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Churches and Church Records |
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| Union Church of Sebring, the second of the four as described below.
Photo submitted by Esther MAYS Harer
The postcard that is titled Church at Sebring, is actually Zion Lutheran Church, it stood on the west side of old Rt 15, the house in the background was the Heyler house and is currently owned by Cora VanDyke. The Union Church was on the east side of Rt 15, part of the Cemetery at Sebring. Gary Parker |
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From; Gary Parker RR # 6 Box 6227 Montrose PA 18801 gtparker@epix.net
Re ; History of Union Churches in the Liberty Area
Written by ; Liberty Area Historical Society in 1991 ( perhaps by Marie
Allesworth)
Liberty Area Union Churches
During the last two hundreds years, four Union Churches have been built in the Liberty area located at Liberty, Nauvoo, Sebring, and Shoptown.
The first Union church was also the first church in Liberty Township.
It was called “Liberty Church”, and stood on the hill west of the old grade
school building. This church was used by both Germans and English. (1883
Tioga County History page 196). The second Union Church was built in 1863
in Sebring. Part of the steps leading to the church can still be seen on
the west side of the Sebring Cemetery. Various denominations used it. The
third Union Church was built in Nauvoo about 1870. It is interesting to
note that this church is mentioned in one Tioga County History as being
the only church edifice in Morris Township ( 1883 Tioga County History,
page 201), while the 1897 Tioga County History places this church in Liberty
Township ( pg 646). The fourth Union Church building was built in Shoptown
in 1891, and is the building we are meeting in today. It was dedicated
January 10, 1892.
| The Shoptown Union Church cost $ 1500 cash money. We do not know the
value of the donated labor. The land on which the church was built consisted
of two tracts. Tract 1 was deeded to the trustees of the Union Church of
Liberty by Cornelius Wygant on May 9, 1891.Tract 2 was deeded to the Trustees
by Charles Mase and wife on January 25, 1892. About 32 years later a third
tract of land was granted to the trustees by Matthew B. Roupp by deed dated
June 26, 1924. This latter tract was used as a parking lot when church
and Sunday School were held in the building.
(Photo of Union Shoptown Church sent in by Esther MAYS Harer) |
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On July 23,1982 the Union Church property was deeded by the Board of Trustees of The Central Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church to the trustees of the Union Church of Liberty—Helen M Forer, Elis Schmelzle, and Violet Ingalls.
The Trustees of the Union Church by an article of Agreement dated April
24, 1978 agreed to lease the Historic of the Liberty Area Historical Society
in perpetuity.
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We do not have a record of when the Shoptown Union Church Sunday school was organized, but we do know that in 1897 there were about 40 pupils enrolled. Mrs. Murry Mase was Sunday School Superintendent. The school closed in 1931. Violet Ingalls recently told me that the funeral services of her husband Clark was held in this church in August of 1965. It may have been the last funeral service held in Union as the last regular church service was held in October 1965. Church services may well have ended earlier had it not been for the wife of Rev. Jason Hollopeter who was assigned to the Liberty charge of the Evangelical United Brethren. Mrs. Hollopeter conducted services during the time they were in Liberty. Many of you will recall that the Hollopeter’s returned here for our yearly service two years ago !891to 1991 is a 100 year period during which many local men and women, boys and girls have been touched by the moral guidance and lessons learned in the building still standing and serving the community. Accordingly, the Liberty Area Historical Society requests that any of you who have records of any sort which would help refine the church history to please share them with the society. This is one way in which we can celebrate the first 100 years of the Union Church at Shoptown. Photo at left sent by Gary Parker 2004 |
Thanks Gary Parker
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Summer 2005- Newly painted. Photos from Gary Parker |
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