IN THE BEGINNING: History of Kreutz Creek Church
By Sandy Ludwig
In the early 1700s, William Penn’s land was a virgin forest of timber on the west side of the Susquehanna River. He promised to all who settled in this colony, freedom from religious persecution.
Many of the first settlers were of the German Lutheran and Reformed faiths. They would locate a free-flowing spring for their water supply and then cleared a plot of land and built their homes of logs.
They felled and hewed square timbers from the hemlock forest. Between the logs they used clay as chinking. They whitewashed the interior walls with a mixture of lime and water. Shingles for the roof were large pieces of hemlock bark.
The settlers started to organize themselves and met for Sunday workship in family homes and barns.
Arud 1745, Jacob Lischy, a traveling reformed minister, became their pastor. Being a circuit or charge pastor, he also served the Trinity Reformed Church in York. A schoolhouse of logs was built for John Adam Luckenbach, and assistant to Jacob Lischy. This was the first building on the church property.
John and William Penn issued a warrant for fifty acres to the “Reformed Lutheran Dutch Congregation” at Kreutz Creek on October 27, 1746.
The first church was built of logs. Not much is known about this building. This church stood from 1745 to 1797.
Nancy Newcomer Lau said her grandfather, George Newcomer, walked her and her sister, Shirley, over to the old cemetery and showed them where the log church stood. A lilac bush marks the spot today.
The second church was built of limestone and stood closer to the creek. This church had no bell or tower. This church had a first floor and a gallery on the second floor. Then small pipe organ was on the gallery. The choir sat beside the organ. When entering the first floor there was no vestibule, the pews to the right were for the women and the left pews were for the men. Officers of the congregation sat in front of the men and women. Young ladies sat in the corner pews. The pastor preached from a wineglass-shaped pulpit with steps leading to it. In December 1853, a new pipe organ built by Pomplitz & Co. of Baltimore, Maryland, was purchased for $531. A deed to this church was recorded on June2,1825 at the York County Courthouse from John and William Penn. We still have this original document. On February 5,1894, land was sold from the original fifty acres to help pay for the building of the sexton’s brick house. The sexton took care of the church and surrounding property. This house is still standing on church property today. The limestone church stood from 1797 to 1860.
On May 10, 1859, plans were being made for a new brick church. On May 24, 1859, the site was chosen. It was to be built near the limestone church. The limestone church was to be torn down.
On April 24, 1860, building supplies arrived at the site. A contractor from York was chosen to build the church for $3,400. The limestone from the old church was used for the foundation. Large timber beams were laid across the foundation. On May 15, 1860, the cornerstone was laid and on October 23, 1860, the dedication of the new brick church took place.
The church was Greek revival style. A cast steel bell hung in the cupola. The pipe organ from the limestone church was installed in the new church. The plank floor sand pews were made from old growth wood. The interior of the church had a gallery on three sides. Stenciling adorned the walls above the gallery. Two potbellied stoves were used for heat in the winter .The pews were of the “bull pen” style. The middle pew was divided by a wooden panel. The two front doors opened into the vestibule. And the stops on either side of the vestibule led up to the gallery. The brick church is still being used today.