St. Peter's Kierch

Last updated
St. Peter's Kierch
St. Peter's Kierch.jpg
Religion
Affiliation Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Region Lower Susquehanna Synod
Location
Location31 West High Street
Middletown Pennsylvania
United States
USA Pennsylvania location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Shown within Pennsylvania
Geographic coordinates 40°12′04″N76°43′56″W / 40.201083°N 76.732278°W / 40.201083; -76.732278
Architecture
Type Georgian
GroundbreakingJuly 13, 1767
Completed1769
Specifications
Capacity225
Materials Sandstone
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Added to NRHP June 17, 1983
NRHP Reference no.7301621 [1]
DesignatedFebruary 28, 1969 [2]

St. Peter's Kierch, also called the Old Kierch or St. Peter's Church, is a historic Lutheran church in Middletown, Dauphin County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Construction began in 1767 and it was dedicated by Henry Muhlenberg in 1769. St. Peter's Kierch was used regularly until 1879 when a large church was completed. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

Contents

Design

St. Peter's Kierch is a 2½-story, Georgian-style church at the intersection of Union and High Streets in Middletown. [3] The church was constructed from red sandstone. Originally, galleries were located on the east, west and south sides with the wineglass pulpit on the north side. The bell tower was constructed 46 years after the rest of the church, on the west side, as it was not intended to be used an entrance. [4] The sides of the church have three windows reaching to the upper story. Each window has forty-four 9-by-12-inch (23 cm × 30 cm) panes of glass—eleven panes high, four across. [3]

History

On September 18, 1764, with the intent of constructing a Lutheran church, a plot of land was purchased by some local residents from George Fisher, founder of Middletown, for 7 shillings and 6 pence, along with an annual rent of one grain of wheat. [4] [5] [6]

The cornerstone of the church was laid on July 13, 1767 by James Burd. The church was dedicated by Henry Muhlenberg on September 12, 1769. The bell tower was constructed in 1813; the bell was cast in Philadelphia by Hedderly and Leverin and hung in 1815. [4] [7]

In 1876, the growth on the congregation led to the decision to build a new church several blocks south of the old one, at Spring and Union Streets. The last regular service was held at the Kierch on January 26, 1879. [4] It is still used, however, for "occasional services and funerals" as well as other special events. [4] [6] St. Peter's Kierch was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 17, 1973. [1]

The church has an adjacent cemetery, locally called "God's Acre", that has about 210 people buried who fought in the American Revolution.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hummelstown, Pennsylvania</span> Borough in Pennsylvania, United States

Hummelstown is a borough in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 4,535 as of the 2020 census. It is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Middletown, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania</span> Borough in Pennsylvania, United States

Middletown is a borough in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, on the Susquehanna River, 10 miles (16 km) southeast of Harrisburg. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 9,550. It is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Muhlenberg</span> German-born clergyman and missionary (1711–1787)

Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, was a German-born Lutheran clergyman and missionary. Born in Einbeck, Muhlenberg immigrated to the Province of Pennsylvania in response to demands from Lutherans for missionary work in the colony. Integral to the founding of the first Lutheran church body or denomination in North America, Muhlenberg is considered the patriarch of the Lutheran Church in the United States. Muhlenberg and his wife Anna Maria had a large family, several of whom had a significant impact on colonial life in North America as pastors, military officers, and politicians. His and Anna Maria's descendants continued to be active in Pennsylvania and national political life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Muhlenberg</span> American politician

John Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg was an American clergyman and military officer who served during the American Revolutionary War. A member of Pennsylvania's prominent Muhlenberg family political dynasty, he became a respected figure in the newly independent United States as a Lutheran minister and member of the United States House of Representatives and United States Senate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Register of Historic Places listings in Pennsylvania</span>

This is a list of properties and districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania. As of 2015, there are over 3,000 listed sites in Pennsylvania. All 67 counties in Pennsylvania have listings on the National Register.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Mary's Episcopal Church, Burlington, New Jersey</span> Historic church in New Jersey, United States

St. Mary's Episcopal Church is a historic Episcopal parish in Burlington, Burlington County, New Jersey, United States. The original church was built in 1703. It was supplemented with a new church on adjacent land in 1854. On May 31, 1972, the new church was added to the National Register of Historic Places and on June 24, 1986, it was declared a National Historic Landmark. It is within the Burlington Historic District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chester Springs, Pennsylvania</span> Unincorporated community in Pennsylvania, United States

Chester Springs is an unincorporated community in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is centered on West Pikeland Township, and extends into Charlestown Township, Upper Uwchlan Township, Wallace Township, East Nantmeal Township, and West Vincent Township. The Chester Springs Historic District is located in Chester Springs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Mark's Episcopal Church (Philadelphia)</span> Historic church in Pennsylvania, United States

Saint Mark's Episcopal Church is an Episcopal church located at 1625 Locust Street in Rittenhouse Square in Center City Philadelphia. It is part of the Diocese of Pennsylvania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)</span> Historic church in Wisconsin, United States

