Rev. Walter A. Mitchell became rector January, 1872. He is the son of the late Rev. Richard H. B. Mitchell, f-o many years in St. Mary's County. He was ordained deacon by Bishop Drane, of New Jersey, in 1856, and in 1857 became rector of St. Paul's, Calvert County. In 1860 he was a missionary in Baltimore, and in 1866 became rector of St. John's, Howard County, whence he removed to Hagerstown.
Upon Mr. Mitchell's arrival, in the spring of 1872, he at once turned his attention to rebuilding the church. It was determined, as soon as the matter had been sufficiently discussed, that the wisest plan would be to sell the old site and erect the new church in another part of the town. A lot was accordingly purchased on the west side of Prospect Street, near " the Dry Bridge." The lot is ninety-two by two hundred and forty feet, and the position one of the most commanding in the town.
The foundations of the church were laid in August of 1872, and it was ready for occupancy on Nov. 3, 1875, although not absolutely complete until August 18, 1881, when the capstone of the spire was laid, and the cross which surmounts the whole was set up in its place by Geo. W. Stover, superintendent of the contractors, M. Gault & Son. As completed, the edifice is one of the most beautiful and convenient in the country. It is Gothic in style, and is built of limestone, broken range rock-work, laid in strong lime mortar. It presents a front of seventy-three feet, and is one hundred and nine feet deep. The tower is fifteen feet square, and the top of the steeple one hundred and ten feet from the ground, surmounted by a gilt cross four feet five and a half inches high, the whole steeple structure being of hewn stone, and is graceful and imposing in appearance. The native limestone is generously relieved by trimmings of brownstone and massive granite over the doorways of the tower. The tower and steeple were contributed by C. C Baldwin as a memorial to his wife, and he has since ordered to be cast a magnificent peal of bells, which will soon be in place. The church building proper was erected under the superintendence of W. H. Hurley. The corner-stone was laid on September 4th by the rector, Rev. W. A. Mitchell, assisted by the following clergymen: Rev. Dr. G rammer, Rev. A. J. Rich, M.D., Rev. Wm. T. Johnson, Rev. Henry Edwards, Rev. Julian Ingle, and Rev. James B. Averitt. Rev. John D. Easter, Ph.D., delivered the address. The wardens, vestry, and building committee were prominently engaged in the ceremonies. They were as follows: Wardens, William Kealhofer and Buchanan Schley; Vestry, Hon. Wm. Motter, George W. Pole, Dr. William Ragan, Daniel G. Huyett, Geo. W. Harris, Alonzo Berry, and R. Howell Griswold; Building Committee, Geo. W. Harris, Dr. Wm. Ragan, Geo. Gambrill, and Buchanan Schley. Ember C. Little, of New York, the architect, was also present. At the time of its completion, in 1875, the building committee was as follows: Rev. W. A. Mitchell, Dr. Fred. Dorsey, Geo. W. Harris, and Geo. W. Pole, Esqs. The main auditorium will comfortably seat four hundred and fifty people, and its plan and decorations are very handsome. The walls are of a neutral drab, wainscoted four feet from the floor with alternate beaded walnut and chestnut planks oiled. The church is finished with walnut, and the furniture is of the same wood, the pews being richly upholstered.
A magnificent organ furnishes the music for the congregation. The windows are exceedingly handsome and rich in their coloring. The central light of the chancel window is a figure of St. John, the two side lights figured stained glass, the three upper circular windows are figures of adoring angels with trumpet, lute, and harp. There are three handsome windows in the south transept, one, the subject of which is the Annunciation and Nativity, contributed by the Sunday-school of the church, costing about one hundred and sixty dollars; another, representing the presentation in the Temple and our Lord among the doctors, is a memorial of the late Maj. Holker Hughes; and a third, in memory of Miss Anna Fitzhugh, is triangular, and represents the adoration of the wise men. In the north transept is a large circular window representing the Ascension. The other windows are of diamond-shaped buff and white stained glass.
