BOALSBURG — St. John’s United Church of Christ is set to celebrate its 200th anniversary at the end of May and with several events designed around the monumental occasion, the treasure UCC has become, and the treasures within, will be on full display to the curious public.
According to Randolph Thomas, a Boalsburg UCC congregation member who wrote the third edition of “St. John’s United Church of Christ, Boalsburg, PA: The First 200 years,” the church’s roots can be traced back to an early immigrant to America — Heinrich Rassman.
Rassmann was a German who fought for the British as a Hessian private during the American Revolution, Thomas said. He never returned to his homeland, instead electing to stay in Centre County and teach children.
In 1812, Rassman received a call from the ministry and became pastor of the Loop, Boalsburg and Penn’s Creek congregations of the Synod of the German Reformed. He was active until 1828, when age and infirmity caused him to retire.
However, in 1822, the first church congregation in the Boalsburg area was founded through the German Reformed Congregation and established in Oak Hall.
The congregation shared the upper school in Oak Hall with Lutheran worshipers. The Lutheran congregation was formally organized in 1822. With the German Reformed folks, the Lutherans built a church called the Zion Union Church in 1825 and shared it for 35 years, alternating Sundays. Then, in 1860, the German Church sold its interest in the “Old Stone Church,” as it was known then, to the Lutherans, and began planning its church building.
St. John’s Reformed Church was built in 1861. The construction crew used local clay, excavated from the area surrounding the church and along Pine Alley, in the bricks fired for the new building.
The congregation dedicated the new St. John’s Church building, which cost an estimated $7,000, on May 18, 1862. Now, the church built in 1861 remains and a healthy congregation recently welcomed a new pastor to take the leadership reins.
Reverend Tom Blair has returned to his home area and has become the 18th pastor of the Boalsburg United Church of Christ.
“This is home. St. John’s UCC has been known as a welcoming congregation, and I hope to continue that concept,” said Blair, who has two grown daughters and a son advancing in their careers.
THE TREASURES WITHIN
The UCC of Boalsburg experienced many changes over the years, Thomas explained. For example, it wasn’t until 1957 that the local church became The St. John’s United Church of Christ after the German Reformed and the Congregational Christian Church merged.
“The church has undergone three significant renovations during its 200-year history. The interior originally had a Baroque style architecture. When a storm brought substantial damage to the church in 1873, the congregation planned the rebuilding using items from the original,” Thomas said. “So, in 1901 however, remodeling had to be tackled again. This time the Baroque style gave way to a more straightforward decorating.”
These significant changes provided more sanctuary space, moved the chancel to the west end of the sanctuary and turned the organ 180 degrees, so the organist faced the congregation.
That organ is one of three treasures Thomas discussed.
The instrument is a Dürner pipe organ built by Charles F. Dürner of Quakertown, for $2,200. It was the first pipe organ in Centre County, installed in 1868, and is the oldest remaining pipe organ in the county. It is still used regularly for Sunday services, funerals and other occasions.
“The tracker pipe organs need air and at one time that was supplied by a couple of boys pumping away behind the organ,” organist Ryan Ditmer said. “The organ is all mechanical but has an electric motor to direct air through the bellows. There are connections between the pedals and the keys and between the keys and the pipes.”
Joseph Meyer, organist at the time, was the person who enlisted Dürner to build the organ, Ditmer said. Unfortunately, on the night before the dedication service, Meyer died, never having the opportunity to play the organ.
Ditmer became UCC’s organist, first on a part-time basis from 1993 until 2002 and then full-time from 2019 until the present. He is sometimes relieved by Amy Gustafson, Sue Vogt or Paula Bassett, each whom shares their musical talents with the Boalsburg UCC.
Another item the church congregation considers a “treasure” is the bell hanging in the bell tower today. This bell was cast in bronze by Meneely Bell Company of West Troy, New York, in 1861.
Treasure No. 3 is the stained glass windows that may have some familiarity to them.
This window glass at the church was provided by the Rudy Brothers of York and can be seen in houses of worship, private homes and public locations, such as the Sarah Heinz House, H.J. Heinz Building, Allegheny General Hospital and the dining room at the Hotel Hershey.
In 1996, workers repaired the brick exterior of the church and all the stained-glass windows in the narthex and sanctuary. With the bell tower fully restored, the total ran to $142,000. A new church office across Pine Alley was also built, costing $40,000.
A CELEBRATORY 200TH YEAR
The congregation hopes to celebrate the anniversary year thoroughly with a birthday party on May 31.
For the actual birthday, which falls on May 31, the committee would like folks to gather on the side lawn in the evening for birthday cake and fellowship. Then, inside the church, people may take turns ringing the historic bell and will receive a commemorative certificate after they do. The congregation has already been busy with the celebration year. Several members of UCC would like to have a float in the Memorial Day Parade in Boalsburg on May 28 to commemorate the church’s 200th year. Volunteers will wear their anniversary T-shirts to ride on the float.
On April 10, the congregation opened a general store at the church to sell publications, souvenirs and memorabilia created for the celebration. Pricing for most items is by donation, and a start-up UCC will use the money as it establishes a new congregation.
On Saturdays, from 2 to 4 p.m. throughout the summer, the Heritage Museum will be open and feature an exhibit of St. John’s artifacts and history. The church recently was recognized with the John H. Ziegler Historical Preservation Award from the Centre County Historical Society.
This story appears in the May 5-11 edition of The Centre County Gazette.
