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Bethel Baptist Church
What's on this page:
- Bethel Baptist Church
- Partial early timeline glimpses 1890-1900
- Zion Welsh Baptist Church
- Upper Lehigh Churches
- Lindsay's Hall - services held there during construction
Top left of page and above row: Early postcard views of Bethel Baptist Church, and the cornerstone.
Three photos of the church, the left two taken in 2010, the rightmost one taken a few years before that.
Bethel Baptist Church in Freeland was built on the southeast corner of Ridge and Walnut streets in 1892 and formally opened on February 4, 1893. It was also known locally as the English Baptist Church, as distinct from the Zion Welsh Baptist Church also built that year a few blocks away on Fern street. There was also a well-established Welsh Baptist Church in Upper Lehigh, organized in 1868, their church built in 1873.
The work on Bethel Baptist was contracted by the firm of Barthold & Rinker on April 14, 1892, and during 1892 services were conducted in Lindsay’s Hall at the corner of Front and Washington streets. The cornerstone was laid on June 30, 1892, and the first service in the new church was held in the basement on Sunday, October 2, 1892. The church was completed on Nov. 14, 1892, and on December 24, 1892 it was established as Bethel Baptist Church of Freeland, Pa. The first service in the completed building and under the legally established name was held that day, Christmas Eve, 1892. The church was formally opened on February 4, 1893. Its Pastor was Rev. C. A. Spaulding. At its beginning Bethel Baptist held Sunday School, Morning Worship and Evening Services. In the 1897 city directory the pastor was listed as John T. Griffiths, home address 47 south Washington.
Partial early timeline glimpses 1890-1900
Freeland Tribune May 15, 1890: “The members of the English Baptist Church will hold a tea party in the large store room, near the Cottage hotel, Washington street, on Decoration Day. All kinds of refreshments will be on sale, including Temperance Drinks, Ice Cream and Confectionery. … proceeds are to be devoted towards the church fund. …”
Freeland Tribune December 31, 1891: [Coming Events] “Concert by DeMoss Family, benefit of English Baptist Church, Donop’s Hall, December 31.”
News article April 14, 1892: “Preparing to Build. The English Baptist congregation, of which Rev. C. A. Spaulding is pastor, has given out a contract for the building of a fine church at Walnut and Ridge Streets. The contractors Messrs. Barthold & Rinker, will begin operations on it next Monday and they expect to have it completed in a short itme. The dimensions are 34x52 feet, three stories in height, with a basement 10 feet clear of all obstructions. Inside everything will be fitted up in the neatest manner possible; the floor will be inclined and circle seats will be put in, which will make it one of the finest churches in Freeland.”
Freeland Tribune April 21, 1892: “Work was commenced upon the Bethel Baptist Church on Monday morning. The structure will be two stories in height, not three, as was stated last week.”
News article June 30, 1892: The first ceremonies held at the Bethel Baptist Church took place with the laying of the cornerstone, organized by the pastor, Rev. C. A. Spaulding, and celebrated with a hymn and recitations by members of the congregation and its Sunday school, Bible readings, a recounting of the history of the congregation, and remarks by Rev. Robert Holmes, a Baptist minister from Pittston. Rev. Charles Brown of the Heavenly Recruits assisted with the singing and recitations. The church building is under construction, and on the adjoining lot they intend to build a residence for the pastor when the indebtedness on the church building is cleared. [Thanks to Ed Merrick for finding this article.]
Freeland Tribune July 18, 1892:
List of church services. At this time when the two Baptist churches
were being built, the Bethel Baptist congregation was meeting at
Lindsay’s Hall at Front and Washington streets, and the Zion Welsh
Baptist congregation was meeting at Donop’s Hall (coincidentally across
the street from the new Bethel Baptist church). Freeland Tribune October 27, 1892: “The festival held this week by the members of the Bethel Baptist church in the basement of their new building, corner of Ridge and Walnut streets, closed last evening and was a very successful affair. … The proceeds will be used for the completion of the church.”
Freeland
Tribune December 1,
1892: Bethel Baptist Church of Freeland, Pa. name to be
registered legally on December 24, 1892, “… the character and object
whereof is the support of public worship of Almighty God according to
the faith, doctrines, discipline and usages of the English Baptist
church of America …”News article February 6, 1893: Bethel Baptist Church Completed and Formally Opened. The opening was attended by a large audience. Rev. Arthur Hague, of Plymouth, preached a sermon, and his son sang a hymn. Dr. Conard of Philadelphia and Rev. W. B. Grow of Carbondale took a prominent part in the services, at the close of which pastor Rev. C. A. Spaulding baptized three candidates. Rev. Spaulding “spoke in a feeling manner of the kindness and assistance that the members of other denominations had displayed towards him and his congregation, and thanked them and the business men of town for the cheerful manner in which they responded to every appeal made for the church. … The edifice has been erected and furnished at a cost of about $5000, and the small debt yet remaining will be soon cleared, as the congregation is one of the most earnest and hard-working bodies in town.”
Freeland Tribune December 31, 1900: “Farewell Sermon. At the English Baptist church a large congregation was present yesterday to hear the farewell sermon of the pastor, Rev. E. C. Murphy. Many persons not members of this church attended as a mark of respect to the minister, who was one of the town’s most active pastors. His departure causes a great deal of regret among the church workers of the town. Rev. Murphy goes to Wyoming this county, and will leave for his new charge this week. His successor has not yet been chosen.”
Thanks to Charlie Stumpf, Ed Merrick, Charlie Gallagher for contributions.