SAINT PETER

Historical Tidbits

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In 1871 an Iron fence was purchased to surround the church at the cost of $257.50. This extravagance did not sit well with all parishioners.[1]

 

April 1937, Hosia Himes was given a letter of thanks for carpentry work done to the church. “Hosie” as he was better known, was our friend Virginia Greer’s Grandfather.

 

August 1937 The consistory authorized payment of the entire $109.71 bill for installation of the electrical service throughout the church. Two members of the congregation opposed this improvement.

 

December 1939 Parishioner David Shipe was paid 30 cents per hour to paint the church. The records don’t specify if that was inside, outside or both but it took him 214 hours. That would total $64.20.

 

Such extraordinary expenses were often paid for by fund raisers like oyster suppers in the church basement or Turkey dinners at Warwick School.  A poster from the 1940’s advertised 35c for children, 60c for adults.

 

April 1941. A motion was carried out to sign a resolution extending our sympathy to the suffering country of Europe.  That’s how it is written, …”country of Europe.”

 

In early 1945, Nathan Hughes, one of my favorite characters from our past, became the only person known to be admitted into membership at St. Peter in absentia. He was not yet baptized and was nearing his time to be shipped out as a bomber crewman. Like many young men in that situation, he began thinking about tying up the loose ends of his life.  The local Chaplain however, preferred that he have a home church affiliation, so through special arrangement he was baptized on base and Reverend Yost placed him on the roll here at St Peter.[2]

 

After the war, Nathan attended services here somewhat regularly. In those days, Sunday school for all ages was held before the regular Church service and on this floor, the Ladies class met on the left side of the Temple and the men on the right. Afterwards, they would all hang around and chat until time for the Church service to begin when they would just sit where they were - men on right, women on left giving the illusion of a gender segregated congregation.  Nathan and his new bride Josephine did not conform to this arrangement and the two lovebirds sat together - on the men’s side of course.  Not to spread rumors but I was told that Bill and Mary Jackson were a party to this behavior also.

 

Speaking of Bill Jackson, at a Consistory meeting held on December 14,1947, Deacon Jackson asked the other members to accept his resignation from the board, sighting his work schedule and other personal reasons. The other members suggested he put it in writing and present it at the next meeting.  Bill did this, being more specific in explaining that his work schedule prevented him from attending evening meetings and that he was attending services more often with his girlfriend at her church.  The board paid little mind to this, and the last mention of the topic was April 11, 1948, when a motion was carried out to table Mr. Jackson’s resignation. He never did get out of serving the term.

 

December 1952, A special meeting of the consistory was called to discuss whether to allow the utility company to place a telephone pole on church property.

 

June 1953. A motion carried to increase Reverend Yost’s salary to $15 per week.

 

Throughout Reverend Yost’s time at St. Peter, every year the consistory would vote to approve or reject his vacation requests. Generously, they allowed him 2 Sundays per year.

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The Church history has been extensively researched by the Rev. Ronald Hughes, former member

and current Pastor at St. Matthews UCC Church, Chester Springs, PA.

 

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