History Heritage

Salem Member Fonda Gormer wrote the following history in honor of Salem’s 200th anniversary, 1819-2019. Each section was published monthly in Salem’s newsletter “The Mountain Shepherd.” Salem Church is located in the village of Wolfsville, Frederick County, Maryland.

1. The Heritage of Salem

Mention the heritage of Salem United Methodist Church in Wolfsville and what is the first thing you think of? How many of you thought of the Hoover house and barn? While these structures do play an important part in our history and are two of the few remaining evidences of our roots, have you ever wondered about the people behind our congregation— the ones who brought it into being, who nurtured it, who ministered to it? 

Have you ever wondered why we started as United Brethren in Christ? Why our cemetery is located where it is? The following sets the stage for those stories to answer some of the questions above.

The Hoover Family

No discussion of Salem’s story is possible without a discussion of the Hoover family.  Their story is pieced together from a variety of sources which do not always agree on dates and places, due to the lack of early records. This version is the most logical.

Johannes Huber (John Hoover Sr.) Arrived in America in 1732

Johannes Huber was the first in the family to live in America. Immigration records from the 1700’s list several men by this name entering the port of Philadelphia on various ships in various years. The man with connections to Wolfsville, per family tradition, migrated from his birthplace in Canton Bern, Switzerland, to the Palatinate area of Germany to escape religious persecution.  

On September 30, 1732, he arrived in America. Landing in Philadelphia, he moved first to Lancaster County, then York County, and finally to Frederick County, Maryland. The area where he settled is now part of Washington County.

Despite some claims otherwise, the late president Herbert Hoover is not descended from this Johannes Huber, or the English variation “John Hoover”. Genealogist tracings and DNA testing have confirmed that the local Hoovers are not related to the late president.

Marriage of Johannes & Mary: First Mennonites to settle around Ringgold, Maryland

Johannes Huber married Mary Watson, and they became the first Mennonites to settle around Ringgold, in Washington County. 

Their children included Henry born about 1748, married Anna Wertz; John born 1753, married Susan Stouffer; Ulrich born 1755, Anna Maria born 1759, married Jacob Welty; Mary married Matthias Hoffman; Elizabeth married Michael Sprenkle; Christianna married John Wertz; Christopher married Hester (maiden name unknown); Susannah married George Mentzer. These children married into other Mennonite families of the area and the names are still familiar ones in the area between Ringgold, Maryland, and Waynesboro, Pennsylvania. 

Johannes died in 1804, and was buried in the Hoover family cemetery on their farm “Necessity” along with Mary, who had predeceased him. The cemetery is located in a field in the area of Rinehart Road and Watery Lane. 

Land Transactions Between 1769 and 1800

Johannes Huber, or John Hoover, Sr., made at least 10 land transactions in Frederick County and 17 in Washington County between May 30, 1769 and 1800. He signed his deeds and his will with his mark, indicating he could not write. 

The transaction of interest to Salem is this: August 15, 1799- John Hoover, Sr. of Washington County for 700 pounds sells to John Hoover Jr., of Frederick County the 291-acre tract of land “whereon the said John Hoover, Jr. now dwells,” part of a tract called “Egypt” which the Lord Proprietor of the late Province of Maryland granted to Daniel Arnold and said Arnold some time after sold to Christian Stover, and said Stover by his deed of March 15, 1785 sold to John Hoover, Sr. Christian Stover, or Stouffer, was the father-in-law of John Hoover, Jr. 

John Hoover Jr. acquires land in the Wolfsville area

The 291 acres transferred to John Hoover, Jr. are located in the Wolfsville area, including the farm across from the Wolfsville Ruritan Park and south to Stottlemyer Road. 

This is where John Hoover, Jr. and wife Susan Stouffer settled and raised their family. They lived in a house on the property, probably built in 1754 by Daniel Arnold, near the large stone house that now stands near the corner of Brandenburg Hollow and Stottlemyer Roads. This first house is no longer standing. 

Shortly before John and Susan died, they built a two-story stone house nearby; all that remains of this home is the bottom story, which was converted to a garage.

John Hoover, Jr. acquired vast tracts of land in the Wolfsville area. His will, written in 1822, gives a total of 763 acres to his three sons, John, Jacob and Christian. The will also makes no mention of Susan, so apparently she had already died.

John Hoover Jr. and son John helped establish Salem

John Hoover, Jr. and his son John are the ones who became part of the United Brethren in Christ denomination, and became instrumental in the establishment of Salem.

2. We are Brethren

German & Swiss Immigrants

Let’s go back to the mid-1700’s. The large number of German and Swiss immigrants who had, years earlier, settled in Pennsylvania, were migrating to new areas. Many came south into the Frederick (Monocacy) and Hagerstown (Conococheague) valleys, bringing with them their Reformed, Lutheran and Mennonite beliefs.

The German immigrants brought little in the form of religious helps with them, and they found little in their new settlements that would guard and nourish spiritual life. There were almost no churches and few school houses in the wilderness. 

Missionaries were recruited by various denominations to bring God’s Word to the settlers. These itinerant preachers traveled on horseback to where the settlers were, gathering a few families together in someone’s cabin. But it could be weeks or months before the ministers arrived to perform marriages, baptisms and communion.

But just as the young colonies were rebelling against England, there were members of these German denominations who were rebelling against the pious rituals of the church— men like Phillip William Otterbein and George Adam Geeting of the Reformed Church, Martin Boehm and Christian Newcomer of the Mennonites, and Jacob Albright from the Lutherans. 

