Saint Andrew's Union Church

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Seville Township, Perry County, Pennsylvania

Saint Andrew's Union Church, Seville Township, Perry, Pennsylvania

Also known as:

Buffalo German Lutheran and Reformed Church

St Andrew's Church

Shuman's Church

Present owner of site: Eshcol Community Church, Brethren in Christ (Wikitree: "an Anabaptist Christian denomination with roots in the Mennonite church, pietism, and Wesleyan holiness. They have also been known as River Brethren and River Mennonites".

Maps:

• Location map from Google with satellite view and photos.
• Location map, from PA Home Town Locator Website
• Location map, from Roadside Thoughts website
• Topographical map, of Saville Township.

Photo:

• Google photo of cemetery today

History:

• "At the close of the last century and the beginning of the present, a large numbers of Lutherans settled at and east were Ickesburg was afterwards located, in Juniata, now Saville Township... They had however no church... Occasionally they were visited by a minister... who preached in private dwellings and schoolhouses."
  The church was first organized in 1815 by Rev. Frederick Oberhauser, when the first confirmation class of 12 students was held in the private home of Andrew SHUMAN, about 2 miles east of Ickesburg near his mill. Among the students were:
  —Isaac FRANTZ, age 25.
  —John CRIST, age 18. (Brother-in-law to the above Isaac, and the son of Philip Conrad CRIST, one of the other nearby private homes in which they would meet in).
  With this nucleus, the church was formally founded 14 years later in 1829 with Father Heim, as it's 2nd pastor. It was a german union church, at first called "Buffalo German Lutheran and Reformed Church" probably because it was near the Buffalo creek. They continued to meet in homes for the next 2 years, before the church building was erected in 1831 at Shuman's lower mill, and about two miles east of Ickesburg. It was a log building, at first without heat and Rev. Hein preached regularly once every four weeks, exclusively in the German language.
  (Focht, D. H., "Churches Between the Mountains: a history of the Lutheran congregations in Perry County, Pennsylvania" 1962. Publisher: Baltimore : T.N. Kurtz. Page 134)

Location: (Map)

Buffalo Trace Rd (PA 849), just west of Arndt Rd. (South side of road)

Eshcol Community

Seville Township

Perry County

Pennsylvania

References:

• Book: "CHURCHES BETWEEN THE MOUNTAINS A History of the Lutheran Congregations in Perry County, Pennsylvania" by Rev. D. H. Focht, A. M. Chapter 2, Sec. 2: "ST. ANDREW'S (SHUMAN'S) CHURCH IN SAVILLE TOWNSHIP" 1962. Publisher: Baltimore : T.N. Kurtz. (Classified online search index). (Actual copy)

Cemetery (on the west side of the church):

• Find-A-Grave website for the associated cemetery, Saint Andrews Union Churchyard (Eshcol Cemetery (old)), with 534 sites and pictures
• PAGenWeb Website grave site listings for the associated cemetery, ST. ANDREW'S CHURCHYARD.

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