Pisgah Presbyterian Church

Pisgah Church, located in the borough of Corsica, was the third organization. Pisgah is nominally a daughter of Bethel, and yet in reality would seem more like a twin sister, for she was organized not a great while after Bethel was removed from the log cabin, on the pike to Brookville, and her members principally consisted of the members of Bethel living west of the church, and the Bethel Church consisted of the members that lived east of the church, the old Bethel Church thus becoming two. So, on July 2, 1833, the members of both, were organized into Pisgah Church, by a committee appointed by old Allegheny Presbytery. The Rev. Cyrus Riggs was chairman of this committee, and the meeting of organization was held in Mr. Philip Corbet's house, the same one now occupied by his son, R.M. Corbet, a half mile west of the same one now occupied by his son, R.M. Corbet, a half mile west of Corsica. There were twenty-five original members, twelve men and their wives and a widower. The widower gave the men a majority of one, but at the present day the women generally have by far the largest majority on all church rolls.

Six of the thirteen men, viz.: William Corbet, William Douglass, Samuel Lucas, Samuel Davison, James Hindman, and John M. Fleming, were elected and there and then ordained and installed ruling elders.

From the old records of the church it is learned that a meeting preliminary to organization was held in the house of Robert Barr, SR., east of town, on the 22d of February of the same year, and another one on the 13^th of April. At the first of these meetings it was resolved to unite as a congregation, to be known by the name of Pisgah, and that the place of worship be on the top of the hill south of McAnulty's, near the Olean road, and a committee was appointed, vested with full power to select a site, purchase from five to ten acres of land on either side of the Olean road, and receive the deed in trust for said congregation; and a commissioner was appointed to present the petition of the congregation to Presbytery for and organization.

At the next meeting the committee reported that they had purchased ten acres of land on the west side of the Olean road, to extend back to the county line, for the sum of fifteen dollars, being less by one dollar per acre than the selling price, which donation of ten dollars Mr. White (the father of Judge Harry White) had given to the congregation, and that they had received the deed in trust, according to appointment. It was also resolved, at that time, that Mr. Philip Corbet's barn be the place of meeting for worship that summer.

The first house of worship was finished in 1841, at a cost of $1,000, and was a five-sided building, located just south of the present structure, the pulpit being one of those old, elevated box affairs, and situated in the V formed by the two western sides of the edifice. That structure gave way to the present large building, which was dedicated at a meeting of Presbytery in April, 1859. Its first cost was about $5,000. The congregation is raising money at the writing for extensive repairs. A valuable and convenient property was purchased in 1869 for a parsonage.

In all, about nine hundred members have been connected with this congregation, and at the present writing it is in a prosperous condition, harmony prevailing, and its members being cordial and unanimous in supporting the pastor in all good work. Three missionary organizations have made a record in that line, of which they need not be ashamed, and the good which they have wrought for the souls of the members, and for the church is far above all human calculations. In all they have sent away about $1,500. The sum total of the moneys raised by the congregation is estimated at not less than $40,000.

Pisgah was first regularly supplied by Mr. John Shoap, a licentiate of the Presbytery of Northumberland, who gave half time to Pisgah, in connection with Bethel, as a stated supply, in the winter of 1834 and 1835.

Rev. Gara Bishop, M.D., was stated supply for one-third time form May, 1835, to May, 1836.

For the next four years the church only had occasional supplies.

Rev. David Polk, alleged to have been a cousin of President James K. Polk, was the first regularly installed pastor that Pisgah ever had. His pastorate extended from December, 1840, for one-half of his time, to December, 1845.

Rev., C.P. Cummins, M.D., was pastor from June, 1847, for half of his time, the other half being given to Brookville, until September, 1862. He resigned once in that time, on August 5, 1856, but in ten days was recalled, and the next month was reinstalled. The work accomplished by this brother in his long pastorate in the charge where he was so greatly beloved, was without doubt a very great work, and the power for good that he has been to the church and to this county cannot be estimated.

Rev. J.S. Elder was pastor for one-half time from December, 1864, to February, 1868, the church of Greenville, in Clarion county, taking the other half of his time.

Rev. J.M. Hamilton was pastor from June, 1869, to April, 1871, his time being equally divided between Pisgah and Greenville.

Rev. Ross Stevenson, D.D., was pastor for two-thirds of his time, the one-third being given to the church of Troy, from November, 1871, to February, 1876.

Rev. Frank P. Britt, the present pastor for half time, was ordained an installed August 24, 1877, the other half of his time being divided between the churches of Greenville and New Rehoboth.

Source History of Jefferson County 1888 pages 241-242

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