These men had ideas of a vital religion based on new birth, forgiven sins and salvation by the grace of God for all mankind. These same ideas were being preached in English by Frances Asbury and other followers of John Wesley.

Isaac Long’s Barn, Lancaster, PA

Let’s move on to a Whitsuntide (or Pentecost) revival at Isaac Long’s barn in Lancaster, PA, in 1767. Otterbein reacted to Martin Boehm’s sermon by embracing Boehm and exclaiming in German, “We are brethren” because their thinking was so similar. This was the beginning of a friendship which led to the formation of a new denomination. Otterbein made trips to western Maryland, preaching in homes, barns and school houses and meeting with other Reformed ministers who were trying to spiritualize that church. 

United Brethren in Christ

In 1800. a conference took place at Peter Kemp’s, near Frederick, and a new denomination was organized and named. Otterbein and Boehm became the first bishops of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ.

What does all this have to do with Salem? In a valley east of South Mountain, log cabins were beginning to spring up. About 1776, John Hoover, Jr., son of the Johannes Huber who settled in the Ringgold area of Washington County, moved into a house on the property of his father-in-law, Christian Stouffer in Frederick County, MD. This property, called “Egypt”, was sold to John Hoover, Sr. in 1785 and willed to son John Jr. in 1804. John Hoover, Jr. was the first white man to permanently settle in what is now Wolfsville.

Circuit Rider: Rev. Christian Newcomer

Enter the circuit-riding preacher of the Mennonite faith by the name of Christian Newcomer. He lived at Beaver Creek in a large stone house that was gutted by fire in 1982 and since restored. Taking to the trails about the time of the American Revolution, he traveled through the wilderness on horseback for most of 53 years, going up and down the Cumberland and Shenandoah valleys, out into Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, and even to Canada. He preached nearly every day, usually in German because he was not too fluent in English. He kept a journal of his journeys and ministry, continuing both until his death in 1830. 

In the course of his travels, he met Getting, Otterbein and Boehm, often conducting meetings with them. He was drawn to the newly formed United Brethren in Christ, eventually forsaking his Mennonite faith.

The Hoovers of Wolfsville

In his journal, Newcomer often referred to the Wolfsville Hubers/Hoovers as a meeting place on his circuit. On January 18, 1796, Newcomer mentions speaking at Hoover’s from Psalm 81, vs. 39.

On July 12, 1819, Newcomer wrote, “Came to John Hubers”. This date is particularly significant in that the “date stone” on the Hoover barn reads 1819. This is also the year claimed as the birthdate of Salem United Brethren in Christ.

Another reference from Newcomer’s journal, “Sunday 13 Aug 1820, I attended a meeting on the campground at John Hubers in the South Mountain”. Again, “Thursday, 8 Aug 1822, I came to our camp-meeting at John Hubers in Frederick County. The meeting continued until the 13th when we departed: bless the Lord, we had a good time.”

These early camp meetings were held in a woods on the property, now belonging to the Mabel Wolfe family.  Later meetings would sometimes last for several weeks with traveling preachers and local leaders taking care of the services.

Newcomer wrote in his journal “Sunday, 15 Dec 1822, I attended the funeral of Old John Huber”.

After the death of John Hoover, Jr. in 1822, his son Christian was still residing at “Egypt” when Newcomer wrote “17 Feb 1823— I rode with brother Hildt to Christian Hubers in Frederick County where he held a meeting at night.” 

John Hoover, Jr., in his younger years, was engaged in the worldly, but profitable, business of making brandy in association with the Wolfs, who had arrived in Wolfsville not long after Hoover.  As brandy is usually made from fruit that has been fermented and then distilled to remove much of its water and leave alcohol behind, it can be deduced that the Hoovers and Wolfs had planted fruit trees or grapes soon after they settled in the area. Their still was set up along Middle Creek, a ready source of cold water for distillation. Making alcohol was an efficient way of getting crops to market without spoilage, and took up less space in transporting than the original crop would have. The brandy was hauled to Baltimore to be sold. 

Later, however, Hoover was converted by the preaching of Christian Newcomer and left the liquor business in the hands of the Wolfs.

Hoover Homestead: Birthplace of Salem Church

John, Jr. and Susan Hoover had a son John III, who married Susannah Harshman in 1803. John III and Susannah lived in the cabin in the meadow across from Salem’s current parsonage, on land he received from his father.  

In 1819, John III built a large stone barn on the property in Wolfsville, followed in 1820 by a substantial stone house. This home became a regular preaching place for Salem Church of the United Brethren in Christ in 1819. Bigger meetings were held in the barn. These structures, which are still standing, served as places of worship until a church building was erected in 1847.

Who were the members of the newly formed class, as the congregation was called in 1819?

3. A “Who’s Who” of Early Salem Church

The Meeting Place

As was discussed previously, John Hoover III and wife Susannah (nee Harshman) built their stone barn in 1819 and large stone house in 1820, and offered them as meeting places for the newly organized Class of Salem Church, Wolfsville, Maryland.

Early Membership Book

An early membership book lists names prior to February 1869. It gives names, some dates of death, some marriages, and sometimes other interesting notations.  

For example, some names are followed by “removed”; research indicates that these members moved from the area or became part of other congregations. Other names are followed by “expelled.” Does this term reflect a lapse in acceptable behavior, or maybe a lack of financial support or regular attendance? A later treasury book for the church notes that members were expelled if they had not provided financial support to pay the pastor for the previous three years, so this is probably what is meant in the early membership list.

