Shenberger's Chapel Church began
as an outgrowth of class meetings that took place in a building
then known as Arnold's School House about one-fourth mile north
of the present church. The School Union can be traced back to June
17, 1860 when A. W. Shenberger convened a meeting at School House
#7, Chanceford Township, County of York. Education was the birth
of their ministry.
Approximately
60 students were enrolled with more than 40 being children and
youth under the age of twenty. Nine classes were formed with males
and females being separated. The classes for the most part were
held Sunday afternoons. Many of the classes were for educational
subjects such as alphabetical, reading, arithmetic, writing, spelling,
letters, singing, and library; in addition to Bible and New Testament.
American Bible Society Bibles and New Testaments are still in the
present church dating back to 1861.
Leadership of the school continued
under A. W. Shenberger until 1868 when assistants Jacob Cupp and
Levi C. Fry began to assume their roles. By 1872 Levi C. Fry was
the established leader. Adam W. Shenberger entered the ministry
in 1870 and served the church at Espy, Pa. until 1878. In 1879
he and his wife became missionaries at Athelstone Township, Clay
County, Kansas. Other places they served were Blue Springs and
Wakefield, Kansas and Chase County, Richardson County, and Big
Springs, Buffalo County, Nebraska.
Adam W. and Susan Shenberger
deeded ground on July 29, 1865 to the trustees Peter Bare, Peter
Tome, and John Sprenkle of Shenberger's Chapel of the Evangelical
Association for ten dollars. It was this purchase of ground that
brought the Sunday School and Church to its present location.
Sometime before 1878, a wooden
church building was quickly constructed on that land. It was used
for just a few years before it was sold and then torn down. The
building apparently was financed from funds other than Sunday School,
as offering only averaged six cents per week. An annual Sunday School
picnic was held in August 1883 and helped finance church work thereafter.
The present church building sits just a number of feet north of
the first church building. Also from other facts of history, we
find that it was not possible to have worship every Sunday, as
the circuit riders transportation was not that fast on horse back.
The present church was built
in 1898 with much of the material and work being donated. A number
of renovations and additions came later in the history and progress
of the church. Levi C. Fry donated rough lumber from his woods.
His sons and other men of the church did the cutting, hewing, and
hauling of lumber from his woods with a wagon and team of horses.
John L. Frey drove a team of horses and wagon to York to bring
the present bell which cost $52.65. The cornerstone laying cost
$75.00. Rugs and lights cost $24.50
An educational addition was
built at a cost of $16,000.00 in 1956. It became necessary to jack
the entire northern side of the church off the old wall. The wall
had been laid up of stone, with a combination of clay, lime, and
hogs hair used as mortar. They went below ground level, possibly
12 to 18 inches, excavating this time with a bulldozer making room
for a front entrance. There were steps down to two rest rooms,
two classrooms, and passageway to the furnace room, along with
outside access. They were very happy to find that the plate and
stud construction was still in fine condition. It now rests on
an 8x12x16 block foundation.
In 1980 an educational unit costing
$211,000.00 was added to the church. It consists of 4 classrooms,
a nursery, a parlor for meetings and counseling, and a large basement
with a kitchen for social events. Mr. John Port was the architect.
The contractor for the work was Edgar M. Lockard, Inc. from Wrightsville.
Wayne Keener did the interior decorating. A ground breaking service
was held September 21, 1980 and one year later the classrooms were
being used for Sunday School
The information on this page is excerpts from the book, God Leads Our Journey Through The Years
