A Brief
History
Of
Newtown Square Presbyterian
Church
(from the
50th anniversary celebration booklet in 2005)
Our joy
today is born of the "blood, sweat, toil and tears" of those Christian men and
women who have labored through historic years of our two founding churches.
These were the Walnut Street and the Emmanuel Presbyterian Churches.
We look
back to 1808, when William Hamilton gave two lots for the erection of a
Presbyterian Church located at what we know today as being on Walnut Street
between 39th and 40th Streets, Philadelphia. Twenty years
later, with a gift of $2000 from the First Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia,
the first building was erected and mission work begun. On May 19, 1840, the
First Presbyterian Church of Hamiltonville and Mantua was organized. In
1885, the name was changed to the Walnut Street Presbyterian Church of
Philadelphia.
The congregation laid the cornerstone for the new and essentially present
building on July 21, 1859. (The interior architecture was modified after the
fire of 1917, being modeled after St. Clements Church in Rome).
In 1883,
the church began the Elm Avenue Mission which ten years later was organized as
the Emmanuel Presbyterian Church. The new congregation laid the cornerstone for
the chapel one year later at 4159 Girard Avenue. Then in 1914, the Emmanuel
Church dedicated a new building - the sanctuary. Thus began the relationship
between the "mother" and "daughter" churches.
Our modern history begins in
June of 1950, when the Walnut Street church called the Reverend George K.
Davies, Ph.D. as pastor with the specific hope of finding a solution to the
church’s continuing service to the Kingdom of God. In June 1954, the pastor
together with George E. Shoemaker, Jr. was asked by the Session to consult with
the Presbytery of Philadelphia through Dr. William F. Wefer, Executive
Secretary. Entirely unknown to the church, The Presbytery of Philadelphia was
undertaking the establishment of a church in Newtown Square and had purchased
three-and-a-half acres of ground at Newtown Street and Goshen Roads. The
Presbytery offered this undertaking to the Walnut Street Church for relocation
and on January 12, 1955 it officially approved the request of the church to do
so.
On
Sunday, January 31, Dr. Davies met for the first time, those persons interested
in a Presbyterian Church in Newtown Square at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Richard
L. Davies on Earles Lane. The Pastor and Session received an invitation from the
Reverend William A. Powell, Rector of St. Albans Episcopal Church, to hold
services in that church on Sunday afternoons. Good Friday, 1955 will be long
remembered as the date when the Session received 114 "charter members" to mark
the real beginning of the new church.
On
December 4, 1955, we held the final service in the Walnut Street Church. We sold
the church property to the Zion Hill Baptist Church for $85,000. In the spring
of 1956 and with money in hand, we, as a congregation wisely purchased two
additional acres to give us five and one half acres, or all the land that lies
between Newtown Street Road and Robbins Lane.
The hand
of Providence was continuing to work for us. The Emmanuel Church congregation
was undecided as to its future. Dr. Davies was counseling Mrs. F. B. Carlson,
treasurer of the Emmanuel Church. The conclusion of their conversation came to
be the basis of inspiration whereby the Emmanuel congregation voted to merge
with the Walnut Street Church upon approval of the Presbytery. The inspiration
was three-fold as the Walnut Street Church was the "mother" and the Emmanuel
Church the "daughter" the possibility of merging would be a natural consequence;
a new name would be adopted for the united churches; the Emmanuel Church like
the Walnut Street church would derive a great deal of satisfaction in its
ongoing work in a new location. The church sold its property to the Presbytery
for $40,000.
On July
16, 1955, the first Sunday School Picnic of the church relocated in Newtown
Square was held at the Ellis School picnic grounds (now SAP/BMG). This was the
first big opportunity for the people of the new church to become acquainted with
each other.
On
October 23, 1955, morning services were begun in the Newtown Square Fire Hall
with Sunday School at 9:30 a.m. and worship at 11a.m. Services were continued at
old Walnut Street with the Pastor alternating with guest ministers in both
pulpits.
On
December 4, 1955, the concluding service (Communion) was held at old Walnut
Street. The Newtown Square congregation attended. After this service, all work
was transferred to Newtown Square.
Sunday,
January 15, 1956, was Building Funds Campaign Sunday under the direction of the
Rev. E. O. Hannewalt. The campaign resulted in $35,000 pledged over a three-year
period. This was the second highest per capita giving in the Presbytery.
On March
4, 1956, Walnut Street Church settled with the Zion Hill Baptist Church for
$85,000.
On June
10, 1956, Leonard D. Booth replaced Franklin R. Lyster, Jr. as Building
Committee Chairman. David W. Neff replaced Mr. Booth on May 19, 1957.
In the
meantime, the Walnut Street Church broke ground for its new building in Newtown
Square on a snowy November day (November 25, 1956.)
On April
9, 1957, the Presbytery approved the merger of the two churches under the name
of The First Presbyterian Church of Newtown Square. On May 5 we held the
final service in the Emmanuel Church joined by the Newtown Square congregation.
On August
1, 1957, final settlement between the Emmanuel Church and the Presbytery was
held. The Presbytery bought the property for $40,000 in order to continue
mission work.