Since the Hoover family was the first to permanently settle in the Wolfsville area, and the ones to share their home, it would follow that the first members of the Salem Class would be part of the Hoover family. The first page of the membership book confirms this. The names on the first page follow with some added information in parentheses. 

1. John Hoover – died A.D. 1822 aged 59 years.
2. Elizabeth Hoover – died June A.D. 1817 aged 54 years. (was Elizabeth another name for John’s wife Susan, who is not on the list?)
3. John Hoover – died June 25th A.D. 1861 aged 84 years 5 months 4 days. (son of #1; this is the man who built the stone barn and house.)
4. Susanna Harshman Hoover – died June 11 A.D. 1845 age 57 years 6 months 19 days. (wife of #3; she would have died before the church was built.)
5. Jacob Hoover – died December A.D. 1836. (son of #1)
6. Mary Hoover – died March 6 A.D. 1833. (wife of #5, born Mary Grossnickle.)
7. Christian Hoover – removed 1830. (son of #1, moved to Dayton, VA, selling “Egypt” to John Recher.)
8. Elizabeth Hoover – removed 1830. (Wife of #7)
9. Mary Hoover – married (Samuel) Toms and removed. (daughter of #1; couple moved to the Myersville area.)
10. Elizabeth Hoover – married (John) Stotler and removed. (daughter of #1; couple moved to the Chewsville area)
11. Eve Hoover – married A. Hoover and removed. (daughter of #1, second wife of Abraham Hoover, lived in Franklin Co., PA.)
12. John Miller – expelled.
13. Eve Miller – expelled.
14. Sophia Miller – married (George) Summers and removed. (she was born in 1811 in MD and died in Hagerstown, MD, September 23, 1880)
15. Charles Miller – removed.
16. John Hoover Jr. – removed. (son of #3 & #4.)
17. Samuel Hoover –  (son of #3 & #4)
18. Elizabeth Hoover – married (Hiram) Mullen. (daughter of #3 & #4.)
19. Catherine Hoover – died January 9th 1873 aged 58 years 6 months 19 days. (never married.)
20. Susanna Hoover – married Fred Ridenour and removed. Died January 21st, 1877. (born October 30, 1816. She was Frederick Ridenour’s second wife; Frederick was a shoemaker; they moved to the Myersville area.)
21. Frederick Rider – removed (living in Thurmont area in 1870)
22. Mary Rider – removed (wife of #21)
23. David Beeler – removed
24. Mary Beeler – removed
25. Jacob Eckstine – removed (born in Germany 1808; married Barbara Dayhoff; had moved to Washington Co. by 1850; appears to have been the son of Jacob Eckstein, a Lutheran minister born about 1781 in Germany)
26. Frederick Miller – removed
27. John Miller – removed
28. George Miller – expelled
29. John W. Reid – removed
30. C. W. Zahn – removed (was married to Lydia Hoover, daughter of #5 & #6)
31. John Eckstine – removed (brother of #25; born 1816 in Germany; had moved to the Cavetown area by 1850)
32. John Pass – expelled
33. Elizabeth Pass – removed (born Elizabeth Maugans in 1807; she was the wife of #32)
34. Joseph Brown – removed
35. Elizabeth Brown – removed

The membership book continues, listing a similar amount of ties to the Hoover family, with names like Stottlemyer, Warrenfeltz, Hurley, Cost, Craver, Blickenstaff, Palmer and others appearing as the Hoover daughters married. Salem was truly founded as a family church.  

The 1830 census includes, among others, John Hoover’s family of 12, David Beeler’s family of 6, and Frederick Rider’s family of 10 as residents of the Wolfsville area. If they and others attended services at the Hoover house, it would be quite full!

Enough genealogy for now. For more information or names from the early membership book, please contact fonda.gormer@comcast.net.

So if the church building for Salem was built across the road from the Hoover house and barn, why is the cemetery on a hill outside Wolfsville? 

4. A Tomb with a View

The Origin of Salem Cemetery

So why is Salem’s cemetery not next to the church building like most other churches? It’s all because of John Hoover Jr. and his wife Susan!

This couple lived in the area at the base of what is currently our cemetery driveway off Brandenburg Hollow Road. 

According to one anecdote, John and Susan were getting up in years. One day while walking about their farm, they came upon a large tree standing on a hillside overlooking the valley below. One of them suggested that it would be a nice place to be buried. They promised each other that the one who died first should be buried in the shade of that tree. 

So it happened that Susan, and then John, were the first persons to be buried in the cemetery that is now Salem’s. The simple stones still stand, though the tree is long gone. The tombstones read: John Hoover 1753-1824 and Susan Hoover 1753-1823. The view from their grave sites is still a good one!

It is interesting to note, however, that the information on their stones appears to be incorrect.  

John Hoover died December 12, 1822.  This is supported by Christian Newcomer’s diary noting that he attended old John Huber’s funeral on Sunday, December 15, 1822. John’s will was probated January 13, 1823, in Frederick County. The first Salem membership book gives his death as 1822. 

As for Susan, she had apparently died before January 22, 1822, when John wrote his will, as no mention is made of a wife in his will. The only person from the membership book that fits her description is “Elizabeth Hoover,” who died June 1817, age 54.

The tombstones for this couple were probably not carved at the times of their deaths, as both are the same style, and the family gave their best guess as to dates.

