Lykens Pennsylvania Early Church History
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Lykens Early Churchs
This is a town of good and numerous schools and churches. The first sermon preached in the place was on the occasion of the funeral of an English miner, and it was delivered by Rev. Thomas Sovern, of the Methodist Episcopal denomination of Halifax, in 1833. It was preached from the porch of Michael Sheaffer's house. Religious services were kept up until 1848, when Edward Gratz, Hon. A. O. Heister and Richard Nolan took measures to erect a Methodist church building, by circulating a subscription paper, and the first named donated the lot and guaranteed $200 collection.
The building was slow in completion, but finally, In January, 1852, it was dedicated. This was the first church edifice of the place, and was afterward converted into dwelling house purposes, and later still was the armory. A new and better church took its place, and the society has ever prospered.
Christ's Protestant Episcopal Church was organized in 1861, and re-organized in May, 1871. Rev. V. Hummel Berghaus became rector in October, 1871. The church was finally completed and consecrated in 1881; prior toi that the old brick school house was used.
Evengelical Lutheran. — Zion's Church of this sect first be- gan to worship here just prior to 1850, and held occasional services, until Rev. D. Sell came, in November, 1853. In 1859, a church building was completed.
St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church. — Before 1852 there were occasional Catholic services hereabouts, held by Father Maher, of Harrisburg. The church building engaged the minds of the Catholic people in 1852, when Father Egle formed a society and com- pleted a house in which to worship, in 1853. J. M. Blum, the first merchant of the town, was instrumental in building this church.
St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church was organized in 1873, and a frame edifice completed in 1874; in February, 1876, it was burned, and three years later another was erected. Rew M. B. Lenker was the first pastor and had other charges constituting a large territory in all.
The German Reformed church was built in 1874 but finally became the property o'f the Miners' Deposit Bank.
The United Brethren in Christ remodeled their church in 1874.