Lets take a brief jaunt through the history of the church, the associated school house, the cemetery and some of the major participants in the history of the church.
Saturday at the St. Gabriel's Church social room the genealogical group that meets yearly to pour over the Peterman and the Fritz and the McHenry lines--as well as hundreds of other early residents who have ties to the historic church--gathered and compared notes and generally had a high-old time.
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Lets take a brief jaunt through the history of the church, the associated school house, the cemetery and some of the major participants in the history of the church. |
The Rev. Caleb Hopkins, who lived in Bloomsburg on East street below Third in an area known as " Hopkinsville ," organized the parish of St. Gabriel's church in 1793, along with ones in Milton, Saint Paul 's Protestant Episcopal church in Bloomsburg, also dating from 1793, and Christ's Protestant Episcopal and Lutheran Church on the road from Jerseytown to Millville .
By way of background of Rev. Hopkins, in 1797 he went to Muncy and later founded an Episcopal church there. From the Muncy church, we learn that Hopkins was a "missionary and a pioneer." During the Revolutionary War, he was a lieutenant in the Continental army. His missionary work which had first begun in Milton , eventually extended to Muncy and Jersey Shore . Rev. Hopkins went to Sunbury occasionally around 1812 and conducted Episcopal services in the Lutheran church, St. Matthew's Protestant Episcopal Church.
Rev. Hopkins officiated in the Bloomsburg church at irregular intervals until 1805. The records of the Bloomsburg church show he was offered an annual salary of $100 and the use of a glebe to be erected by the " Saint Paul and Saint Gabriel congregations." He accepted the contract, and "entered upon the duties of the rectorship, October 1, 18 06 " concentrating on the churches at Bloomsburg, Jerseytown and St. Gabriel's. Saint Paul 's records indicate that the congregation enjoyed greater frequency and regularity of religious services following the appointment of Rev. Hopkins. He resided in the area of Bloomsburg known as Hopkinsville until 1819.
Rev. Hopkins became rector of the Muncy church, and served until January, 1824, when he moved to Angelica, New York , where be passed away. The Muncy church notes that he "was the first resident minister in this vicinity who preached in the English tongue."
Other priests followed at St. Gabriel's, some assigned to the church and others acted as "circuit riders" assigned to several churches and only performed baptisms, funerals and held services. The only priest ever to live in residence at St. Gabriel's was the Rev. John G. Rockwell and his wife Julia. They lived in what was called the "Parish House," sometimes known as the "Rockwell House," located across Route 487. It is the former residence of Bruce Sutliff--who moved the current house back from the highway--and currently the home of Cody and Virginia Thomas . The Rockwell's "missionary horse," Ned, is buried in the cemetery.
In 1812, the St. Gabriel's parish was formed and a log church built on two acres of land donated by Ezekiel Cole (Siegal Kohl). On July 15, 18 28 , the log building was consecrated as St. Gabriel's Church by Bishop Henry U. Onderdonk conforming to the rites of the Protestant Episcopal Church.
According to the 1887 History of Columbia County, the building was made of "hewn pine logs, with galleries around three sides of the interior" in a "U" shape. During the cold months, the church was heated by a "fire pit" in the center of the church. Here is a description of a similar heating arrangement in a Bloomsburg church of the same era from a history of that town: "There was neither fireplace, stove nor chimney. A charcoal fire burned on a rude grating before the chancel. The minister's face was either illuminated by the fitful flames or completely obscured by the ascending smoke, which found such outlet as the crevices in the roof or the chinks between the logs afforded. Upon the wall there was a constant play of fantastic forms, the shadowy outlines of rude benches and their occupants. young people sneezed, while their parents and grand-parents seemed to experience no unpleasantness from the fumes of this primitive heating apparatus."
During this period, St. Gabriel's church was jointly owned by Presbyterians, Episcopalians and Lutherans. The members of the church represented the early settlers of our present townships of Benton , Sugarloaf, Jackson and Fishingcreek. The log church burned after being used for 64 years as a place of worship in a fire that happened on Palm Sunday, April 9, 18 76 .
On May 23. 1876, the cornerstone of the new church was laid--less than two months after the fire. The cornerstone contained a book of common prayer, a church journal, a copy of the Episcopal Register, a copy of the newspaper "the Benton Weekly ," a sketch of the church and other items. An attorney from Bloomsburg, Col. John G. Freeze, delivered an "eloquent address."
The pews of the new church were made from virgin lumber and cut on a "pit" saw. The interior walls were native chestnut. Stained glass side windows were given by descendants of pioneer families who were the first communicant members. The "St. Gabriel" window above the altar was consecrated in 1922 as a memorial to the Rockwells. The first service was held on Thanksgiving in 1876 and the building was consecrated May 1, 18 77 .
Adjacent to the present church building (north on the dirt road between the church and route 487) was the Cole Creek School . The building looked very similar to the present church building (sans the social room). A single door was on the downhill side, facing west. A small landing with a one-sided railing was accessed from the north by several wooden steps leading to the wooden landing. This was the first school in Sugarloaf township. Foundation walls can still be dimly seen in the wooded area north of the present church.
Phillip Fritz taught in the original log school building. The original school house, in the same location as the second school house, was in an area then known as "Cole Town." Students learned to spell, read, write and cipher in Pikes' Arithmetic, one of the books of instruction used, in which English money-pounds, shillings, and pence were referenced. The log school was said to be torn down by Union soldiers in order to keep the residents of the area from too much "school learning," leaving the church unharmed. St. Gabriel's church would very much like to get a sketch of the original log school for their collection, and it is possible that it might exist in an attic in the area.
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The Menely bell that hangs just outside the church was cast in Troy , NY . It was a gift of Blanche A. Berard and was hung in a pine tree on church property the day before Easter, 1884. The bell was later refurbished at the McShane Bell Foundry. Glen Burnie , Maryland , thanks to a grant from the Kaplan Fund secured by Brad Cole , Annapolis . The bell was then hung in a tower built by Franklin Newhar t. The bell was rededicated July 16. 2000. |
In June, 2002, the United Thank Offering of the Episcopal Church granted $38,000 to St. Gabriel's toward an addition with indoor plumbing and handicap accessible ramp. Work was done by E. Lee Remley Construction and the addition was dedicated July 18, 2004 , by The Rt. Rev. Michael W. Creighton, Bishop of the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania.
The "old" St. Gabriel's cemetery, known as the Cole Town Cemetery , immediately to the rear of the present church, was deeded by EzekieL Cole. It is the resting place for area pioneer settlers, many of whom were veterans of the Revolutionary War. The Cole Town Cemetery is today part of the St. Gabriel's Cemetery, which at times was also known as Cole's Creek Cemetery . The "new" part of the cemetery was acquired from various sources.
The Rt. Rev. Michael W. Creighton , Bishop of the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania, and The Rev. Joseph W. Hess , retired Episcopal minister and descendant of the pioneer Hess family, will lead the service at 10 AM this morning. Refreshments and fellowship will follow in the social room. All are cordially invited to worship in this historic church.
