Keim Meetinghouse (St. Paul, Somerset County, Pennsylvania, USA)
The Keim Meetinghouse (Mennonite Church) was built in 1859 in St. Paul, several miles from Salisbury, Somerset County, Pennsylvania. The building was of simple frame construction, 30 x 35 feet in size, and cost $535. It was also known as the Mennonite Union, because although it was largely in the hands of the Mennonites, the Lutheran and Reformed congregations also shared in its use, the latter having contributed $200 to the building project. It was sold to the Lutherans in 1893.
The Mennonite congregation which was served by the Keim Meetinghouse was established in 1780 near Meyersdale, Pennsylvania, and was the first Mennonite body to be organized in the Casselman Valley District. The first minister was Jacob Seiler or Saylor (1715-1793), a former Amish minister from Germany who was ordained by a Lancaster County bishop in eastern Pennsylvania for the purpose of serving in the Meyersdale area. At the time of the building of the Keim Meetinghouse, Henry H. Blauch was the minister (served 1853-1904). His activity and vision as pastor and leader of the group so encouraged an increase in numbers that by 1859 it was no longer feasible to meet in schoolhouses and the First Baptist Meetinghouse of West Salisbury, as had been the custom of the group for some years. It was at this point that the Keim Meetinghouse was constructed. In 1878 the Mennonites erected their own meetinghouse at Springs some five miles southeast, called the Folk Meetinghouse. The group worshiping in the Keim Meetinghouse was in effect the later Springs congregation. It was probably called Keim's because of David Keim (1832-1915), preacher 1870 and bishop 1875-1915.
| Author(s) | Alta E Schrock |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 1957 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Schrock, Alta E. "Keim Meetinghouse (St. Paul, Somerset County, Pennsylvania, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1957. Web. 18 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Keim_Meetinghouse_(St._Paul,_Somerset_County,_Pennsylvania,_USA)&oldid=57505.
APA style
Schrock, Alta E. (1957). Keim Meetinghouse (St. Paul, Somerset County, Pennsylvania, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 18 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Keim_Meetinghouse_(St._Paul,_Somerset_County,_Pennsylvania,_USA)&oldid=57505.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, p. 161. All rights reserved.
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