History of Zion’s (Spiess) Reformed and Lutheran Union Church, Upper Alsace, Pennsylvania

History of Zion’s (Spiess) Reformed and Lutheran Union Church, Upper Alsace, Pennsylvania

This history appeared in Morton Montgomery’s 1908 edition of The History of Berks County, p. 984.

Surnames: SPIESS, FEGER, BOAS, ANGSTADT, BAER, BABB, SCHADE, KNABB, HARLINE, KELLER, MOYER, HARTMAN, HINNERSHITZ, LUTZ, SCHLOTTMAN, SCHMECK, FIES, SEIDEL, FOLK, HOCH, HERBEIN, PALM, SEYLER, HERMAN, LEINBACH, WILDBAHN, LEHMAN, MUHLENBERG, MILLER, WAGNER, IAEGER, BROWNMILLER, IMHOFF

Zion’s (commonly called Spiess) Reformed and Lutheran Union Church, Upper Alsace.-This church is located on
a high elevation in the eastern section of the township. It has always
been held that the first edifice for religious
services was built of logs, in 1774, the year in which Victorius Spiess
donated the land for church purposes. The
trustees then were Victorius Spiess and Paul Feger, who was an officer
at the battle of Paoli. Tradition has it that this
log church was built on the tract about five years before Spiess made
the donation. The present church book of the
Reformed congregation is marked Volume II. On one of the opening pages
it is stated to be a continuation of the
book started by the congregation in 1774, which is Volume I. Also in
the beginning of Volume II, where mention is
made of the building of the stone church in 1810, the following is
recorded, by which tradition is laid aside and even
an earlier date established with certainty. “Diese Zions Kirche ist
erbauet worden im Jahr Christi 1810 auf die Stelle
einer alten verfallenne Kirche die die ersten Ansiedler im Jahre A. D.
1757 erbauet hatten.” There is no reference
made to a church built in 1774, or five years previous, but, in plain
writing, in 1757. With this year the Reformed
congregation begins its history. Why 1774 has always been accepted is
because of the donation of the land in that
year, and no church record of ministerial acts such as baptisms,
confirmations, etc., is in existence bearing an earlier
date. This record beginning with 1774 was opened by Rev. John William
Boas. Who preceded him is not known,
probably irregular supplies, and thus no ministerial acts were
recorded. One of the doors of the 1757 church is still
in use at the dwelling of Daniel Angstadt, near by.

In 1810 a commodious two-story stone edifice was erected in
post-Revolutionary architectural style. The building
committee consisted of Paul Baer, John Babb, George Schade, Peter
Knabb. Later a pipe-organ was installed. J. P.
Harline served as organist from 1839 to 1858. He was succeeded by W. C.
Keller, from 1858 to 1891. Mr. Keller
became succeeded by Prof. Henry M. Moyer, who has continued to the
present time.

A cemetery company was incorporated on April 16, 1861. The charter
members were William Knabb, Valentine
Hartman, Frederick Hinnershitz, Gottfried Lutz, George Schlottman,
Daniel Schmeck, Peter Fies, Benjamin F. Seidel,
Jacob Folk, Peter Hartman, George B. Hartman, Jacob Hoch, Matthias
Moyer, Nathan Knabb. This “God’s acre”
occupies a lovely situation and comprises twelve acres. There are many
fine tombstones and monuments thereon.

Until the public school system was accepted the congregation had its
parochial school in the house still occupied by
the janitor, Samuel Folk.

