St. Severin Old Log Church

     

St. Severin Old Log Church

     

     Along Route 53 in Clearfield County, there is a small log church that sits back behind a cemetery. St. Severin Church was originally built in 1851 and accommodated 20-30 parishioners. The church is made of logs on a stone foundation with a gable roof and steeple. The Bishop of Pittsburgh, Michael O’Conner, originally dedicated the church in September of 1851. The church remained in use until 1880 when the church grew to small for the growing town of Cooper’s Settlement and a new church was built in what are now the woods around the Old Log Church. That church was later torn down and a stone church was built that is still in use today. The St. Severin Old Log Church was registered under the National Register of Historical Places in 1975.

      St. Severin Old Log Church was a quick stop on another adventure a friend and mine were on that day. It was very peaceful sitting at the back of the cemetery with the woods surrounding it. The inside of the church is well maintained with a plaque that gives some light to the history of the building. Pews line the main floor and the second floor has a few pews as well. Originally the building had a potbelly stove to warm it but is long since gone. Please be respectful of this site if you wish to visit.

Shade Church

 

Front of Shade Church

     It was more of an accident that I found Shade Church. I was actually in the area looking for Crum Cemetery, which I have blogged about earlier, and by chance came across this old church. I wrote down its location and as much information as I could then and set it aside for another time. While the weather broke for a brief period this past mid-winter, I decided to investigate into the place a little further. Brian, a friend of mine, and I packed up camera's and gear and set out to explore.

      I was unable to gather much information about Shade Church before we decided to investigate. From pictures of the front of the building I was able to tell it was a white boarded church built-in 1822 and had a cemetery across the road. Other than that, I was unable to find anything else about its history online. However, its paranormal history was more evident. Claims of ghostly apparitions dancing in the cemetery, caretakers of the church refusing to go back, and mysterious voices, sounds, and lights coming from within have made their way onto the internet.

A Look Inside

      Once we arrived to the church we parked along the road dividing the church and cemetery and started to examine the building from the outside. Stain-glass windows still remained around the building and the bell was still hanging in the tower. The building and cemetery seemed up kept. To our surprise we found the church doors open. We decided to respectfully venture further to take some photographs. Upon entering we were surprised to see all the pews in place, an alter with antique velvet chairs, a piano in the right corner and old wood burning stove. The interior was well maintained from what we could see. Only a little light came through the stain-glass leaving out vision poor. We both had an eerie feeling come over us at one point, but didn't witness any of the paranormal claims it held. Once we had our share of photos, we left the church both unexpectedly happy that we were able to enter the premises.

     On the way back home we talked and hoped to find out more history into the church and what community it once served. Hopefully we will get a chance to return when its warmer.

The Adjacent Cemetery

Swamp Church & The Weeping Spirit

 

Bethesda Church aka Swamp Church

     In a secluded area of Centre county on an old dirt road, sits an abandon church with a lot of history. Bethesda Church was one of the first churches in the area and was founded in 1855. More commonly the church is known by its nick-name “Swamp Church” due to the proximity to the marshy land of Penns Creek. The church had been in service for more than 5 generations and even held the wedding of the current owners Hans and Shirley Sennholz. The last public service as held in 1961. It now sits dormant along Swamp Church Rd. a short distance from Penns Cave. Occasionally the doors of the church open for private events and weddings.

Side view of Swamp Church

      A few local legends circulate around Swamp Church, such as, phantom bells ringing, and ghostly apparitions wondering the property. One story has seem to stick around and was first documented by witnesses in the 1880's. On a chilly night in the beginning of May, Mr. and Mrs. Schultz were relaxing on there porch before bed. At first Mr. Schultz thought he saw a faint outline of a person walking along Swamp Church Rd. but dismissed it with a second glance. The couple was about to go into their home when they both saw a women wearing a white dress carrying something. The women in white then approached the stairs of Bethesda Church. Her distant weeping alarmed Mr. Schultz and he went to investigate and offer help. As Mr. Schultz got closer he was able to make out the spirit saying “William”. The account of what happened next is split in two. One surviving account tells that when the women approached the church, there was a baby in her hands. She pleaded and cried to be let into the church but the doors would not open and she faded away. Another account states once she arrived at the church doors, they flung open and the gas lanterns inside burst with light. The weeping woman then proceeded to walk down the rows of pews showing her child and then faded away once she reached the pulpit.