September
8, 1957 was significant for two reasons. We laid the cornerstone of our new
building and we so overflowed the Fire Hall that we received an invitation from
the Ellis School through Dr. Arnold E. Look, President, to use the school’s
facilities for our activities without any financial remuneration.
Finally,
on Palm Sunday, 1958 we entered our new building. We set a prayer watch
throughout Saturday evening and night; members of the congregation coming and
watching in the sanctuary in half hour to hour periods.
In the
spring of 1958, the congregation through the Trustees applied for and received a
new charter under Delaware County taking our name officially as, The Newtown
Square Presbyterian Church.
Thus today as we trace the labors of others through 197 years, we enter into
their labors. As they felt the Hand of God in their generation, so do we feel
His Hand upon us saying,
Come,
labor on. Who dares stand idle on the harvest plain,
While
all around him waves the golden grain;
And to
each servant does the Master say, ‘Go work today’.**
**This text was written by Dr. George K. Davies, Pastor, in 1958 for the
dedication of the new church in Newtown Square and was edited in 2005 for the 50th
Anniversary.
Church
history continued and the congregation continued to grow. In 1962, a Building
Committee was formed to consider construction of a Sunday School building.
Recommendations were submitted to the congregation on April 17, 1963. The
Building Committee was directed to raise $165,000. Ground was broken in March
1964 and the building completed in May 1965 at which time Dr. Davies preached
his last sermon during the dedication service.
The
Reverend Charles C. Martin was installed as Pastor in September 1966. In July
1971, The Reverend J. Wm. Kokie was installed as our first Assistant Pastor. The
Reverend Roger Uittenbogaard served as Assistant Pastor from 1976 to 1978. From
1978 to 1986, The Reverend David Ballentyne served as Assistant Pastor. In 1980,
The Reverend Robert Langwig was installed as Pastor. Dr. Jack M. Maxwell was
installed as Pastor in May 1985 and Elizabeth Affsprung was installed as
Associate Pastor in 1988.
In 1987 a
Task Force on Capital Improvements was created and a Building Committee formed
to plan for a new sanctuary. Committee members included Margie Conway, Allen
Corle, Jim McKeighan, Homer Piroeff (Chairman), Gretchen Oakley, Robert Sperry,
Nancy Trecroci and Coe Williams. The responsibility of the Task Force was to
select an architect and do a feasibility study, which, with an architectural
model, was presented to the congregation in October 1988.
The
concept was approved and the congregation authorized the sale of land in
Lancaster County which was a gift from a member of the congregation. This land
was sold in the fall of 1988 for $400,000 and made it possible to proceed with
the building plans. After building variances and plans were approved by the
township, a Fund Raisers Task Force planned a Building Fund Drive which was
conducted in April 1989. Building construction bids were opened in September
1989
Ground-breaking took place in October 1989. Work was completed and the new
sanctuary was "substantially" completed June 2, 1990 at which time the new
building was used for the marriage of Gretna McKeighan and John Paul.
A
state-of-the-art carillon was installed in a space which was part of the
original overflow space. It plays hymns at noon, 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. and was a
gift from Mrs. William Howard Green in memory of William Howard Green.
(Note: The
carillon was recently replaced due to a lightning strike on the steeple in
2007).
The
library, a memorial to the Reverend Dr. George K. Davies, was also located in
part of the original overflow space and was made possible by gifts of one circle
and thirty-five individuals who were primarily those active in the church during
the early years under the ministry of Dr. Davies.
The
shields on the pulpit reflect the type of preaching which we expect to hear:
four gospel writers, shields of Peter and Paul and the Lamp. Also, the shield of
Augustine, Luther, Calvin and Knox. The shields were carved from drawings by
Paula Mahoney, artist and member of the congregation. Chancel needlepoint work
was designed and stitched by members of the church including William McDavitt
who was responsible for its installation.
In 1990,
the Sacristy Guild of St. Martha was created to preside over the Sacristy where
the sacred vessels and vestments of the Sanctuary are kept. Edith McDavitt
served as its president.
The
pulpit front from the first sanctuary hangs on the wall across from the
Sacristy. Beside it hang plaques honoring past pastors of the church.
"Debt
Free in ’93 Jubilee", a buffet supper, was held in November 1993 at the
Waynesborough Country Club to celebrate burning of the mortgage and in June
2000, a luncheon was held in the Social Hall to celebrate the tenth anniversary
of the new sanctuary.
In
November 2004, the Reverend Lydia M. Rappaport was installed as Co-Pastor. In
December 2004, Dr. Jack M. Maxwell retired and Reverend Rappaport became Pastor.
We now
celebrate, in 2005, with a special worship service and buffet brunch, the
anniversary of fifty years of our church life in Newtown Square Presbyterian
Church as part of our 197 years history beginning at The Walnut Street
Presbyterian Church back in 1808. In the spirit of those Christian men and women
in the past, may we rededicate ourselves to continue the service to the Kingdom
of God begun almost two centuries ago.
Emmanuel Presbyterian
Church
Girard Avenue and 42nd
Street
Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania
Walnut Street
Presbyterian Church
Walnut Street
Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania
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