On May 13th the friends of the new enterprise held a meeting, and a committee of arrangements was appointed, and other preliminary steps taken. At subsequent meetings the following committees were appointed: On subscriptions, Martin Startzman, Jonathan Schindel, and John E. Herbst, M.D., and to this number Philip Wingert, Jacob Roesner, and A. J. Weise were subsequently added; for procuring a lot and selecting a site, David Artz, Sr., Otho Swingley, and William H. Protzman; on constitution and bylaws, A. J. Weise, William H. Protzman, Otho Swingley, Wilson L. Hays, and John Byers; in procuring designs, Dr. J. E. Herbst and William Householder. Subsequently the following members of the building committee were chosen by ballot: Dr. J. E. Herbst, Otho Swingley, George W. Stover, Lewis L. Mentzer, and Jonathan Schindel. The following were named trustees of the new congregation: M. Startzman, W. L. Hays, and F. J. Posey.
The lot on which the church now stands, on West Franklin Street, was purchased for three thousand five hundred dollars from E. M. Reche. The architect of the present " Trinity Lutheran Church" was C. S. Witzel, of Danville, Pa. Ground was broken for the foundation on Oct. 1, 1868, and the ceremony of laying the corner-stone occurred in the presence of a large concourse of people on Nov. 7, 1868, Rev. Joel Swartz officiating. The church cost thirty thousand dollars, not including the furniture, which was put in at a cost of two thousand dollars, and when completed ten thousand dollars of debt remained against it. The congregation was formally organized on the 29th of August, 1869, with about one hundred and twenty members; the building committee, under whose superintendence the church edifice was erected, were as follows: Dr. J. E. Herbst, chairman; L. L. Mentzer, secretary; F. J. Posey, treasurer; and Messrs. Jonathan Schindel, Otho Swingley, and Geo. W. Stover.
The church was dedicated on the 3rd of October, 1869, on which occasion Rev. F. W. Conrad, D.D., preached the dedicatory sermon. The congregation at once elected Rev. T. T. Titus, of St. John's, pastor of their new church, a call which he at once accepted, and began his ministry. In 1870 a chime of bells was placed in the steeple at a cost of fifteen hundred dollars, and a splendid organ placed in the church. The total cost of the church has been thirty-six thousand dollars, and although a parsonage has been recently purchased at a cost of three thousand dollars, the congregation only owes five thousand dollars. On the 3rd of April, 1870, Rev. T. T. Titus, in consequence of the impaired condition of his health, was compelled to resign as pastor, and the church was without a pastor until Feb. 25, 1872, when Rev. W. H. Luchenbach was elected and served until August, 1874. On the 13th of June, 1875, Rev. John R. Williams, the present pastor, was elected.
Rev. T. T. Titus, first pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, was born in Loudon County, Va., on the 4th of March, 1829. He was the son of poor parents, and the youngest of ten children. He manifested an eager desire for learning when quite young, and was carefully instructed by his mother in the principles of religion. At sixteen years of age he became a teacher, to which occupation he devoted some years of his life. Being very poor, however, he was often obliged to labor with slaves in the field. He was converted at a protracted meeting led by the Rev. P. Willard in 1847, and not long after united with the Lutheran Church. In 1848 he went to Gettysburg, and commenced his studies for the ministry in the preparatory department of the General Theological Seminary. His extreme poverty made it necessary for him to leave college several times in order that by teaching or selling books he might obtain the money needed to continue his education. In 1853 he was rewarded by graduating as valedictorian of his class. In the following year he took a class in the preparatory department, and at the same time continued his studies for the ministry. The double labor, however, was too much for his strength, and he was compelled to go abroad for the benefit of his health. He was then ordained, and served in the ministry for eighteen years. In 1867 he succeeded the Rev. J. Evans as pastor of St. John's Church, Hagerstown, and in October, 1869, became the pastor of Trinity Church. He labored with the greatest zeal, until at last his voice grew so weak that he could no longer be heard from the pulpit. As a writer he was vigorous and pointed, and was a valued contributor to the Lutheran Observer. He was also the author of a useful " Explanatory Question Book for Sunday-schools." Mr. Titus was very active in temperance work, and was twice elected to the office of G. W. C. T. in the order of Good Templars in Ohio. A memorial service was held at Trinity Church, conducted by Rev. Dr. McCron and Rev. W. H. Luckenbach, who preached the sermon.
