CONDENSED HISTORY
of the
EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH
GREENCASTLE, PENNSYLVANIA
For over 200 years, Evangelical Lutheran Church has met the needs of our members and community, and we look forward to many more years of fulfilling those needs. The origin of this congregation is believed to be 1778. At that time it was a union congregation with the German Reformed.
In 1792, the elders and deacons signed a declaration, and deposited it in the cornerstone of their first church, moving toward independence from the union situation. Much credit for initial development of the Evangelical Lutheran congregation must be given to the Rev. John Ruthrauff, the first Lutheran pastor to make Greencastle his home base.
In Pastor Ruthraff's third year, the project for the new church building was completed and the new sanctuary was dedicated on April 22, 1798, under the name of "Zion's Church." This building was enlarged in 1836 and remodeled in 1857, the last major work done until its demolition in 1875.
The word "Zion" passed in and out of the church name over the years, and was dropped at a special congregation meeting in 1956. Thus, the current official title is "Evangelical Lutheran Church".
The first eight pastors spoke both English and German. In 1845, preference was given to English services over German services. The first pastor who spoke only English was called in 1865. From that time on, service were conducted in English only.
The year 1873 marked the first incorporation of the congregation. On August 8, 1874, the congregation voted to build a new building on the site of the old one. On March 14,1875 the last service was held in the old building, prior to its demolition.
While they had no church building, the congregation met in Town Hall. On June 13, 1875, the congregation assembled in the Town Hall, formed a procession, and paraded to the church property for the laying of the cornerstone. The new building was officially underway. The building’s length, including tower and pulpit recess, was 85 feet, width is 48 feet, and spire is 136 feet high. Total cost is reported as $16,352.
In 1926, a long-planned remodeling and building project was launched. In addition to the church remodeling, a Sunday School Building was erected. The new addition consisted of a 63 by 65 foot building, the basement being a fully equipped and furnished social room. Above that was a large Sunday School room with a balcony on three sides.
A pipe organ, newly installed at that time, was placed in a chamber built between the Church and Sunday School, so that the organ could be used for either service. In order to accomplish this the organ has two consoles, one placed in the sanctuary, the other in the Sunday School auditorium. Completion of the remodeling and new construction was celebrated in a week of dedication in March of 1927.
In the early 1950's the need for more Sunday School space started to be felt. Ground was broken on February 21, 1965 at the north end of the buildings for a three-story educational facility, as well as changes to the existing structures. The cokpleted building was dedicated on May 8, 1966 in honor of Rev. Robert E. Thomas (Pastor of ELC 1962-1965). The new building, 50 by 81 feet, contains three floors of classrooms, offices, choir rooms and library.
Early in 1986, plans were approved and construction of an elevator, which would service three floors (sanctuary, chapel, Luther Room, library, parlor and Memorial Fellowship Hall), was begun. The elevator addition was completed along with renovation and redecoration of both stories of the 1875 building. The renovated sanctuary was rededicated on May 2, 1996.
In March 1988, the congregation approved purchase of two properties, adjacent to the church properties to the west, to provide a site for a future parking lot. The long-awaited new parking lot with its new handicap accessible entranceway to the church building was dedicated on October 27, 1996.
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The seal of this congregation depicts a cross lying at an angle on an open Bible, incorporated 1873, surrounded by the legend, "Evangelical Lutheran Church".
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