This was the beginning of the Hoover family cemetery. Other family members were soon buried there too. The names on many of the stones nearby are the same as those in Salem’s early membership book.

Cemetery Land Deeded to Salem

On January 13, 1854, John Hoover III deeded a parcel of ground to the trustees of Salem Church. Another parcel was deeded to the trustees on May 6, 1876, by his son, Samuel Hoover. A third parcel was conveyed by John W. Hoover on March 26, 1894. 

Trustee minutes regarding this transaction stated that “providing the church exchange the old lane to the burying ground for a new one to intersect the southwest corner of the piece of ground to be bought, J. W. Hoover will sell the trustees ¼ acre of land for $13.75 with one burying lot 18’ by 20’ excepted, and J. W. Hoover will donate the odd $3.75 toward fencing the burying ground.” 

Basically, Hoover donated the land and fencing in return for his $10 family burial plot. The “locked wire fence” was erected around the cemetery in 1897, by George D. Routzahn.

These three parcels make up the oldest portion of the graveyard, and lie on the north side of the cemetery, the section outside the driveway circle, toward the Wolfsville Ruritan Park.

George Noah Delauter deeded another parcel to the trustees on June 22, 1921, for $300. By September 15, 1930, when the Salem Cemetery of Wolfsville was incorporated, these parcels totaled 1.27 acres, more or less.

Trustee minutes from April 1945 noted that a piece of ground was purchased from Tenneson Hoover for $50 to straighten out the graveyard, and they would work “to fence it up.”

In the older portion of the cemetery, near where the center drive intersects the outer oval, are two neat rows of tombstones, some with readable inscriptions, some without. These stones, for the early members of the Maugans family, were moved from the old Conrad Maugans farmstead at the intersection of Harp Hill Road and Woodland Way Road after the property was sold in 1974. Only the tombstones from the family cemetery on the property were moved to Salem’s cemetery. The bodies were not exhumed. Conrad Maugans and his family had been neighbors of John Hoover III.

Over the years, as more of Salem’s members were interred in the old “burying ground”, the church began to run out of space for grave sites. Brush-filled area around the edges were cleared to create a bit more room, but the cemetery became so full that new lots were not available for sale. 

In 2006, when part of the old Hoover homestead at the corner of Stottlemyer and Brandenburg Hollow Roads was sold, 3.76 acres adjoining Salem’s cemetery were purchased to create cemetery section #2. A “fence” of trees was planted to separate the cemetery from the surrounding houses being built. Part of this addition, 1.76 acres, has been developed for burial lots, which are now available for sale to Salem members.

With Salem’s cemetery established, and its growing membership class meeting at the Hoover house and barn, the congregation was in need of a house of worship.  

Next, we will look at how Salem’s church building evolved.

5. A Sanctuary for Salem Church

The congregation of Salem United Methodist Church sometimes hesitates to make changes, saying “It’s always been this way”, but a look at the history of the church reveals many changes over the years.

In 1847, John Hoover III donated land to the Salem Church to build a sanctuary. There are no pictures of this first building. Was it a simple box structure, similar to the school houses of the time, in keeping with the “plain” practices of the congregation? An early trustee minutes book beginning November 19, 1853, newspapers and other sources have been searched to find some clues as to what the building may have looked like, and how it has been changed over the years.

The exterior is cement plaster, or stucco, over thick stone walls. When the stucco was repaired a few years ago, the contractor speculated that the masonry was never intended to be exposed.

Heat for the building was supplied by two wood-burning stoves located at the front of the church, one on each side. In the winter, the congregation needed to sit near the front to keep warm. Light was provided by oil lamps hanging from the ceiling.

Because members of the congregation either walked to church or came by horse and buggy, hitching posts were located along the south side of the building and on the other side of the road, with a watering trough to water the horses. 

In 1871, unknown repairs costing $904.99 were made to the church, with a dedication on October 20.  

Again in 1886, repairs were needed; Joshua E. Hoover and R. E. Morgan were appointed to solicit the community to raise funds to complete the work and liquidate a small debt owed by the congregation.

While the bell on the church was being rung one Sunday in July 1888, a bolt holding the bell in place broke so that the bell could not be rung for the evening service.

In May 1890, during a storm, lightning struck a tree in the church yard and the church, splintering the cupola post and shattering several window panes. Does this imply that the first building had just a short bell tower, rather than a steeple?

On April 26, 1893, J. H. Maugans, C.C. Stottlemyer and the trustees were appointed to a building committee to rebuild the church. This was a major rebuilding according to a newspaper account in The Valley Register, which reported that the roof was taken off, seats and windows taken out, walls rebuilt and the steeple and outside woodwork repainted. John H. Maugans donated the 600-pound bell which was placed in the belfry of the new church. The entire project cost $1,600 besides the materials from the old church and much labor donated by members. In November 1893, the “new church” was dedicated with special services in the morning and afternoon. This reconstruction project is commemorated by a plaque located on the front of the present building. The trustees borrowed $500 in 1894 to pay the church debt, securing the loan by a mortgage on the church property.

On April 4, 1908, the trustees agreed to repair the church, inside and out, to be completed as soon as possible. Plans were made to repair the plastering of the north end, to give the whole exterior a coat of wash, to paint the window sashes, frames and doors, to close up the recess in the rear of the pulpit and to make a suitable background. As Salem currently has a recess behind the pulpit, this closure was undone at some point in time. The trustees were also to take away the two front pews, to give the ceiling, seats and pulpit a repairing of hard oil, to put carpet “in the altar area and to the front seats, and something in the aisles.”

