Page:Brunswick 100 Years of Memories.pdf/73

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that the arches would never stay up! Instead of

using a regular keystone, Mr. Watson himself installed Gothic keystones- two stones with the joint at the middle of the arch. The church and its arches have remained these 67 years. The altar is of Indiana limestone, and is a memorial to GarlandAlder, son of of the merchant Frank Alder and his wife. Garland died in military service in World War I. The bishop's chair and Caen stone font used in the chapel are still used in the present church as is the bell, which is housed in a stone bell-cote surmounted by a stone cross. The two-manual Moller organ with electropneumatic action was installed in 1923. The reredos triptych was installed in memory of Rev. Mr. Burgess (priest 1914-1933) during Father Thomas Withey's tenure (1940-1945). The latter also developed the room under the sacristy into a chapel, which was completely renovated in 1987 and blessed by Bishop A. Theodore Eastman in memory of Eugenia Deener. The open undercroft was divided into four classrooms, two restrooms, and assembly room; and the attic area above the sacristy was converted into a church office. (Fr. A. Dickerson Salmon, 19631970).Replacement of the original windows by memorial stained glass windows has been ongoing under Fr. James C. Fenhagen (1955-58), Fr. Salmon, and Fr. Thomas Staup (1970-present). A record of the many memorials is kept by the Altar Guild.

summer. Sunday School services were held in the new church for the first time on February 11, 1894. During the late 1890s, the church had bought from the B&O RR a lot on the corner of "A" Street and First Avenue, where the present church is located, and planned to relocate there. Through the will of Mr. Joseph Waltman (died 1870), a Lutheran, the congregation, upon its organization, was entitled to one acre of land and a cemetery, located in the west end of town. This land was sold to buy the lot on "A" Street for the church. The first church property was sold in 1903 and the congregation worshiped in Wenner's Hall until the new church was built. The cornerstone of the present church was laid on August 14, 1904. The first service was held in the basement of the church on January 8, 1905. The building, dedicated on July 16, 1905,cost$3,100and contained about $1,000 worth of furnishings. When the church was dedicated, the amount of the remaining debt, $1,293, was decreased by a collection that day of $1,068.60. The service was conducted by Pastor Hess, with other clergy taking part. The large memorial window in the back of the church was a gift of the congregation in recognition of the valued gifts of Mr. Joseph Waltman (18001870). The communion service was given by Dr. A. G. Horine, five silver offering plates were given by the Frederick Lutheran Church, and the lectern, pulpit and baptismal font were made by the local furniture company ofMessrs. C.H. Feeteand Brothers. A new Estey organ containing 392 reeds was in use. The floor of the church was covered with Flemish tapestry. Oak-finished opera chairs were placed in a circular formation. The nave and chancel were artistically decorated by Mr. J. F. Bittle, a member of the congregation. The ceiling was painted to present an array of colors blending in with the painting in the chancel. The stone chips for sidewalks around the church were given by the B&O RR. The parsonage was built in 1916, facing First A venue. Helping to pay a great deal of the cost was the Ladies' Mite Society, organized in 1893. In 1932, the group furnished funds for the remodeling of the church and raised additional money for rebuilding the organ later. Bethany became self-supporting in 1917 and debt-free between 1920 and 1923.ln 1932 the church was remodeled and rededicated October 2, 1932, with a new floor, oak pews, new choir loft, remodeled chancel, new lighting fixtures, kitchen, furnace room, and toilet.A two-manual Moeller pipe organ,

S - A church committee of 1973 - Newspaper articles - Father Tom Staup

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BETHANY LUTHERAN CHURCH Bethany Evangelical Lutheran Church ofBrunswick was organized August 21, 1892 with a membership of 21. The first services were held in a storeroom on Fifth Avenue. Professor J. J. Shenk, who opened a private school known as "The Brunswick Seminary," was elected superintendent of the Lutheran Sunday School, organized in the fall of 1892. During the fall and winter of 1893, Professor Shenk and the teachers were engaged in soliciting funds for the completion of the new church which was being built on a lot on East "C" Street, purchased earlier under the leadership of the Rev. Ferdinand D. Hesse, a supply pastor during the

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