What if these walls could talk? St. Michael’s Lutheran Church has stood in this spot for centuries. It has witnessed Germantown’s evolution. Today we will delve into the history of this historic church.
St. Michael’s Evangelical Lutheran Church has a rich history dating back to before 1728. The congregation played a significant role in the religious landscape of Germantown.
Initially, Germantown was largely German. The Lutheran denomination gained prominence after 1740. Various German religious groups flourished here. The first settlers were German Quakers. The Mennonite church also became important. Dunkards, Moravians, and the German Reformed Church added to the mix.
Lutheran and Reformed churches became the largest in Germantown. This happened in the latter half of the 18th century. St. Michael’s and other churches struggled with a shortage of ordained ministers. These ministers often served multiple churches. It wasn’t until 1790 that a pastor settled his family in Germantown.
The earliest record of St. Michael’s congregation is from 1728. This was upon the death of its first pastor. Anthony Jacob Henckel is buried in the cemetery. John Christian Schulz may have briefly served the congregation after 1731. He then went to Germany to seek support for Pennsylvania Lutherans. John Dylander, a Swedish pastor, served many Lutheran churches from 1737 to 1742. This included St. Michael’s in Germantown.
Land deeds from 1737 to 1751 describe a plot of land. It measured 130 by 1,000 feet. This land stretched from Germantown Avenue to Musgrave Street. It was bounded by East Phil Ellena Street. The church still occupies more than half of this area.
The first stone church on this site might have been built around 1730. It was expanded in 1746. It gained a bell tower and pipe organ in the 1750s. Beggarstown School is a small building next to St. Michael’s. It was built around 1740. It taught basic skills to local students. Most students belonged to the congregation.
Henry Melchior Muhlenberg served as an early pastor. He arrived in Pennsylvania in 1742. He was assigned to churches in Providence, New Hanover and Philadelphia. The Philadelphia church also was named St. Michael’s. Muhlenberg also served St. Michael’s in Germantown. Charles W. Schaeffer wrote about this in his Early History of the Lutheran Church in America.
In 1745, Muhlenberg assigned Peter Brunnholz to the Germantown and Philadelphia churches. After Brunnholtz died, Muhlenberg replaced him in 1757. He chose John Frederick Handschuh. Handschuh faced a revolt in 1760. It started because of bells on collection baskets. The congregation disagreed with Handschuh and Muhlenberg. A small group supporting Muhlenberg formed a new church. They called their own pastor, J. Nicholas Kurtz. In 1762, they regained use of St. Michael’s building by court order.
Johann Frederick Schmidt served as pastor from 1769 to 1786. He supported American independence. He fled during the Battle of Germantown in 1777. The parsonage was looted. The church was damaged. The cemetery includes graves of Revolutionary War veterans.
In 1785, the church officially incorporated. Germantown’s residents began to assimilate. German-speakers intermarried with English-speakers. Non-Germans moved to the growing village. By 1811, there were Anglo-American churches in Germantown.
Frederick David Schaeffer served as pastor from 1790 to 1812. In 1813, the congregation voted to conduct services in English on alternate Sundays. The church’s Sunday school began in 1817. It taught underprivileged children.
A new church was built in 1819. The current Gothic Revival building was dedicated in 1897. The Rev. John C. Baker served St. Michael’s from 1812 to about 1826. The Rev. Charles W. Schaeffer was pastor from 1849-1875. He helped organize the Lutheran Theological Seminary.
St. Michael’s Lutheran Church has been a cornerstone of Germantown for centuries. Though it closed in 2016, its legacy of faith continues. Its story reflects the changing face of Philadelphia.