At their meeting on July 19, 1921, it was decided to make improvements to the front of the church. In a discussion about insuring the building, a slate roof, bell and organ are mentioned.

In 1928, metal shingles were installed on the front and rear of the building, the roof was patched and window screens installed. The shingles are still there.

A meeting was called in 1932 regarding fixing the belfry to keep water out. Each trustee present gave $1 towards repairs.

In 1934, the seats in the amen corner were changed to make a primary department. The dictionary defines “amen corner” as a place in a church reserved for persons leading congregation responses, or a group of ardent worshipers in a church. It is unknown for certain what purpose Salem’s amen corner served, though according to Leah Spade, St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Wolfsville also had one. The primary department remained in the right front corner until the education building was constructed.  At the same time, one long seat on each side was changed on account of the two stoves serving to heat the building.

Electricity Comes to Wolfsville

Electricity came to Wolfsville in 1937, and the congregation debated installing electric lights in the church, with the main concern being how to finance such a project. Finally, in March 1938, it was agreed to have electricity installed in the sanctuary. 

Cecil Martin’s diary tells the tale of lighting Salem. On March 16, 1938, he and Russell Harshman “set out in an old wreck of a car” in quest of money for electric lights in the Salem United Brethren Church – the only church in Wolfsville without them. Three hours of work yielded about thirty-eight dollars, most of it “cash in the fist.”  The goal was sixty dollars. Asa Stotelmyer was chosen to do the wiring and purchase the lights. Initially they could not decide on any certain fixture because they could not find any they liked in the three catalogs Asa provided. After further searching, they selected six lights with chain hangers and deep, hexagon-shaped, stained-glass globes. Wiring began on April 1. According to Cecil, “When the work of installation is completed, four switches will control the lights, and in the following manner. Each pair of the six interior lights is on a separate switch.  The fourth switch controls, at the same time, the outside light and the plug-in in front of the pulpit.  There is one conspicuous drawback to this arrangement. That is, the necessity of having the outside light on when the plug-in is in use.” The 3-foot chains that arrived with the globes were too short, and longer 6-foot ones had to be located. On April 16, Cecil notes, “The job, finished, is highly satisfactory; the globes, lighted up by 300 watt bulbs, make a gorgeous appearance. They are truly one of the loveliest sights I have ever seen.” On May 7, the inspector did not pass the electric light job, and adjustments had to be made, but regardless, on May 8, the Christian Endeavor service used the lights for the first time. The chains, globes and wiring arrangement for the lights are still in use in 2019. Later electrical work provided for more outlets that worked without turning on the outside lights.

So began 4 years of work to refurbish the sanctuary.

In 1939, a furnace was installed, to replace the two wood-burning stoves previously used to heat the sanctuary, at a cost of $244.71.  A grate was installed in the floor to allow heat into the sanctuary. The stoves were sold for $10. An electric pump was put in the basement to keep out the water.

Again in 1940, the trustees had to fix the back end of the church to keep water out, studding and re-plastering the end; they also discussed fixing the rostrum and adding a choir loft.

On August 23, 1942, a rededication service was held to commemorate the project. It included new woodwork around the altar, adding railing and a choir loft, and new chancel furniture. This woodwork was done by the I. R. Morgan and Sons Lumber Mill. Mr. & Mrs. Harry Eccard and family donated the new altar. Mr. & Mrs. Emory Frey and Preston Frey donated the altar Bible. The Ladies Sunday School class paid for the other woodwork.

On September 3, 1948, a large picture of Christ Praying in Gethsemane, purchased at a cost of $105 by the Women’s Sunday School Class with their birthday funds, was dedicated “in memory of Carroll M. Kline, who lost his life in war.”

Plans began in 1950 to build a vestibule to the church, and to build new outdoor toilets. A plasterer was secured to plaster the rear wall to the church at a cost of $490.

In 1953, the Sunday School paid for the installation of an oil burner to replace the 1939 furnace at a cost of $379.56

The 1908 notes mentioned putting hard oil on the ceiling, implying that Salem once had a wooden ceiling. This was apparently replaced in 1954, when the trustee minutes list expenses as follows: ceiling $256, putting up ceiling $175, painting and sanding floor $803.60, materials for repairs $26.98. Do the current ceiling tiles cover this wooden ceiling, or was the wooden one removed?

The vestibule was finally built in 1954, with Jesse Green selected to be the builder. This unheated structure, with coat racks and cupboards provided a protected entry to the sanctuary.

A bookcase and wall clock were added to the “primary corner” in 1954. Carpet was installed in the altar area and the front of the church in 1956. New pulpit chairs were dedicated in 1958. An electric organ was dedicated in 1959, purchased by the Ladies Class. 

The biggest construction project that changed the appearance of Salem was the addition of the educational building, completed in 1968 by Sherman Kline & Sons, contractors. This addition was made possible by the acquisition of the old Wolfsville School property next door, which was razed to provide space for expansion. This new building offered indoor plumbing, individual classrooms, a kitchen and a social hall. This was such an improvement over 10-12 Sunday School classes meeting in various sections of the sanctuary and using the outdoor toilets! An old pulpit previously used at Salem was refinished and restored for use in the assembly area. Electric heat was extended to the sanctuary to replace the basement furnace.

Ceiling fans were added to the sanctuary, along with a sound system. Salem’s sanctuary and social area are both now air-conditioned for the comfort of the congregation – no more mountain breezes, motorcycle roars, or stifling heat on muggy summer days!  

