Restored church reopens

Spring Creek boasts oldest congregation in Centre County

Stephanie Koons

Members of Spring Creek Presbyterian Church gathered Sunday afternoon in the church building in Lemont, but it wasn't a typical service. It was the first time they had worshipped in the historic building since it was nearly destroyed three years ago after a structural collapse.

The Rev. David Meyer, the pastor of Spring Creek Presbyterian, and the Rev. Joy Kaufmann, the general presbyter of the Huntingdon Presbytery, which includes 55 congregations in south-central Pennsylvania, led a rededication ceremony in which they gave thanks to numerous individuals who helped with the restoration effort.

Spring Creek Presbyterian Church, established in 1775, is the oldest continuous congregation in Centre County, said Dave Wasson, a member of the church’s governing body. While the church has had different locations, the current structure was built in the 1870s on land donated by ironmaster Moses Thompson. The church has a gray limestone and mortar construction with stained glass windows and a steeple and spire that rise 92 feet.

“I just think it’s rewarding that we have something like this in this area,” said Anna Mary Ishler, of Lemont, a lifelong church member.

In August 2006, the upper third of the church’s east wall, opposite the tower, collapsed, covering the pulpit with stones and timber and the entire interior with thick layers of dust and grime. The tower was built on clay, not bedrock like the rest of the church, and had already begun to lean. Wasson discovered the collapse one morning when he stopped into the church to continue working on the underground drainage system.

“I just thought, ‘Oh my goodness, how are we going to redo this church?’ ” Ishler said, “I was just heartbroken.”

The church, which has about 30 members, moved its services to the community center next door and never missed a Sunday service, Meyer said.

“While we were disheartened, the spirit of enthusiasm was never diminished,” he said.

Consultants advised the church’s leaders to tear down the entire structure, Wasson said, but they discovered that the cost of taking down only the tower would be $250,000 — the amount of money in the church’s bank account. The church eventually embarked on a $300,000 restoration project that involved thrusting concrete through bore holes into the ground under the tower to establish a firm foundation for the building. Cinder block walls reinforced with steel were built inside the old stone walls, Wasson said, and the old and new walls have been fastened together.

The project was done as funds were available, Meyer said, so the church doesn’t have any debt. Paul Hay, the church treasurer, said some people sold properties and donated the money to help fund the project.

“It was a huge joint effort,” he said. “It pulled everybody together.”

There is still some minor construction work to be done, Meyer said, including finishing the surfaces of the walls. Tina Czajkowski, a Lemont resident and member of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in State College, produced “The Gift,” a CD of hymns and folk songs with Curtis Rock-well and other musicians, and is donating all proceeds to Spring Creek’s restoration effort.

Ishler said she feels that the church’s rehabilitation was part of a divine plan.

“I think God was there the whole time,” she said.

To make a donation to Spring Creek Presbyterian Church or to purchase a copy of “The Gift,” call the church at 238-6074.