Saint Matthew’s Lutheran Church
A Brief History
The St. Matthew’s congregation of Chester Springs, Pennsylvania was organized on January 1, 1833. St. Matthew’s was the third Lutheran Organization in Chester County, preceded by Zion’s of East Pikeland and St. Peter’s of West Pikeland. The Lutheran and Reformed congregations of Chester County agreed to build a cooperative house of worship due to the desire for greater religious independence and because of the difficulty each congregation had in traveling great distances to attend regular services at Zion’s or St. Peter’s. The practice of using a common building for the Reformed and Lutheran faiths to worship was prevalent in colonial Pennsylvania.
A plot of ground was purchased for $60 and a corner stone was laid on May 21, 1833. The first St. Matthew's church was a stone building 35 feet by 42 feet with two stories and a balcony on three sides. It was built for $1,690.61. This original church structure was erected on a spot which is now the northwest corner of St. Matthew’s United Church of Christ Cemetery. Lutheran and Reformed congregations met every other Sunday for worship with a combined Sunday school conducted every week. St. Matthew’s congregation now became part of a charge that included Zion’s, St. Peter’s, Trappe, Limerick and Towamencin. One Pastor served the Chester County Lutheran congregations for an annual salary of $380 and the use of an existing parsonage.
This arrangement lasted until April 1872, when the St. Matthew’s Lutheran congregation decided that sharing had become too difficult. The congregation began planning on separating from the Reformed congregation in order to build their own Lutheran church. On April 14, 1879, the trustees of the Reformed Church, as part of a very amicable separation, agreed to give the Lutheran congregation $1,000, an organ, one stove and one half of all the books in the library.
After consideration of several sites the congregation approved the purchase of 18 ½ acres at $100 an acre, with enough sheds for 30 teams of horses. A one story, Gothic-style, church – 42 feet by 90 feet - was built on the current site for $13,914.46 and dedicated on May 1, 1879. Twenty clergymen gathered for this dedication, twelve from the Lutheran church and eight from the Reformed, Presbyterian and Baptist churches. Some time later a little more than 10 acres behind the cemetery - along with some horse sheds - were sold for $57.50 per acre.
On June 30, 1901, a rededication ceremony was held to mark an extensive church renovation. St. Matthew’s had been newly frescoed and painted inside and out; new carpets had been laid, a new platform was installed, and the broken slates were replaced. In 1903 the current parsonage was erected and improvements to the stable were made for $3,134.75.
From the first days of its construction the new church had been lighted with kerosene lamps. In 1911 an acetylene plant was installed in the basement to light both the church and the parsonage. The church purchased a stereopticon lantern with a curtain in November 1917 in order to present illustrated lectures at evening services. This innovative approach greatly increased the attendance at those services. The acetylene plant was moved outside in 1922 and gas lighting was used continuously until the installation of electricity in 1929.
In 1925 the church purchased and installed a Moller Organ for $2,500. Somewhat later that year “The Good Shepherd” and “Gethsemane” stained glass memorial windows were presented as gifts from two members of the congregation.
In June of 1938, another rededication service was performed to recognize the installation of a new oil burning heating system and widespread improvements to the church. The church was redecorated, the pews revarnished, the floors sanded and varnished. The new heating system and complete church redo was accomplished for about $3,900.
The parsonage kitchen was remodeled in 1941 and water was piped from the parsonage into the church kitchen. Members donated a set of tubular chimes and a new Common Services book later that same year. In 1948 an artesian well was drilled close to the parsonage to provide a safe and reliable water supply for the parsonage and the church.
In October of 1955, work began on remodeling the church organ. A new console was installed and the organ was converted from pneumatic to electric control. At the same time the altar was moved to the rear of the chancel and elevated. This project cost about $5,000.
On Reformation Day in 1981 the first ordination of a pastor was held at St. Matthew’s. Also on Reformation Day in 1981 the first woman pastor at St. Matthew’s began her ministry.
In 1983 St. Matthew’s celebrated - throughout the entire year - its one hundred and fiftieth anniversary.
A trailer was purchased in 1990 to provide space for the church’s need for dedicated administrative support. This administrative support was required to provide a central repository for church records – previous to the trailer space most records were keep in member’s homes - as well as to provide an administrative foundation to support St. Matthew’s growing congregation. A computer was installed in the trailer and the trailer soon housed the first - and only - St. Matthew’s church secretary. During this time the Church parsonage was proving income as a rental property.
