A 2015 color newspaper photograph of the Zion Stone Valley Church, Dalmatia, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, published on the occasion of 250th anniversary of the church. The photo was by Rebecca Zemencik, Managing Editor of the Citizen-Standard, Valley View, Schuylkill County, who also wrote an article on the weekend of activities to commemorate the anniversary. Included in that article, which was published in the 10 September 2015 edition of the newspaper, was a history of the church as compiled by Kenneth Bingaman. That history is presented below:
History of Zion Stone Valley Church, Dalmatia
The people of this church were predominantly rural minded and had acquired a reputation to be about the best farmers not only of Germany but of the world. These immigrants were known for their indomitable industry,keen wit, independence and high degree of intelligence. They sought three clearly defined objectives, namely – home, church and school. In carrying out their first objective, that of seeking new homes, it appears that they regarded limestone valleys at a premium. The establishment of schools and churches for their families was not only an objective, but a ruling passion of their lives, as attested to by the early accommodations for these institutions in their homes, their barns, or in God’s open places, and later in separate buildings. It is very probable that a number of settlers found their way into this section from the lower counties, primarily Berks, some years before the purchase of 1749, which extended to Line Mountain.
According to Rev. Drumheller, church services were held here and the rites of baptism and confirmation solemnized at an early date, though the first church, which was a log structure, 20 x 30 feet was not built until about 1775.
The first church was also used as a school and was located in the lower section of the cemetery. According to the best records and traditions, a school was maintained on the church property here continuous from those early days until the establishment of the public school system in Lower Mahanoy Township. The first regularly ordained Reformed pastor was Rev. Samuel Dubendorf. He was born in Germany and his education was of the highest degree, being able to talk and write Latin about as fluently as German. This, at one time, was known as the Gap Church, probably because it is located near the main gap through Fisher’s Ridge. Through this gap were the main trails from and through Mahantongo Valley northward and westward through Stone Valley.
Knowing that Thomas McKee and others were here before 1750, and that they were recognized as a community in need of help in 1755 and having records that positively prove that there was an organized group at Stone Valley in 1777, 1765 should be accepted as a reasonably conservative date for the founding of what was then known as the “Gap” or “Unity” Church.
On February 20, 1796, an agreement to build the second church was made between Nicholas Bobb, Lutheran Trustee and Henry Bordner, Reformed Trustee, with “Ross Carpenter Jacob Thani,” who undertook the construction of this new church building. Jacob Doey was the builder.
The Stone Valley Lutheran Church Record Books give the following specifications for this church: “Jacob Thani shall frame the roof and the entire covering. He shall plane off the rafters and lay the slippers. Lay the floor and plane it off. Make the pulpit, seats, windows, etc. In short, all that belongs to the whole church as it is, according to a certain size 55′ x 55′. ” For this he was to receive 150 pounds, as it is worth in Pennsylvania, to be paid in parts, beginning in 1796, when he was to receive 30 pounds, ad on May 9 of each succeeding year 20 pounds until the account should be squared. This agreement was signed by the trustees and Jacob Thani and on March 14, 1803 all accounts were declared squared. The cost of this church was approximately $1,400, which is an interesting comparison to today’s costs. According to a picture of this church, it was built about where today’s church is located.
The land occupied by the church, school-house, cemetery, picnic woods and farm consists of 65-acres, 93 perches. This was purchased from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania by a grant issued to Adam Lenker, Lutheran Trustee, and John Bingaman, Reformed Trustee. This grant bore the name of “Christian Unity,” and was dated January 23, 1808. This tract of land was surveyed on February 10 of the same year. A patent deed was granted to the same two trustees by Act of Assembly on April 7, 1807, for which they had paid $4.54. Sometime later a portion of this tract was sold to Daniel Shaffer, whose land adjoined the tract. The sale was made to raise money for the repairing of the building.
In 1855, the Trevorton, Mahanoy, and Susquehanna railroad was opened making connection with the Pennsylvania Canal on the west side of the Susquehanna River by bridging this river at Trevorton Junction, now Herndon. Many of the stones used in the building of the bridge piers were transported by flat boat from Georgetown, now Dalmatia, to the bridge site by a resident Peter Burrell of Georgetown. The stones were quarried on the land of Gap Church and conveyed by land carriage about two miles to the river. This Quarry is in the woods behind today’s church.
The building of the new schoolhouse was about 1861 and the building of the parsonage and barn was about 1862.
On January 27, 1900, it was decided by a vote of 51 to 1 to build the present church edifice. Razing of the old structure started April 17, 1900. The cornerstone of the new building was laid June 3, 1900. The new church was dedicated Sunday, May 26, 1901 and the cost of the church was about $15,000.
The Church Today
Today, the church is a cooperative union of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the United Church of Christ. The congregation is served by a single pastor that holds standing in wither one of the denominations. The members worship as one community, but yet still hold onto their denominational identity. the church is part of the Stone Valley Parish which includes Salem-Zion Church, Pillow. Worship services are held at 9 a.m. in Pillow and 10:30 a.m in Dalmatia.
___________________________________________
Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.