In 1887 the present spacious edifice was erected upon the site of the
old church, which on account of its small size
and marks of time was demolished. The building committee consisted of
Mahlon Knabb, Jeremiah R. Hartman,
Harrison Seidel and David Babb. Hiram Hartman had the contract. It is
a two-story brick edifice, 85 feet long and
54 feet wide. At the eastern end is a steeple 170 feet high, containing
a bell weighing 3,200 pounds. This edifice is
an ornament to the community. The basement is out of the ground and is
well furnished for Sunday-school and
society purposes. In it are two massive hot air furnaces, for heating
purposes. The entrance is at the side. The main
auditorium is reached by a gradual ascent on the front which leads into
the wide vestibule of the church. Beautiful
stained glass windows admit subdued light. Three wide aisles extend
from the vestibule to the chancel. The
frescoing is of a neat design. In the pulpit recess is a beautiful oil
painting of the Ascension of Christ. To the right
is a panel oil painting of the agony of Christ in Gethsemane, and to the
left, one of Christ blessing little children.
These paintings are of excellent execution. The architecture is
Romanesque. The pews are of oak, with walnut
trimmings. On the altar is a beautiful polished brass crucifix. The
auditorium, with galleries on both sides and end,
has a seating capacity of 1,200. On the end gallery facing the pulpit
is the organ and choir loft. Two ante-rooms are
behind the pulpit recess, the one for the convenience of the pastor, and
from which he enters the chancel at the
opening of the service, the other for the business affairs of the
consistory. In it is a fire-proof safe, containing
church documents, etc. A stairway leads from the basement into the
pastor’s room, also one from the basement into
the vestibule of the main auditorium. In the vestibule are the wide
stairways leading to the galleries. Much work was
done free of charge, in addition to which $17,000 was expended in
building.

The attendance is very encouraging considering the scattered
membership. Peace is within the palaces and
prosperity within the walls.

The services were conducted exclusively in the German language until
July 4, 1897, when Rev. M. L. Herbein, the
Reformed pastor, conducted an English service, preaching on Psalm 44:
1-3. The Reformed congregation then
began to have services on two Sundays each month, one rendered in
German, the other in English; also four Holy
Communion services a year instead of two. Two of these services are in
English and two in German.

The Lutheran congregation, worshiping once a month, in 1899 began to
render occasional English services, which in
1907 became as regular as the German. The services of both
congregations and in both languages are strictly
liturgically conducted.

In 1904 Rev. M. L. Herbein obtained from Andrew Carnegie of New York the
amount of $750 in behalf of a
pipe-organ provided the congregation would raise an equal amount. Plans
and specifications were sent to different
organ-builders, who returned their bids, asking twenty-five hundred and
one twenty-eight hundred dollars. Elmer E.
Palm, a reputable organ-builder at Mt. Penn, four miles away, offered to
build and guarantee it for $1,500. The
contract was awarded to him. On Aug. 21, 1904, the organ, the first of
its kind in the new church, was dedicated.
During the day it was estimated that 2,500 people were present. At
evening, paid subscriptions, contributions,
collections, etc., from all sources, amounted to $921.72. The long-felt
need of a pipe-organ was overcome. The
instrument is a powerful two-manual mechanism with a pedal bass,
containing two stops, one of eight-foot and the
other of sixteen-foot tone. The two manuals contain fifteen stops; all
necessary couplers and accessories are to be
found. The organ is on the end gallery farthest from the pulpit. There
is an excellent choir.

The Reformed congregation numbers 480 members, the Lutheran 375. This
congregation became incorporated by
charter given by the court of Common Pleas of Berks county April 18,
1876. This congregation is very liberal. The
contributions and collections have already amounted to as high as $4,200
in one year. Substantial sheds
accommodate the teams of worshiping members. The Sunday-school meets
every Lord’s Day during the entire
year. Prof. Alvin Seyler is the popular superintendent.

The following pastors have served the Reformed congregation: Unknown,
1757-1774; John William Boas,
1774-1810; Frederick Lebrecht Herman, D. D., 1810-1830; Augustus L.
Herman, 1830-1873; Aaron S. Leinbach,
D. D., 1873-1895; Mabry L. Herbein, 1897- .

The following pastors have served the Lutheran congregation: C. F.
Wildbahn, 1782-1796; Daniel Lehman,
1796-1801; Henry M. Muhlenberg, D. D., 1803-1829; Jacob Miller, D. D.,
1829-1850; Reuben S. Wagner,
1850-1854: Thomas T. Iaeger, 1855-1888; E. S. Brownmiller, D. D., 1889-

In the stained glass window to the right of the pulpit are the names of
the Reformed pastors and their period of
service, to the left the Lutheran. On May 23, 1908, the congregation
heard the glad announcement of the cancellation
of the debt. In 1909 the sum of two thousand dollars was expended in
newly frescoing and generally renovating the
entire edifice. Artist Bertholt Imhoff did the work.

[Contributed by M.
L. Herbein.]

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