      Most accounts of the story agree upon the history behind the weeping woman. She was to be married to a solider named William. He was a solider during the 1860's in the Civil War. William and his bride to be conceived a child the night before he left for duty. William, or Will as he is sometimes mentioned, was later killed in battle with others in the 148^th Company D regiment of Pennsylvania in 1862 and never returned to her. The congregation rejected her for baring a child out of wed lock and shunned her. The legend claims that her restless spirits still longs for the congregations acceptance. Legend has it, that on the night of May 3^rd when conditions are right you can still see her walking along the road and trying to win the churches favor.

     I would like to end by just reminding my readers that the church and its grounds are privately owned and please be respectful.

Keller Church & The Dean Family Massacre

     

Keller Church

     Right off of Rt. 22 on Fox Run Road there is a small church and cemetery with an almost forgotten past. Keller Church is in Catherine township on top of a hill, and has not held a service in years. The Church was founded in 1846 and was the prominent burial ground for the Keller family and other families in the Canoe Valley. The church is made of brick on a limestone foundation. The cemetery is adjacent on the hill-side with tall pine trees over the graves. A little history also lies with one of the occupants of the cemetery, Matthew Dean. 

 

      Living near Keller church for a part of my life, I stumbled across this piece of history while taking photographs of historical places in my area. I found a memorial to the Dean family which reads,"Massacred by Indians October 1780." I had forgotten about the memorial for a few years; however, Recently I had revisited this site and look deeper into its history.

      Matthew Dean was of Irish decent and made his home approximately 3 miles southwest of Waterstreet Pennsylvania. In the late 1700's while the Revolutionary War was taking place in the eastern part of Pennsylvania, a lot of the rural parts of the state were still faced with the remnants of the French and Indian War. In the autumn of 1780, the wife and three children of Matthew Dean were killed by Indians at their home in what is now Catherine township. Some accounts of the massacre say the family was burned in the home while others only say they were scalped and murdered. Most of the accounts tend to agree that Mr. Dean and his oldest children were at work in the fields when the raid happened on the homestead. Mr. Dean and his son found the remains of his family and they were later buried in Keller cemetery. Matthew Dean later died in April of 1781 and was buried in Hart's log Cemetery near Alexandria PA.

      This is just one of the many accounts of Indian raids and massacres that happened in central Pennsylvania. Some accounts have been lost to history; were as, others hold ground in our world by small memorials or accounts passed from generations. I hope to continue to investigate these incidents and keep them alive for another generation.

Bedford's Old Log Church

Front View of Church

2nd Floor Seating

      Continuing on my Lincoln Highway adventure, a short distance from Story Land, sits the Old Log Church which it is rightfully named. The 1808 church, as it is also sometimes called, is on the left if heading west from Schellsburg PA, on Cemetery Road. The old church caught my eye as I was driving. It rests in the center of an old cemetery, as if watching over the old graves. I was lucky enough to go inside this old building. Instantly, I was taken back in time by the unique character of the church.

View Looking Towards the Entrance

      The church was built in 1808 on land bought from John Schell, the founder of nearby Schellsburg. The majority of the building was made from logs. The first thing you notice upon opening the door, is an elevated pulpit at the opposite end of the entrance. The main floor of the church is laid out with two columns of pews with stairs up to the balcony pews. The church remained in use by the Reformed and Lutheran denominations for years until 1852 when they erected a new church in Schellsburg. The Old Log Church and Cemetery Preservation Society is now in charge of the still used cemetery. The society continues to do maintenance and repairs on the church, as well as care for the cemetery.

Entrance

      The Church is open to the public with a book to sign to leave
your mark and a place for donations. The next time you travel Rt.
30, take a stop at this quaint church; you won't be disappointed.

Grave Yard