History of Simeon United Lutheran Church
The history of the congregation of Simeon United Lutheran Church is an interesting and varied one. It begins with the founding of the community of Gratz as more and more settlers of the Lutheran and Reformed faith made their homes in the community. Early Lutherans worshipped at St. John’s (the Hill) Church in Berrysburg while those of the Reformed faith journeyed to St. Peter’s (Hoffman’s) Church on North Crossroads Road.
The land area which now bears the name “Gratz” was purchased from the Indians on August 22, 1749, by the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Aaron Levy, a land speculator, secured a patent (title to the first owner) to “Wildcat Ridge”, as it was known, in 1776. Mr. Levy, in his later years, developed a fondness for Simon, the son of Michael Gratz, and in a bequest left him as owner of the ridge.
Simon Gratz, founder of the borough of Gratz was Jewish. His love and concern for his Christian brethren led him to donate a log structure for the early worshippers. By 1822, Gratz had grown to the point of organizing a school and felt the need to call together congregations for each faith. Through the efforts of the Rev. John N. Hamping, a Lutheran congregation was formed with the first baptism being recorded on June 30, 1822. The first Eucharist was offered in May, 1822, with 59 participants and 23 being confirmed. Similar efforts were made by the Rev. Isaac G. Gerhart of the Reformed Faith.
As was the norm for the time, the two congregations shared a common worship structure. Originally this was a log residence with the expenses of maintenance being equally divided. When either of the pastors came into the territory on their circuits, they provided a ministry to the members of both congregations. Nevertheless, each denomination retained its distinctive character. This sharing of worship space between the two congregations was to continue until the dissolution of the Reformed (now known as the United Church of Christ) congregation 147 years later in 1969!
Within the first ten years of the founding of the congregations; and their continuous growth, it became evident that a larger building was needed. As was his custom, Mr. Gratz came to the aid of his Christian brethren with the donation of a site on North Center Street, exactly one acre for a church and cemetery. The site was known as “Wildcat Hill.” The corner stone for the present building was laid on August 14, 1831. Building costs were split equally with the bricks being made on site. Construction took approximately a year with the structure to be placed in use in 1832 and Simon Gratz personally presented the congregations with a German Pulpit Bible.
The original look of the building was a bit different, having no steeple and having doors on the north and south side where the middle windows are currently located. The original steeple and bell were added to the structure in about 1853. The steeple and bell were smaller than the current structure. It is not known if the earlier Roman-style window was enlarged to a Gothic-style window at this time or at the hanging of the second, larger bell. In any case, the Roman-style window was an architectural mistake, so we are fortunate that this was corrected at some point in the church’s history. The interior had homemade pews with the original ones still found in the gallery. On the first floor the original pews were inward facing under the galleries with the center section being front facing. These first-floor pews were replaced in the 1883 renovation with the current pews.
A major renovation project was undertaken in 1883. As stated previously, the first-floor pews were replaced, and it is likely that the north and south entries were converted to windows. A new slate roof was installed. The “home-baked” bricks, being soft, did not stand the rigors of the Pennsylvania weather and wind to which they were exposed. Some began to “spall” or decay. To prevent further deterioration a cement stucco was placed on the exterior of the building covering the brick for the next 90 years! On this stucco a block pattern was painted, giving appearance of a granite block construction. Though repaired and painted many times the stucco was to remain until 1973. Total cost of the renovation was high for the day, coming in at $2,618.06! when the stucco was removed in 1973, the former south and north doorways were revealed. Their location is clearly marked by “butted” bricks instead of the normal “lapping” of bricks (i.e. mortar joints are in-line vertically instead of staggered). The doors were located in the smaller, center arches.
The year 1904 brought many new changes and renovations to the edifice. The current leaded stained glass windows were ordered from a Philadelphia firm and were installed in May, 1904, replacing the original windows. (They were of an antique painting with mother-of-pearl moon.) It must be observed that the moon was placed over the church as viewed from the illustrated angle purely for the dramatical effect since the moon could never appear at this position.
The roof was replaced, and it is likely at this time that the current steeple was installed. A new 649-pound bell was purchased from the Buckeye Bell Foundry at Cincinnati, Ohio at a cost of $145.00. it was placed in the steeple on September 4, 1904, and dedicated on October 29 & 30, 1904. A delay in the hanging of the bell was caused by its size. Due to its width, the steeple supports had to be notched to allow the bell to pass freely through the attic window. These notches are still clearly visible in the attic today.
Unfortunately, the roof was not maintained well in the early years and rainwater damaged the painting on the ceiling, causing portions of it to fall into the nave. The embossed metal ceiling was installed, replacing the original frescoed ceiling. While the current ceiling is definitely breathtaking, its hard not to imagine the work of the unknown artist that the metal hides. It was reported to be the artists view of heaven with billowy clouds, angels, and the four gospel writers watching over the growing flock. The 1904 improvements also saw the installation of acetylene glass lights, replacing the original “coal oil” kerosene lamps and candles. The original light fixtures from the gas light period still occupies a prominent place in the center of the ceiling, although it is now electrified.
