When the B&O railroad decided to move their large freight classification yards and locomotive maintenance shops from Martinsburg to Brunswick (previously known as Berlin) in 1890, there was only one church in this little village of 221 residents – the Methodist Episcopal Church, which had been established in 1850.
Foreseeing the rapid growth that would be taking place in Brunswick, other churches began to establish congregations here. In 1891 Pastor J.M. Meckley, minister of the German Reformed Church in Burkittsville “was instructed to canvass Brunswick and vicinity in order to obtain funds to purchase a lot and raise money in order to build a church.” These initial attempts were unsuccessful.
Over the next 15 years, the population of Brunswick had grown to over 3,000. In 1906, Rev. Charles M. Smith came from McConnellsburg, PA, to Burkittsville to be the new minister there, and on Oct 14 of that year, he met with a group of 53 members in Brunswick to organize the Reformed Church there. He continued to serve both churches (Burkittsville and Brunswick), and the church building was completed and dedicated in 1910.* A distinguishing feature of the new church was its 25 stained glass windows, several of which were dedicated to the memory of people closely associated with the church. These are all located in the sanctuary: • Rev. Charles M. Smith, the church’s first minister. • Edward C. Shafer, chairman of the church’s building committee, editor of Brunswick’s first newspaper (the Brunswick Herald), and mayor of Brunswick. • Charles C. and Lydia A. Orrison. Farmed in Rocky Springs. Their son Clayton moved to Brunswick where he was a conductor on the B&O Railroad. • C. Kieffer Orrsion. Grandson of Charles and Lydia; Clayton’s oldest son. Chief clerk for the B&O Railroad. Died age 27. • George D. and Mary E. Fahrenbach. Civil War veteran. Farmer and prominent citizen in Berks County, PA. Son-in-law William B. Werner was minister of the Brunswick Church for 6 years (1917-1923) • Albert F. and Mary A Ramsburg. Prominent farmer in Frederick County [Ramsburg farm out across from McDonalds??]. She died in 1894, and he died in 1909, one year before the church was completed. • John H. and Laura V. Grove. A retired merchant (dry goods and groceries) in Burkittsville, moved to Brunswick when he retired. • Mary McDonald. Boarding house proprietor in Brunswick. Mother of Civil War veteran Rufus Brunner. In her will, she bequeathed “to the Reformed church of Brunswick, $25 for the erection of a memorial window in the church to her memory.” (There is no window today with her name on it.)
In the 1940’s, the church in Burkittsville closed, and the Brunswick church became a part of the Lovettsville charge, with the Lovettsville minister coming across the river to preach and care for the members in Brunswick. The following families were active in the Brunswick church at that time (from memories of Kay Souder Cooper and Sandra Grahams Cox): -3-
