An undated colorized photograph of the Zion Evangelical Church, northwest corner of Grand Avenue and Fourth Street, Tower City, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. This brick building was built on the site of old church that was razed in 1922. It served as the congregation’s home until March 22, 1943, when the building and the adjacent frame parsonage were destroyed by fire. All of the church records were destroyed in the fire, including information about the pastors going back to 1872. After four years where the congregation met in other churches, the members decided to affiliate with the United Brethren Church in Tower City.
The story of the fire was told in the Pottsville Republican, March 22, 1943. Note that there are some discrepancies in dates and in the type of construction of the church and parsonage. The information provided in the Centennial History of Tower City and Porter Township, 1868-1968 was incorrect as to the year of the fire which was given as 1947 when actually it was in 1943 as proven by the Pottsville newspaper’s article.
TOWER CITY CHURCH BURNED DOWN, PARSONAGE DAMAGED
A disastrous fire destroyed the Evangelical Church at the corner of Grand Avenue and Fourth Street, at Tower City and severely damaged the adjoining parsonage, Saturday evening, causing a loss in property alone of $40,000 exclusive of the loss of personal effects and furnishings.
The fire was was discovered shortly after nine o’clock by the nine year old son of the pastor, Buddy Oplinger, and an alarm sounded by Mrs. Oplinger.
The Tower City fire department was assisted by fire companies from the entire western section of the county, who fought the fire for hours. They were unable to save the church and furnishings as the fire which started in the basemen swept throughout it rapidly and ate into the parsonage.
The eastern side of the parsonage farthest removed from the church was drenched with water and the furnishings in this section damaged by water and smoke but not by flames.
Pastor G. W. J. Oplinger, who is serving his second year in Tower City having come there from Northampton was attending a Quarterly Conference in Williamstown at the time of the fire.
His small son, Buddy was entertaining some playmates and Mrs. Oplinger was upstairs with the seven months old baby, Mark.
After Buddy returned to the house after seeing his playmates to the door he smelled smoke and called to his mother. She came downstairs and opened the cellar door, to be met by volumes of smoke from the combined basement of the church and parsonage. She hurried upstairs and took the baby and went with both children for aid.
Only the clothing which she was wearing and that of the children were saved at the time. After the fire some clothing in a part of the house not reached by the fire was found badly smoked but otherwise intact.
The fire which started in the basement spread through the church and destroyed all furnishings, appointments, hymnals, in the auditorium, Sunday School and social room. The pastor’s records and books were also destroyed when the fire ate its way into the parsonage.
The church and parsonage were built in 1932-1934 at a cost of $40,000. The church consisted of an auditorium, Sunday School room and furnace in the basement. A partition separated the basements of the parsonage and church and the same furnace heated both buildings. Both buildings were shingled with red brick veneer.
When firemen saw it was hopeless to save the church they concentrated on the parsonage and adjoining home of Miss Kate Gamber. The furnishings in the bedroom, dining room and living room on the side of the home farthest from the flames may be able to be salvaged.
The congregation which consists of less than one hundred members had about $5000 insurance on the church property and had cleared the indebtedness to less than the amount of the insurance.
Sunday afternoon the pastor and his members met in the Methodist Church and it has been planned to hold another meeting Tuesday evening.
Among the fire companies at the scene of the fire were those from Tremont, Tower City, Williamstown, Wiconisco, Hegins, Orwin, Reinerton, Sheridan and other nearby communities.
Pastor and Mrs. Oplinger and children are at present the house guests at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Pennell.
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News article from Newspapers.com. Photo of church from the Centennial History of Tower City and Porter Township, 1868-1968.
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