History of the Churches of the Pittsburgh Baptist Association

by William Pankey

MARS HILL BAPTIST CHURCH, ORGANIZED 1840

The Mars Hill Baptist Church was organized in 1840 by the Rev. J. P. Rockefeller as the Little Sewickley Baptist Church. The Big Sewickley Baptist Church had been organized by the same preacher in 1839. The two churches were located approximately ten miles apart, close to the respective streams bearing the same names. Before coming into the Pittsburgh Association, the church changed its name to that of Mars Hill.

The Westmoreland County records show a deed, dated February 8, 1840, from John Tillbrook and wife to Philip Fisher, Thomas Copeland and John Dinsmore, trustees of the Mars Hill Meeting House, "for the use of all Christian denominations." The only other congregation ever to use the building was the Mars Hill United Brethren Church. When this congregation moved to Herminie, the Baptists erected their present edifice two miles to the westward.

The following ministers have served this old country church:

Rev. J. P. Rockefeller (1840-1842), Rev. A. G. Eberliart (1843-1845), Eev. S. D. Morris (1846), Rev. John Scott (1847), Rev. S. D. Morris (1848), Rev. R. E. Sutton (1849-1850), Rev. Jacol) Rossell (1853-1855), Rev. G. Lanliam (1855-1857), Rev. J. N. Laughlin (1858), Rev. O. P. Hargrave (1861- 1868), Rev. Daniel Webster (1870-1871), Rev. R. C. Morgan (1872), Rev. O. P. Hargrave (1873-1887), Rev. A. a. McLean (1887-1888), Rev. C. A. Gardner (1888-1891), Rev. L. M. Jaco (1895), Rev. Frank W. Cramer (1896-1897), Rev. W. Oscar Henderson (1898-1899), Rev. M. E. Hare (1901-1903), Rev. A. J. King (1904-1906), Rev. T. E. Boord (1906-1909), Rev. R. N. Toms (1911-1912), Rev. Robert M. Wilfong (1913-1914), Rev. W. H. Hamilton (1915-1917), Rev. T. E. Boord (1918-1919), Rev. W. H. Hamilton (1920), Rev. D. E. Ewig (1921- 1922), Rev. A. E. Douglass (1922-1923), Rev. W. H. Birch (1935-1937), Rev. W. K. McCulloch (1938- ).

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