The opening services of the church were held on Oct. 11, 1875. The following clergymen were present: The Right Rev. Theodore Lyman, Assistant Bishop of North Carolina, a former rector of the parish; Rev. C. W. Rankin, of St. Luke's Church, Baltimore; Rev. Fred. Gibson, assistant rector St. Luke's Church, Baltimore; Rev. Dr. J. Stephenson, of Frederick County; Rev. Dr. S. C. Thrall, of Cumberland; Rev. Jas. Mitchell, Centerville, Queen Anne's Co.; Rev. Henry Edwards and Rev. Jos. B. Trevett, of Washington County; and the rector, the Rev. Walter A. Mitchell. The procession was headed by thirty choristers of St. Luke's Church, Baltimore. While marching up the aisle the hymn " Holy, Holy, Holy," was sung. The sermon was preached by Bishop Lyman.
St. John's Lutheran Church, Hagerstown, was organized in 1770, its constitution being signed by sixty members. Its first pastor was the Rev. Mr. Wildban, and within-one year after its organization it had one hundred and sixty communicants, and a year later two hundred and seventy-one. Prom 1772 to 1779 the pastor was the Rev. Mr. Young, and it is believed that the first church edifice was built during his pastorate. In 1782 a collection, amounting to £127 19s. Gd., was taken to purchase an organ. There are no records in existence of the proceedings for the ensuing eleven years, except that in December, 1791, the congregation held a lottery for raising nine hundred and sixty-five dollars. There were two thousand two hundred tickets at two dollars, with seven hundred and forty-one prizes and fourteen hundred and fifty-nine blanks. The trustees and managers were: Trustees, Peter Hoeflich, Henry Shryock, Peter Woltz, Baltzer Goll, David Harry, and Jacob Harry. Managers, William and John Lee, Rezin Davis, Alexander Claggett, Nathaniel Rochester, Henry Schnebly, William Reynolds, Melcher Bellzhoover, John Geiger, John Protzman, Adam Ott, Michael Kapp, George Woltz, John Ragan, Abraham Leider, Robert Hughes, Henry Shroder, Henry Eckhart, William Van Lear, Jacob Miller, F. T., Frederick Stemple, Peter Whitesides, Andrew Kleinsmith, Philip Entler, John Ney. In 1793 the Rev. J. G. Schmucker, D.D., became pastor. Dr. Schmucker was educated at Halle, Germany, and was twenty-two years of age when he came to Hagerstown. Previous to his acceptance of the charge of St. John's he had been engaged in religious work in York County, Pa., among his charges being " Quickel's." An old sermon contains a graphic picture of the condition of religious society at the time of his first appearance in Hagerstown. The Presbyterians were described as leisurely waiting God's time, while the Episcopal minister was " much more at home in the ballroom and on the turf than in the pulpit," and the Methodists only were fighting" the devil with any vigor. The new pastor of St. John's entered vigorously into the work which was before him, and made a great impression and was very successful. In 1795 another building was erected. The congregation numbered one hundred and eight members at this time, and ten years afterwards it had increased to two hundred and eleven. A new constitution was adopted in 1806. Dr. Schmucker resigned in 1810, and was succeeded by the Rev. Solomon Schaeffer, who died young and was buried beneath the church. A marble tablet in the aisle near the chancel marks his resting-place. In 1815, Rev. Benjamin Kurtz, D.D., became pastor. He also supplied the congregations at Funkstown, Williamsport, Beard's, and Smithsburg. In 1816 there were one hundred and seventy-nine communicants; in 1800, three hundred; and in 1822, four hundred and two. In 1825 a second bell was purchased, the congregation having paid off an indebtedness of thirteen hundred dollars in the previous year. During Dr. Kurtz's pastorate, which lasted sixteen years, preaching in English and protracted prayer-meetings were introduced. During Dr. Kurtz's absence in Europe in 1825, for the purpose of securing assistance for Gettysburg Theological Seminary, the pulpit was supplied by the Rev. F. Ruthrauff and the Rev. J. Medtard.
In 1827, Mr. Kurtz returned from Europe and resumed his pastoral relations with the church, Rev. F. Ruthrauff removing to Pennsylvania, while Rev. J. Medtard took charge of the church at Martinsburg, Rev. Winter being called to Williamsport — an associate charge of St. John's — upon Mr. Medtard's removal therefrom to go to Martinsburg.
Dr. Kurtz was succeeded at St. John's by Rev. Samuel K. Hoshour in 1831, who was followed in 1834 by Rev. C. F. Schaeffer, D.D. The latter resigned in 1840. At the last