In 1991 the Library (Tower Room) and the Parish Hall were completely renovated. Due to the uneven nature of the two rooms much custom carpentry was required, increasing the costs from an estimated $55,000 to $75,000.
In 1995 the church organ was replaced with the current digital organ for $25,000. In 1998 the parsonage was renovated to provide adequate office space for the administrative staff and volunteers.
On June 24, 2001 St. Matthew’s celebrated the most ambitious project in the church’s history -- the dedication of a new Christian Life Center building and a complete church renovation for just over $1,700,000.
As a result of this renovation, Saint Matthew’s was able to expand its community involvement by starting a preschool on September 3, 2003 with more than fifty children and a full staff of teachers and assistants.
Saint Matthew’s Lutheran Church
A Community and Social History
St. Matthew’s has always served an agrarian society, a society where men, women and children had to work long hours in order to survive. Work, worship and rest took up most of their days and nights. The church was a gathering place for worship and community interaction, families would also gather monthly at neighboring homes to discuss church business. Everyone walked or rode horses to church or to members’ homes for the monthly meetings. During those walking and riding times - sometimes up to an hour each way - families would socialize together and talk about church issues, their community, farming concerns, and current topics of interest. Many times as they traveled they sang hymns or the popular music of the day.
Toward the end of the nineteenth century and in the beginning of the twentieth century, farm life began to improve with the advent of steam and gasoline reapers, binders, mowers, and threshers. These labor-saving machines allowed for more leisure time and so the monthly church meetings at members’ homes became even more popular. The first order of business was always a church related meeting and then social time would follow. At these gatherings members produced plays, skits, dialogues, recitations and musical numbers. The byproduct of these meetings was a community based information exchange that involved social, political, and farming issues.
These monthly meetings had to be scheduled around the farmer’s busiest seasons. So the custom of a “Strawberry Social” in June and an “Oyster Supper” in early autumn signaled the end and the beginning of the monthly meetings. These two annual events grew so popular that they became public offerings to help raise money and to help gain new church members.
Soon neighboring churches caught on to the concept and began their own socials. So St. Matthew’s decided to go one step further and began a festival between the wheat and oat harvests. On the third Wednesday evening in July all residents were invited to attend an evening of outdoor entertainment. The entertainment was provided by a brass band while many varieties of fruits and ice cream were sold along with an assortment of grab bags. The children especially enjoyed the ever-present fish pond. This festival became so popular that it came to be called “The Lutheran Festival”.
Not too long ago the church was a place of worship as well as an integral part of the member’s community and social lives. The church provided the opportunity to meet, to exchange information, to talk about the political issues of the day, to socialize, and to have a good time. It was the newspaper, radio, TV, and even the Internet of its day. In 1917, ten percent of the St. Matthew’s membership owned automobiles and the other ninety percent walked or rode horses to church. Today people get their information from various media sources and each membership family owns an automobile, if not two. Our information and social needs have changed, but not our need to worship. The church has a more difficult role today as it is not always the community gathering point it was in times past, and must compete with many distractions in order to provide the proper environment to continue the social and community gathering role it once enjoyed.
At St. Matthew’s we recognize this changing environment and believe that today’s community and social life can be hectic and challenging. We move from one responsibility to another, marveling at how fast the time goes by. Many people begin to feel like something is missing in their lives, such as: a connection with God, a sense of community and belonging, as well as a place where real and lasting friendships are born and nurtured and a place for families and individuals to grow in faith.
These are the values we hold dear at Saint Matthew's. They connect us to the long history of our congregation. We continue to believe the best opportunity for faith and friendship to grow is through regular worship and to participate in the small group of ministries at our church. During Sunday morning worship, we are challenged and comforted through the word of God and the sacraments. In the small group of ministries, friendship and faith have a place to grow.
Saint Matthew's Lutheran Church is a place where you can find deeper meaning in your life, a place of support and encouragement, a safe place to worship, ask questions and be yourself. God has clearly blessed our congregation throughout these 170 years of ministry. We pray for God’s continued presence and guidance as we continue the long tradition of welcoming all people into St. Matthew’s community of faith in Christ.
Saint Matthew’s history compiled by Ray Woodland and Don Price
Saint Matthew’s history edited by Don Price
October, 2003