Language, Legacy, and Relocation: The Story of a German Church in Ellwood City

During February’s meeting of the Ellwood City Area Historical Society, the gathered 35 members and guests were treated to a presentation on some local history that began just after the end of the Civil War. Also during the meeting, Linda Ritter Zapadka and Rosemary Morgan were recognized with Certificates of Appreciation for their steadfast service as ECAHS volunteers.

Bill Johnston, historian for the St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Ellwood City, discussed the history of the church and the cemetery that was associated with the congregation.

“In 1885, three Siebenburg Saxons decided to leave their homeland and seek their fortune in America,” Johnston began.

They settled in the village of Wurtemburg, populated primary of German immigrants.
Johnston recounted the struggles that the church faced with having services in both English and German, having split congregations several times because of the language issues. He also talked about the endeavor to move the church from Wurtemburg to Ellwood City in 1893, a year after the town’s founding.

“The German church that is now on Wayne Avenue, when it got moved (to Ellwood), it would have had to go down Portersville Road because there was no bridge to go from the north side over,” he said. “The church came here when the city was founded.”

That was the first time the building was moved. In 1912, it was moved again, but this time only 10 feet.

“They moved it 10 feet over because they said it was too loud to work on a Sunday with engineering works going off right next to them, he said. “It was rattling the building.”
Johnston also said that the church building on Wayne Avenue has been utilized of the other church congregations in the area at some point. “Every church that is in Ellwood, including Lilyville, have all prayed and used our church at some point … except for the Presbyterian church that started before ours, so I guess that’s fair.”

After a lively question and answer session, the gathering was treated to refreshments provided by Louise Carroll and Kathy Phillips. The Next Society meeting on March 9th wil lfeature Author and Historian Brady Cryster talking about Pennsylvania battlefields. The meeting will start at 7:00p.m. at the History Center on 5th Street and is open to the public at no charge.