thousand and fifty-on dollars and
seventy-five cents, no small sum to be raised at that time
in a rural district. The first trustees elected under the
charter, June 27, 1855, were the following: For three years,
Col. David Frazee, Philo Paul, and Samuel L. Hughes; for
two years David Frazee, Sr., Thomas J. Rees, and David Bane;
for one year, L.P. Streator, Joseph Moore, and Asher Vankirk.
L.P. Streator was elected principal of the academy at the
beginning, and for five years he had charge of the institution.
By his untiring efforts as a teacher and a member of the board
of trustees, he raised the academy to a high degree of
efficiency, and made it self-supporting. It bacame an
intellectual power and a center of a large circle of influence.
He was succeeded in the principalship by the lamented Phillip
Galley, William S. Spear, and J.L. Darsie, under whose
successive administrations the school was well sustained.
But owing to some unfavorable changes in its surroundings,
the academy was closed in January, 1871, and the building was
sold. The spirit of education survived the academy, and in 1875 the school was in some measure revived by J.H. Hendron, who won
his way to public favor by his efficient labors, and continues
to h old the confidence of the community as a successful
educator and a godly man.
The fact has already been stated that L.P. Streator was
preaching for this church at its formation. He was not only
first in order of time, but he is the first in the aggregate
length of time and in amount of preaching done. He was highly
esteemed by the church and community. After him there have
been regularly employed by the church J.B. Piatt, Hamilton
VanKirk, Robert Milligan, Henry Langly, Henry Bennett, R. Baily
Chaplin, James Darsie, Phillip Galley, Finley Oakes, S.B.
Teagarden, J.L. Darsie, F.M. Hawkins, A.F. Reynolds, William
S. SPeark, S.F. Fowler, R. Gardner, Campbell Jobes, P.M. Woods,
J.H. Hendron and J.W. Sutterfield. Twenty preachers in forty
years, an average time of two years for each engagement, is
painfully suggestive of instability on the part of the church,
or the preachers, or of unscriptural notions with regard to the
regular support of an approved ministry.
Besides these the following named have labored here in
meetings of days some of whom have been called twice or thrice
for such special work: William F. Pool, J.H. Jones, Richard
Williams, John Lindsey, F.B. Lobingier, J.D. Benedict, D.G. Mitchell, George Lucy, John WHitaker, T.C. McKeever, A. Wilcox,
J.B. Crane, Benjamin Franklin, O.G. Hertzog, T.A. Crenshaw,
M.L. Streator, D.L. Kincaid, J.F. Rowe, and H.B. Cox.
On occasions of general meetings this church has been
favored with the presence and the preaching of A. Campbell,
Wesley Lanphear, W.K. Pendleton, and perhaps others less noted.
It is worthy of special mention that under the auspices of this
church, M.L. Streator did good service for evangelical truth in
in an able defense of the Bible against materialism. In a
debate with a Mr. Niles, a representative of materialistic
philosophy, he set forth the spiritual teaching of the word of
God with great clearness and force, and won such a signal
victory that the cause of his opponent has never rallied from
the defeat.
While this church gratefully cherishes the fragrant memory
of the many pure and able men of God who have spoken to them the
word of the Lord, historical truth demands the humiliating
confession that the cause of Christ here, as in some other
places in the county, has suffered much from the evil example of
some preachers who have proven unworthy of their holy calling,
some of whom thrust themselves upon an unsuspecting brotherhood
without authority to preach or any just claim to public
confidence. Nevertheless, this church has steadily held to its
course and received into its fellowship up to this date
six hundred and fifty two members, but to quote from the records
of the congregation, "many persons whose names are recorded have
departed, some to that country whence no traveler returns,
some to distant parts of the land, and some to the weak and
beggarly elements of the world."
Hence the roll has been repeatedly reviced, and the present
membership is about two hundred and sixty. The responsible
office of elder has been held by Col. David Frazee, G.B. Shidler,
J.F. Shrontz, Sr., Alfred Grim, Jacob Stone, Samuel Loyd,
J.F. Ferrel, David Frazee, Sr., P.M. Woods, and F.T. Shrontz
of whom the last three named constitute the present deaconate.
From this church at least seven preachers have gone forth
into the evangelical field: Thomas Sutton, R. Gardner,
M.L. and J.M. Streator, P.M. Woods, H.B. Cox and Herbert Horn,
while the sainted Phillip Galley and L.S. Brown were in part the
product of the Pleasant Valley Academy. At first the Sunday
School work met with some opposition, which was exhibited by
sending anonymous letters to David Frazee, Sr., the first
superintendent. But this church has since manifested a lively
interest in the Sunday School cause, and brought out an unusual
number of workers in that department of the church activity.
Thirteen members of this congregation have been called at
different times to the superintendency: David Frazee, Sr.,
T.H. Vankirk, S.T. Dodd, Workman Hughes, Jr., Hamilton Riggle,
P.M. Woods, John Shipe, O.F. Lyon, D.H. Lewis, W.W. Paul,
Herbert Horn, D.M. Frazee, and O. Moninger. The last named is
at present assisted by eight teachers, who have under their
religious instruction, more or less of the year, near one
hundred and sixty pupils.
The church has recently enjoyed a powerful awakening in
religious interest, during which over sixty persons were received
into fellowship. It has a firm hold on the people in that
locality, and the practical recognition of the apostolic
principles of Christian oneness - "endeavoring to keep the
unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace", - and the provision
for itself of pastoral oversight and instruction commensurate
with its means and the necessities of the present age, will
insure for it a high degree of prosperity and increasing
usefulness for many years to come.