History of the Churches of the Pittsburgh Baptist Association

by William Pankey

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, LEECHBURG, ORGANIZED 1875

The First Baptist Church of Leechburg was organized by a small group of Baptists in a room at the Siberian Iron Works, Leechburg, May 3, 1875. The organizational meeting was presided over by the Rev. Lloyd Morgan, pastor of the Apollo Baptist church. William R. Duff and William Rogers were elected deacons, Joseph Clarke, church clerk, and Mark Guthridge, treasurer. The five trustees elected were William R. Duff, William Rogers, Shadrach Hadley, John Benjamin and Isaac Milliken.

The church edifice, located on the corner of Third and Siberian Streets, was erected in 1880. The church became a member of the Clarion Baptist Association in 1882, but withdrew in 1889 to become a member of the Pittsburgh Baptist Association. In 1914 a parsonage was built with money received from the estate of Elizabeth Trout. The present membership is 121.

The following ministers have served the church:

Rev. Lloyd Morgan (1875-1880), Rev. W. A. Barns (1880-1885), Rev. C. W. Ray (1885-1886), Rev. H. H. Leamy (1887-1891), Rev. A. A. Mainwaring (1891-1893), Rev. Alfred Caldwell (1894- 1895), Rev. J. N. Brannock (1896), Rev. T. M. McDermott (1897-1900), Rev. C. F. Cornman (1906- 1909), Rev. M. Palmer (1910-1911), Rev. S. J. Cnnnings (1911-1912), Rev. Thomas Lambert (1913- 1914), Rev. S. W. Mitchell (1915-1919), Rev. C. F. Carll (1920-1924), Rev. E. G. Zwayer (1924-1925), Rev. J. H. Hanson (1928-1930), Rev. T. M. Denning (1930-1936), Rev. Gilbert Heilman (1936 ).

The Reformed Reader Home Page  Copyright 1999, The Reformed Reader, All Rights Reserved