Next, we will take a look at how the congregation evolved from United Brethren in Christ to United Methodist.

6. From Brethren to Methodist

Salem United Methodist Church in Wolfsville was founded as Salem United Brethren in Christ Church, or United Brethren.

United Brethren in Christ

The United Brethren denomination is considered to be the first established in America. As a result of the evangelistic preaching of Philip William Otterbein of the German Reformed Church and Martin Boehm, a Mennonite bishop, a conference was held at the home of Peter Kemp, west of Frederick, MD, on September 25, 1800. 

It was here that the denomination was organized and received its official name. In attendance were 13 preachers with Presbyterian, German Reformed, Lutheran and Mennonite backgrounds. 

They brought forth a “new Christian Communion, conceived by the Holy Spirit and dedicated to the divine purpose ‘that the Church of God may be built up, and sinners converted, so that God in Christ may be honored.’” 

In the early years, the United Brethren preachers used the German language as they traveled about preaching in homes and school houses in Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania.

After evangelistic meetings, converts were encouraged to form classes or societies for strengthening their spiritual life. The circuit-riding missionary, Christian Newcomer, and others were welcomed to preach the gospel in Wolfsville by the Hoover family. Just 19 years after the denomination was born, in 1819,  Salem was established as a class.

From 1819 until 1946, the church was known as Salem United Brethren in Christ Church. Research into the practices of the denomination revealed that their core belief followed what is now known as the Apostles Creed, with the Bible as the Word of God, containing the only true way to salvation. 

The manner in which to practice baptism and the Lord’s Supper was left to individuals and their class. Conversion was paramount.

The Evangelical Association

A second denomination, The Evangelical Association, was begun by Jacob Albright, a pious Lutheran farmer and tile-maker in eastern Pennsylvania, who was converted by the United Brethren and nurtured in a Methodist class meeting. He established his own connection of evangelistic preachers, better to reach fellow German-speakers in Pennsylvania. 

The Evangelical Church was organized in 1803. 

Evangelical United Brethren

Early attempts at merging the United Brethren in Christ and the Evangelical Church failed, despite the similarities in organization and polity. 

Both preached to communities with German roots. The separate denominations survived, and expanded numerically and geographically. 

Finally in 1946, the two groups merged to create the Evangelical United Brethren Church. After this merger, the congregation in Wolfsville was renamed Salem Evangelical United Brethren Church.

Methodist Episcopal Church

The Methodist Episcopal Church had its roots in England, with the teachings of John Wesley. It spread, without authorization from England, as lay Methodists immigrated to America. 

Robert Strawbridge, a farmer, organized work in Maryland and Virginia around 1760. In 1771, Richard Wright and Francis Asbury were sent to America by Wesley to undergird the growing Methodist societies. 

Asbury became the most important figure in early American Methodism. (No doubt he is the namesake of Asbury Hoover, a descendant of the second John Hoover. More about him in a future story.)

In Rev. Christian Newcomer’s journal records, an entry in 1803 talks of his desire to adopt a plan to unite the Methodist Conference and the United Brethren in Christ. His idea was discouraged by a member of the Methodist Conference and was never formally proposed. 

United Methodist Church

165 years later, on April 23, 1968, following many years of conversation and negotiations, the Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church merged to become the United Methodist Church. 

Salem was not enthusiastic about the merger, but policies of the denomination precluded Salem from opting out.

The church in Wolfsville became Salem United Methodist Church.  It is interesting to note that Salem church council minutes, at the time, totally ignore this change.

Shared Pastors and Circuits

During most of its years, Salem has shared its pastors with other churches in a circuit. Worship services were held as the circuit riders or other evangelists were available — morning, afternoon or evening, even on days other than Sunday. Even so, the congregation held Sunday classes, or meetings, every week, for both spiritual and educational purposes. 

From 1819-1855, churches from the Myersville, Wolfsville, Thurmont and Walkersville areas composed the Old Frederick Circuit. 

The Myersville Circuit, from 1855-1857, covered just Myersville, Middletown, Wolfsville, Koogle’s school house, and Pleasant Walk. 

Salem was returned to the Old Frederick Circuit from 1857-1867. 

After the Civil War, from 1867-1905, the Myersville Circuit was reestablished. 

The Wolfsville Charge, including Salem, Garfield and Pleasant Valley, existed from 1905-1933.  From 1933-1942, a new Myersville Charge included Myersville, Wolfsville, Garfield and Pleasant Walk. 

The Wolfsville Charge returned 1942-1972, for a while including Big Pool in Washington County. During these years, some of the pastors were retired, some were ministerial students, some were employed full-time in other professions, all working with the churches only on Sundays and an occasional evening.

Wolfsville Charge— First Full-Time Pastor

In 1972, the charge was changed to include just Salem and Garfield, under the pastorate of its first full-time minister, Rev. Nelson Pittinger. He and his family moved into the newly-constructed parsonage at Salem. 

Pleasant Walk was added back to the charge from 1989 to 1996. Rev. Hayden Sparks raced to conduct three services each Sunday morning. 

Salem Became a Single Station Church in 2008

Salem finally became a station church, with its own pastor serving just one congregation, in 2008. As of this writing (2019), Rev. Robert Snyder, continues to minister at Salem and the surrounding community.

As Salem was growing in Wolfsville, the congregation continued to include Hoover descendants, and the building existed in a Hoover neighborhood. The next section will look at some of those neighbors.