A short time later in 1906, a pipe organ was installed. This organ was purchased at a cost of $1,500.00. $750.00 of this cost was paid by Andrew Carnegie, the wealthy industrialist and the Union Church paying the other $750.00. He pledged to pay half of any organ for any congregation desiring to purchase one. This organ was a “tracker” type organ and was pumped by hand. It was not unusual to hear the organist yell “More Air! More Air!” in the middle of a hymn to the hapless boy that was pumping the handle on the side of the organ, on that particular Sunday! The new organ was dedicated on April 21, 1907. It is worth noting that at the dedication of the organ, approximately 3,000 people came to hear the instrument. Services were held in the morning, afternoon, and evening with all the windows thrown open and visitors sitting outdoors to hear the heavenly music.
With the arrival of electricity to Gratz in 1922, plans were discussed to electrify the organ. In 1928 the organ was rebuilt by Moeller as an electro-pneumatic organ. While retaining the casing and pipes of the original instrument, the new organ was infinitely easier to incorporate into the service. This organ had some work done in 1987 to maintain its playing and add a few things to it by Columbia Organ Works. Almost 100 years later in 2024, we are again working with Columbia Organ Works to update the wiring and functionality of this marvelous musical masterpiece.
In 1912 steam heat was installed giving more comfort to the worshippers during the cold seasons. In prior years, two wood-burning stoves were used to warm the church. Short pews on the south side of the nave remind us of the stoves of a by-gone era. The chimneys were joined in the church attic and exhausted through a single chimney on the roof.
1932 marked the centennial year of Simeon’s Church as the two congregations, Lutheran and Reformed, continued to share the facilities. The interior was completely redecorated. An oil painting “Christ in Gethsemane,” was placed in the interior niche immediately behind the pulpit, new carpets were installed, the interior repainted a soft mushroom color, a new lectern placed in the chancel, and the Pulpit Bible replaced.
As the church continued to grow in numbers, the need was felt for additional Christian Education facilities. Ground was broken on May 8, 1960, for the construction of the Christian Education facilities to the west of the sanctuary. The project was completed in 1961 at a cost of $60,000.00. The education building provided the church with modern toilet facilities, a parish hall with stage, a full kitchen, four classrooms and office space. The structure is a frame building with a yellow brick veneer to go with the stucco that was still on the exterior of the original church. All Sunday School classes for the youth were moved from the nave to the new building. The four windows on the west wall of the church were closed with the construction of the educational building. Fluorescent lighting was installed behind the windows to simulate daylight.
A complete renovation of the parish hall in the basement of the educational building was undertaken in early 1978, at a cost of $23,000.00. the stairway was relocated; the ceiling lowered; modern sound proof, folding doors installed affording additional classroom space; and a few changes appeared in the kitchen to provide better traffic circulation during banquet activities.
By 1969, the Reformed congregation was dwindling, and a vote was taken to merge the two congregations into one church. With this historic vote, the Birth of Simeon United Lutheran Church was recorded. There are those of us that still recall the first Sunday of the unified church. The gentlemen of the church council stood in front of the church with the membership book that recorded the names of the new membership. They took turns reading the names of the membership out to all in attendance. That was a crowded service.
The pastors of the newly formed Simeon United Lutheran Church have been as follows: Rev. Robert Logan, 1969-1978; Rev. Dr. William Walton, 1979-1986; Rev. Barry Ridge, 1987-2011; Rev. Martine Joseph, 2013-2016; Rev. Gregory Lindsey, beginning as interim pastor in June 2016 and becoming the next pastor in 2017- present.
By 1973 the same old problem again faced the church exterior. The stucco continued to fall off the church creating both a safety hazard and an appearance problem. The cement stucco was removed, and the church again restored to its original appearance. The “spalled” bricks were replaced, all mortar joints repointed, the brick water-proofed with a silicon substance, and all the trim repainted. Some people feel that the yellow brick education building appears out of harmony with the red brick of the church, but many feel that it accents the unique appearance of old Simeon’s church.
A delightful musical addition appeared in the fall of 1974. A carillon, donated by several families and individuals of the congregation was installed to provide worshipful music to the community several times each day. The carillon has been replaced over the years in 1997 and again in 2022.
Over the years several things have been done to the church to make it more easily accessible and maintained. The bricks of the church have been re-siliconed every couple of years to keep them from deteriorating. The steeple has also been painted. In September 2008 a vertical lift was installed to make the basement wheelchair accessible.
In the spring of 2012, the sanctuary went through a major update by Fredrick & Emily’s Church Renovations of Mt. Joy, PA. The Pews were refinished, exposing the beauty of the wood. Seat cushions of a burgundy & gold color fabric were added. One row of pews was removed, and the remaining ones respaced to provide easier entrance and exit, as well as more leg room. The old carpet was removed & new carpet installed where the old was, the floor sanded and restained under the pews, and new carpet was installed on the chancel. Brass hand railings were installed at the stairs to the pulpit. A new coat of paint was added to the walls since there was easy access. The four pews that had the posts built into them were shortened. The bottom of the balcony posts that were painted wood color were sanded down and stained to match the pews. The cost of this renovation was $60,800.00. A rededication service for the sanctuary was held on August 12, 2012 by our retired pastor the Rev. Barry Ridge. This project was in the works for several years till it finally came to happen.
In July of 2018 storm windows were placed over the antique stained-glass windows to protect them. Cumberland-Stained Glass Window Inc. was hired to do the work at a cost of $32,635.00. The front doors to the church were also replaced in November of 2018, by Seven Trees Woodworking from New Holland, PA at a cost of around 10,000.00.
Our history keeps living on as we go forth in spreading God’s word for all to hear.