The St. Matthew's German Lutheran Church, which stands on Antietam Street, was founded in 1871, and the congregation was organized on June 19th of that year. Work was commenced on the church during the next fall, and the edifice was completed in the spring, the dedication of the church occurring on May 26, 1872. The first church council was as follows: Lewis Heist, Y. Maisack, William Schlotterbeck, Christian Thomas, Jacob Schneider, Wolfgang Brey, Henry Darnberger, Peter Rauth, G. Grebner, John Brey. The first pastor was Rev. J. J. Dietrich, who was succeeded by Rev. C. Steinhauer. After him came Rev. J. G. Reitz, who immediately preceded the present pastor. Rev. G. H. Brandon. The present church council is constituted as follows: Christian Krohberger, George Rauth, Jacob Rettberg, Gottlob Schmidt, Frederick Baumbach, Jacob Wuensch, Justus Heinel, Christian Bretzler, Jacob Schlotterbeck.
The Reformed Church. — Although the Reformed Church was founded even prior to 1776, there are no authentic records of the church previous to that year, when the first regular church organization was effected. Its first regular pastor was Rev. Jacob Weymer, who was first put in charge of the congregation in 1770, and who continued to serve it until his death, which occurred in 1790. During his pastorate the oldest church edifice now standing in Hagerstown was erected, in the year 1774, more than a century ago. The congregation elected William Heyser, a member and deacon of the congregation, building-master, who was assisted in the construction of the church by his colleagues, Philip Osten, Peter Wagner, and Jacob Hauser, who carried the work on to the laying of the corner-stone.
On this occasion Rev. Frederick Ludwig Henop, Reformed pastor at Frederick Town, who had been invited to be present, preached on the words contained in Colossians iii. 17, " And whatever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him." At this service, which was held on the ground on which the church was to be built, there was likewise present Jacob Weimer, Reformed pastor in Elizabethtown, Rev. George Young, Lutheran pastor, and Rev. ––– , also Lutheran pastor of Fredericktown; William Heyser, builder, and Philip Oster, Peter Wagner, Jacob Hauser, deacons. The following were the members of the first congregation: William Baker, Ernst Baker, Yost Wegand, Isan Gundig, Johannes Karr, Frantz Greilich, Herman Greilich, Andreas Link, Eustagines Jung, Wilhelm Courath, Henrich Doutweller, Jacob Fischer, Johannes Steinseyfer, Frantz Wagner, Ernst Ditz, Rutholph Bley, Johannes Oster, Michael Eberhart, Matthaus Saylor, George Herda, George Clampert, Johannes Nicholas Schister, George ––– , Hanadam ––– , Valentin ––– , Jacob Hauser, Peter Diller, George Frey, Johannes Frey, Conrad Eichelberger, Philip Klein, Ernst Kremer. The corner-stone of this venerable structure was laid on the 10th of August, 1774. The ground occupied by the church was given by Jonathan Hager, founder of the town, and a member of the congregation who was killed by a rolling log while engaged in cutting timber for the church edifice.
No record has been preserved of the date of consecration. It is known that after the building had been placed under roof the congregation, for want of means to complete it, worshiped in it for four years with the interior unfinished. The dedication probably took place about 1778. The succession of pastors is as follows: Rev. Jacob Weymer, 1770, who continued to serve the congregation and to preach at St. Paul's, near Clear Spring, at Salem Church, at Beard's Church near Cavetown, at Besore's, near Waynesboro', and at Apple's,