7. Welcome to the Neighborhood

Wolfsville was just a small community in 1847 when the Salem Class of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ built a church on land in the meadow owned by John Hoover, III (born 1777, died 1861, married Susannah Harshman).

The congregation was officially incorporated November 29, 1853, and on January 13, 1854, John Hoover, as John Hoover, Sr., deeded the ¼ acre church lot, with improvements, to the trustees of the congregation for $10. 

Early Neighbors of Salem Church

This article will take a look at the early neighbors of the church, near the “square” formed by current Pleasant Walk, Stottlemyer and Wolfsville Roads.

The 1858 Bond map for the Catoctin District shows Wm. L. Hays; H.H. Mullen, store; J. Hoover; a blacksmith shop, and a few other buildings without names attached.

The 1850 census for Catoctin District lists residents Jacob Wolf, farmer; Hiram H. Mullen, merchant; Gideon Hoover, farmer; John Hoover; Jacob Wolf, farmer; and William Hays, merchant, in the area.

Wolfsville’s Southeast Corner

Born in Virginia, Hiram H. Mullen arrived in Wolfsville in 1831. In 1838, he married Elizabeth Hoover, daughter of John and Susannah Harshman Hoover. Hiram operated a store on the southeast corner property, now occupied by Harne’s Store, until 1866, when the family moved to the Chewsville area to conduct a mercantile business there. 

An article in the Frederick News on August 20, 1887, reports Hiram visiting from Dayton, OH, where he was living at that time. It states that Hiram built two store houses while living in Wolfsville, and that he was one of the committee that laid off and named Catoctin District in 1848.

Hiram was appointed postmaster in July 1849 and in February 1865. “Postmaster” was a political appointment, so those holding the position changed with elections.

Wolfsville’s Northeast Corner

William L. Hays, also known as Wilson L. Hays, operated his store near the northeast corner, probably on the site at 12406 Stottlemyer Road, currently owned by Gary and Lauren Wolfe Masser. 

His son, Wilson (William in the 1860 census), continued to operate the store after the father’s death in 1857, until he moved to Hagerstown in 1866. The son, Wilson, had married Susanna Recher in 1850.

When the Hays family vacated the storefront, it appears that Sarah Amanda Recher, widow of Lawson Recher (1833-1864), moved in. 

Lawson was a brother to Wilson’s wife Susanna, both being children of John Recher, who was living on the property across from the current Wolfsville Ruritan Park. 

Susan Amanda Recher and her daughter Sarah Alberta Recher operated a millinery shop in the Wolfsville house until the late 1800’s.

Wolfsville’s Northwest Corner

Jacob Wolf, Sr. and his wife Catharine built a log cabin about 1807, on land at the northwest corner, now owned by Chris and Donna Grossnickle Myers.

By 1858, Jacob Wolf, Jr. was living on the property with a more substantial house and a blacksmith shop. The old log cabin became known as “Bums Inn”, where the band practiced and the boys hung out. 

Wolfsville’s Southwest Corner

Gideon Hoover, son of John and Susannah, lived on the southwest corner, near the stone house at 12486 Wolfsville Road, now owned by Barbara Brittain. He married Elizabeth Remsburg of Middletown, in 1841. 

Did he build the stone house located there, or did he live for a while in the vacated Hoover log cabin across from Salem, or did he build the house across the road from Salem, later lived in by his son? 

The 1858 map seems to show the stone house, but it is not labeled. We do know that he sold the property in February 1868 to Jacob Drill Wolf. 

By 1870, Gideon and his family are living in the Hoover house built by his father in 1820. 

Jacob Drill Wolf was the son of Jacob Wolf, Jr. and his wife, Mary Rebecca Drill Wolf. He married Gideon Hoover’s daughter, Olive C.S. Hoover in June 1867 and moved into the stone house on the corner. Olive died in 1871 at the age of 22, soon after the death of her 9-month old son, leaving behind her husband and young daughter. 

In 1873, the stone house property was sold to Mary Ellen Martin, wife of Scott T. Martin and daughter of Gideon Hoover’s brother Samuel. Mary and Olive would have been first cousins. 

The property was sold again in 1876, when Scott and Mary Martin exchanged properties with Jacob G. Smith, a shoemaker living on the current Martin Road, north of Wolfsville. Scott Martin wanted to farm and Jacob Smith wanted to move his business to “town.”

In 1880, Jacob Drill Wolf and daughter Lizzie are in the household of Jacob Wolf, Jr., but the 1873 map shows Jacob Drill owning other properties in the area, extending north along the present Wolfsville Road. This man was also the one who built and rebuilt the Black Rock Hotel.

A house was built directly across the road from Salem, probably about 1867, on land owned by Gideon Hoover and deeded to his son John Jacob Glossbrenner Hoover. 

John J. G. Hoover was named after the minister of Salem at the time the church was built in 1847. John J. G. Hoover married Sarah A. E. Kline in 1867, and their house appears on the 1873 Titus Atlas map for Wolfsville.

Behind Salem’s parsonage and the newer house around the corner lies a log spring house. This was the first home of Elias Stottlemyer and his wife Eliza Victoria Hoover, daughter of Gideon Hoover, who were married in 1863. Eliza died in 1871, leaving 3 small children; Elias then married Anna Lantz Lawrence and they had 5 more children.  

