People of varying religious groups founded York County – 13/31 iconic images
Three churches of three different Protestant denominations crowd the Freysville crossroad in eastern York County, Pa. (See another Freysville structure below.) Background posts: Two York County union churches vestiges of bygone era, ‘Chaplains: The Calm in the Chaos’ and Abe, Gwyneth passed through Porters Sideling.
Continuing the series of telling York County, Pa.’s, history through images: … .
In plain view: Three churches – Lutheran, United Church of Christ and United Methodist congregations – are bunched in the crossroad village of Freysville. This trio of Christian denominations are located in many York County towns.
Behind the scene: Understand the national origin of York County churches, and one can deduce where the first settlers in a region came from. All three churches in Freysville are of German origin. (Methodism came from England, but many Methodists in the county came from a German branch.) Germans primarily settled in the central valleys of the county. The Scots-Irish migrated in great numbers to the southeastern corner, as many Presbyterian churches attest. English Quakers put down stakes in the northern part of the county – the Redlands. At least three Quaker meeting houses stand today. Roman Catholics moved from Conewago Chapel, in present-day Adams County, to York and other points east. A small Jewish group lived in York County in the pre-Revolutionary War era. Religious people have long made York County home, as the estimated 500 houses of worship within its borders indicate. Here are the 2000 numbers from the Association of Religion Data: Evangelical Protestant, 28,496; Mainline Protestant, 99,121; Orthodox, 1,788; Catholic, 37,745; other, 4,532; “unclaimed:” 210,069. The latter category suggests more diversity in religious views than normally attributed to the county.
Further details: Charles Glatfelter’s authoritative “York County Lutherans,” (1993) covers that denomination’s history but crosses paths with other German groups as well. See also Franklin Zarfoss’ “Bits and Bytes of Trivia and Facts, Churches of York County Pennsylvania,” 1996.
Posts in this series:
– 400 years ago, John Smith explored Chesapeake Bay – 1/31 iconic images
– Declaration signer James Smith tops York County patriot list – 2/31 iconic images
– Going to market a longtime York County pastime – 3/31 iconic images
– William C. Goodridge: From slavery to success story – 4/31 iconic images
– Rebs’ short York visit creates long memories – 5/31 iconic images
–Artist Horace Bonham captured everyday life – 6/31 iconic images
–York County farm vs. factory tension relieved in overnight raid – 7/31 iconic images
– York County stood firmly behind Allies on all fronts in WW II – 8/31 iconic images
– Downtown thrived in post-WW II York – 9/31 iconic images
– After WWII success, Farquhar sells assets to out-of-town outfit – 10/31 iconic images.
– Sears, York County Shopping Center in the middle of things – 11/31 iconic images
– Three Mile Island emergency indelibly written into memories – 12/2 iconic images.
– People of varying religious groups founded York County – 13/31 iconic images
– President Reagan: ‘Harley is back and standing tall’ – 14/31 iconic images
– York’s mayor: ‘We are no longer unprotected’ – 15/31 iconic images
– Grange Hall represented past way of York County life – 16/31 iconic images.
– York County Honors Choir product of proud moment – 17/31 iconic images.
– Meeting of riot victims brought hope for racial accord – 18/31 iconic images.
– Property rights foundational factor in Lauxmont dispute – 19/31 iconic images.
– New baseball diamond serves as York cornerstone – 20/31 iconic images
– Season 2 of York’s campaign to come back – 21-23 of 31 iconic images
– York on knees as its men storm Normandy beaches – 24-25 of 31 iconic images
– One image illustrates two long-neglected subjects in York area – 26-27 of 31 iconic images
– Images explain changes in York County factories, farms – 28-29 of 31 iconic images
York County still home to unvarnished beauty – 30/31 iconic images
Latinos most recent migrant group to call York County home – 31/31 iconic images
Windsor Township’s Darla Laird submitted this photo to YDR.com’s online Landscapes and scenery gallery. She wrote: ‘Schoolhouse or Church in rear of the United Church of Christ in Freysville.’