St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church, or Iglesia Luterana San Pedro, is a historic church complex located in the Walker's Point neighborhood of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Its buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of the Holy Trinity and Rectory (Middletown, Connecticut)</span> Historic church in Connecticut, United States

The Church of the Holy Trinity is an historic Episcopal church at 381 Main Street in Middletown, Connecticut. Completed in 1874, it is one of the city's finest examples of Gothic Revival architecture. Its nearby former rectory, also known as the Bishop Acheson House, is one of its finest Colonial Revival houses. The two buildings were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Augustus Lutheran Church</span> Historic church in Pennsylvania, United States

Augustus Lutheran Church is a historic church and Lutheran congregation at 717 West Main Street in Trappe, Pennsylvania. Consecrated in 1745, it is the oldest extant Lutheran church building in the United States. It continues to be used by the founding congregation for services on Christmas Eve and during the summer. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1967.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Muhlenberg Memorial</span> Sculpture in Washington, D.C., U.S.

The Peter Muhlenberg Memorial is a public monument in Washington, D.C. It honors John Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg, a Lutheran minister, Continental Army general, Federalist Era American politician, and member of the prominent Muhlenberg family. The memorial is located in a one-acre park bounded by Connecticut Avenue, Ellicott Street, and 36th Street NW on the eastern edge of Washington's Wakefield neighborhood. Designed by architect John Harbeson, it features at its center a bronze bust of Muhlenberg, sculpted by his descendant, Caroline M. Hufford. Completed in 1980, 52 years after its construction was authorized by Congress, attendees at the dedication ceremony included West German ambassador Peter Hermes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Melchior Muhlenberg House</span> Historic house in Pennsylvania, United States

The Henry Melchior Muhlenberg House, also known as the John J. Schrack House, is an historic home which is located in Trappe, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pine Grove Historic District (Pine Grove, Pennsylvania)</span> Historic district in Pennsylvania, United States

The Pine Grove Historic District is a national historic district located in Pine Grove, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987, it encompasses 1,770 acres, 233 contributing buildings, one contributing site, and one contributing structure in a residential section of Pine Grove, and is bordered by South Tulpehocken and Mill streets and the Swatara Creek.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zion Lutheran Church (Baltimore, Maryland)</span> Historic church in Maryland, United States

Zion Lutheran Church, also known as the Zion Church of the City of Baltimore, is a historic Evangelical Lutheran church located in downtown Baltimore, Maryland, United States, founded 1755.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. John's Lutheran Church (Hagerstown, Maryland)</span> Church in Maryland, USA

St. John's Lutheran Church, founded in 1770, is a historic Lutheran church located at 141 South Potomac Street in the South end of the arts and entertainment district of Hagerstown, Maryland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muhlenberg Brothers</span>

Muhlenberg Brothers was one of the dominant architecture/engineering firms in Reading, Pennsylvania during the first half of the 20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Calvary Lutheran Church</span> Historic church in Virginia, United States

Mount Calvary Lutheran Church, also known as Hawksbill Church, Hacksbill Church, Hoxbiehl Church, and Gomer's Church, is an historic Lutheran church with adjacent cemetery located near the town of Luray in Page County, Virginia, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Michael's Evangelical Lutheran Church (Mt. Airy)</span> United States historic place

St. Michael's Evangelical Lutheran Church is a historic church building in the Mount Airy neighborhood of Philadelphia, just north of the Germantown neighborhood. The congregation was founded sometime before 1728 and three successive church buildings have occupied the same location since that time. The church was closed in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. James Lutheran Church (Pohatcong Township, New Jersey)</span> Historic church in New Jersey, United States

St. James Lutheran Church, also known as Straw Church, is a historic church built in 1834 and located at 1213 U.S. Route 22 in Pohatcong Township, Warren County, New Jersey. St. James Lutheran Cemetery is located across the street in Greenwich Township. The church and cemetery were added as a historic district to the National Register of Historic Places on October 24, 2016 for their significance in architecture and exploration/settlement. The adjoining building, Fellowship Hall, and the schoolhouse by the cemetery entrance are not part of this listing. The one-room brick schoolhouse, built 1858, is listed separately on the state register.

References

  1. 1 2 "NPS Focus". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service . Retrieved September 4, 2011.
  2. "PHMC Historical Markers Search" (Searchable database). Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Retrieved 2014-01-25.
  3. 1 2 Pennsylvania Register of Historic Sites and Landmarks, § 7.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Middletown, 1755–2005: celebrating 250 years. Borough of Middletown. 2005. p. 29.
  5. Pennsylvania Register of Historic Sites and Landmarks, § 8, p. 1.
  6. 1 2 Marchetti, Amanda (October 17, 2007). "Celebrating 240 years". Press and Journal . Middletown, Pennsylvania . Retrieved September 4, 2011.
  7. "Sant Peter's Kierch". St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church. Retrieved April 9, 2016.

Sources