Old Presbyterian Church, 1867 to 1908

The brick church in this photograph stood on the southeast corner of Shirley and Division Streets for over forty years. Built in 1866 and 1867 at a cost of four thousand five hundred dollars, it replaced an older frame church put up along the Shirleysburg road in 1849 for five hundred dollars. The congregation worshiped there until 1908, when a new church building was completed.

The story begins with Rev. Britton E. Collins, who started preaching in Mount Union in 1845. By 1849 the community had built a frame church for $500. The congregation was formally organized with fourteen members on May 2, 1865, and by 1909 it had grown to 360. The brick church that replaced the frame building cost $4,500 and served as the center of community life for decades.

What happened to the brick church after 1908? If you have memories of it, or know what became of the building and the lot, we would love to hear.

From the record

Passages about this subject, quoted from county histories now in the public domain. Each one names the book and the position in the text so it can be checked. Spelling is as printed.

Soon after the marriage of William Orbison, he purchased the house at the corner of Sixth and Penn 439 Streets, where the old Presbyterian Church now stands, and removed there, remaining until 1813, when he removed to the log house situated on Penn Street, between Third and Fourth, and now owned by Messrs. In 1815 he built the large brick house at the corner of Third and Penn Streets, and in 1816 moved into it and resided there until his death. John Patton Anderson, son of Alexander A. and Jane (Patton) Anderson, was born at Lewistown, Pa., in 1818. He read law at Huntingdon with John i G. Miles, was appointed assistant deputy attorneygeneral at Pittsburgh by Governor Porter, and about the same time was married to Margaret H. Williamson. He became a clerk in the Canal Department at Harrisburg, and, later, the supervisor of the Juniata Division of the canal at Huntingdon. In 1849 he became interested with John Edgar Thomson in the building of the Pennsylvania Railroad, and in that business accumulated a large fortune. His arduous labors brought on a partial paralysis of the right side, from which he died Feb. 10, 1862. His widow still resides in the borough of Huntingdon. Of their children, William Patton served as lieutenant in the Fifth Regular Infantry. He died in 1863 at Huntingdon.J. Simpson Africa, History of Huntingdon and Blair Counties, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia: Louis H. Everts, 1883) · character 2,811,113 of the scanned text

The building still stands, and is in use as a dwelling. When built it cost five hundred dollars. Here the congregation worshiped until they built a new church in 1866 and 1867, on the southeast corner of Shirley and Division Streets, at a cost of four thousand five hundred dollars.. On May 2, 1865, the Presbyterian Church of Mount Union was organized by a committee appointed by the Huntingdon Presbytery, consisting of Rev. George W. Shaiffer, Rev. James C. Mahon, and Rev. David D. Clarke. The church was organized with fourteen members, who presented certificates of membership from Shirleysburg and other churches. J. A. J. Postlethwaite was chosen elder ofthe new organization. In the spring of 1855, Rev. George W. Shaiffer succeeded Rev. Briton E. Collins, and preached at this point until April, 1866, being one year after the church was organized. Rev. Cochrane Forbes succeeded Rev. Mr. Shaiffer in October, 1866, and continued pastor until April, 1870. Rev. S. W. Pomeroy succeeded Rev. Mr. Forbes, and entered upon his labors May 1, 1871, and was installed Aug. 14, 1871. In the fall of 1866, Peter Shaver and Dr. James W. Mackey were elected, ordained, and installed elders.. On March 12, 1878, T. À. Appleby and Dr. William A. Hunter were chosen elders, and on March 17th were ordained and installed. The number of members at present is one hundred and fifteen.J. Simpson Africa, History of Huntingdon and Blair Counties, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia: Louis H. Everts, 1883) · character 2,328,885 of the scanned text

He began in 1878 in a small store room at 422 Penn street, which was abandoned in 18S1 for the old Presbyterian church. Three years later a five-story brick building was erected at Sixth and Allegheny streets, and in 1889 an eight-story building was put up and in May, 1891, the business was incorporated. The company employs about 250 people and its annual product reaches about $1,000,000, the Blair tablets going all over the world. A recent industry of the Juniata valley that is attracting considerable attention is the Suskana Silk Works of Lewistown, which were established in 1909. The plant at this point is one of a chain of six mills in the United States, the others being in New York City, two at Sunbury, Pennsylvania, Marion, Ohio, and Jersey Shore, Permsylvania. The business was originally established in Germany about 1784 and this branch of the silk manufacturing industry is controlled by the Schniewind family, which also has eight mills in Germany. The Lewistown mills are built on the most modern principles and employ, when running at their full capacity, about 500 persons. Lack of space prevents a detailed account of every manufacturing 305 establishment in the valley.John W. Jordan, ed., History of the Juniata Valley and Its People (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing, 1913) · character 747,376 of the scanned text

Checked 2026-10-02 · Historic Mount Union collection

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