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St. Paul Primitive Church
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This church was originally formed in Jeddo in 1882, and 10 years later in late 1892 or 1893 it was physically moved to Fern street just down the street from St. Mary's.
A notice appeared in the Luzerne Legal Register, volume XI, 1882 (Wilkes-Barre: Printed by E. B. Yordy, 1882, page 36):
“Notice is hereby given that an application will be made on Saturday, March 4, 1882, at 10 o’clock A.M., to a Law Judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Luzerne county, for the incorporation of a church, to be known as “The Primitive Methodist Church of Jeddo,” with the object of worshipping God according to the faith and usages of the Primitive Methodist Church in the United States of America, which said church is intended to be located at Jeddo, Luzerne county.
Geo. H Troutman, Solicitor”
Freeland
Tribune November 28, 1892:
“The Primitive Methodist church will be removed from here to Freeland
in the near future.” News article
November 30, 1892: New Churches at Freeland (clipping from Charlie
Stumpf)“Work on the new Welsh Baptist church, which is being erected on Fern street, Freeland, is being pushed very rapidly. The wood work is completed and the interior is now being finished up. The church will be ready for occupancy by January 1, 1893.
“The Primitive Methodist church, of Jeddo, will be removed to Fern street, Freeland, shortly.
“St. John’s Hungarian Catholic church at Freeland is nearly completed. The date for the dedication of the same will be announced shortly.”
News article August 23,
1894: Corner-Stone Laid Report of the laying of the cornerstone of St. Paul’s P. M. church on Fern street. On the 1895 Sanborn map, only part of the east side of the top of Fern street was shown, containing St. Mary's Church (“Greek Church, 24’ to eaves”) and the rectory next to it, not showing this relocated church building. The 1897 city directory listed it this way: St. Paul's Primitive Methodist Church, Fern street, Samuel Cooper, pastor (home north Walnut).
Freeland
Tribune June 13, 1895:
Rev. S. Cooper advertised the Sunday services
of the St. Paul’s P. M. Church in the Freeland
Tribune directory at left. Two brief notices about this Primitive Methodist church appeared in the newspapers on October 26, 1899, one announcing their annual Thanksgiving poultry supper, the other noting that on the next Sunday Rev. W. C. Hall would preach there on two different topics, one in the morning and the other in the evening.
About the relocated building, from Sanborn maps: On the 1895 Sanborn map, Fern street was represented only by 2 buildings at the top of the street, east side of that block, showing only St. Mary's Church (“Greek Church, 24’ to eaves”) and the rectory next to it. I don't know why the 1895 map doesn't show St. Paul's, which should have already been in place there and was listed in the 1897 city directory this way: St. Paul's Primitive Methodist Church, Fern street, Samuel Cooper, pastor (home north Walnut).
This church did appear on the 1900 Sanborn Fire Insurance map at its Fern street location. The map notations showed that the building was 14’ to the eaves and that it had hot air heat and oil lights. By 1905 the lights were electric. It was no longer listed on the 1912 map, which now showed a “Greek Parochial School.” Next to that building, on what had been an empty lot, was now the “Freeland Stocking Mill”, with furnace heat and electric lights. Next to that was “St. Anthony’s Italian Chapel” (16’ to eaves, furnace heat, electric lights), which had formerly been the Zion Welsh Baptist Church.
Thank you to Charlie Stumpf and Ed Merrick for research and clippings.