A larger house was built on the property by 1873. Anna operated a dressmaking business out of her house.  It seems only fitting that their home was replaced by the newer one built by Milton and Catherine Harne, who was well-known for her needlework. 

This brings us back to the store next door to Salem. Hiram Mullen sold the property in 1864 to Frederick Leatherman, a grandson of Jacob Wolf, Sr. and son of John Hoover, III’s neighbor Jacob Leatherman. Fred Leatherman operated the store until it was purchased by John Henry Maugans in 1884. John H. Maugans, a Civil War veteran, was married to Anna M. Hoover, also a daughter of Gideon Hoover.

In June 1892, the trustees agreed to sell off a portion of the church yard containing 7.37 square perches, more or less, to John H. Maugans, the well-known merchant of Wolfsville for a sum of $10. Mr. Maugans was to pay all expenses and make a fence on the line of the parcel. John R. Dagenhart was hired to erect the new paling fence around the lot. This took about 15’ off the side of the church lot.

It seems that in the early years, the southern part of the village was owned and occupied by members of the Hoover family, while the northern part belonged to the descendants of Jacob Wolf, Sr.  

The Hoovers and Salem Church

The trustees of the congregation elected in 1859 were all members of the Hoover family: John Hoover III, his sons John, Samuel and Simeon, his grandson John W. and his sons-in-law Daniel Blickenstaff and Hiram Mullen. 

The church could easily have been named the Hoover United Brethren Church in “Hooverville” but the name Salem, meaning peace, was chosen instead. Maybe the founders wished peace for the village and young nation.

Like all churches, Salem has had many members who have contributed to its growth and ministry to the community. Some of these have been remembered by loved ones in special ways. The next section will explore these remembrances.

8. This is Dedicated to God and the Ones we Loved

Various gifts and memorials to loved ones have been part of the history of Salem United Methodist Church. Many of those memorialized were descendants of John and Susannah Harshman Hoover, who owned the stone house and barn. The following includes some of the gifts received over the years. The honorees’ relationship to the Hoovers is also noted, if applicable.

The 1940’s

The refurbishment of Salem’s sanctuary was rededicated August 23, 1942. Mr. and Mrs. Harry Eccard and family provided the altar. Mr. and Mrs. Emory Frey and Preston Frey donated the altar Bible.

As World War II came to a close in 1945, shrubbery was planted on the church lawn “in memory of the boys in the armed services of their country.”

The painting “Christ Praying in Gethsemane” over the altar in the sanctuary was presented by the Women’s Sunday School class in 1948, in memory of Carroll Meredith Kline. Carroll was killed in action January 18, 1945, at the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. There is also a plaque on the sanctuary wall for Carroll. It states that he “served 18 days overseas with the U.S. Army.” Carroll was the son of Ary R. and Emma J. Blickenstaff Kline. He was 23 years old at the time of his death, and left behind his wife Dorothy and daughter Carol Ann. Carroll was buried in the Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery and Memorial in Liège, Belgium, but a memorial tombstone was placed in Salem’s cemetery for him. Carroll was a great-great-grandson of John and Susannah Harshman Hoover.

The 1950’s

On July 15, 1951, there was a dedicatory service for the lectern, and for altar furnishings, including a cross, candle holders and flower vases, presented by the relatives of Savilla Stottlemyer Myers, in her memory.

In January 1955, another dedication service was held. The recently completed vestibule memorialized Mr. and Mrs. Emory Frey. 

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Martin donated a bookcase placed near the primary class corner. It was later moved to the secretary’s room in the educational building. 

At the same time, a wall clock was provided by Mr. and Mrs. Edgar B. Martin. While that clock eventually wore out, its replacements have been hung in the same spot. Mrs. Emory Frey, nee Fannie Blickenstaff, and Edgar Martin were great-grandchildren of John and Susannah Harshman Hoover. Charles was a great-great-grandson.

New pulpit chairs were dedicated in 1958, in memory of Mrs. Ruth Blickenstaff Harshman by her husband Russell and family. Ruth was also a great-granddaughter.

The 1960’s

On February 28, 1960, offering plate stands were presented by Miss Caroline Harshman in memory of her uncle and aunt, Emory and Fannie Frey. 

At the same time, a light for the organ was presented by Mrs. Emma J. Kline and her daughter Mrs. Evelyn Grossnickle in memory of Carroll M. Kline.

When Salem completed its new Educational Building in 1968, there were numerous opportunities for memorials.  The program from the dedication service on May 19, 1968, included the following memorials:

Various classrooms were dedicated in memory of Ruth D. Harshman and Fannie R. Frey by the Russell D. Harshman family; in memory of Victor B. Wolf and in honor of Gay B. Wolf by the Lauren (Jake) Wolf family; in memory of Calvin C. Kline and Ada A. Kline by the Sherman Kline family; in memory of Daniel P. Warrenfeltz and Rebecca D. Warrenfeltz by Frank Warrenfeltz; in memory of Edgar B. Martin by his family; in memory of Adam B. Martin (a great-grandson) and Alice V. Martin by the family of their son, Richard A. Martin. The exterior cross and its light were placed in memory of Edgar B. Martin by his wife Marjorie Martin. The Ray Kline family provided the front doors in memory of Beulah I. Kline. The stained glass windows in the entry hallway were memorials to Edgar B. Martin by his children. 

At the same service, a pulpit light was dedicated in memory of Rev. Albert Snyder by the congregation. Rev. Snyder served as Salem’s pastor from 1944 to 1956. He was one of the congregation’s longest serving ministers. He had passed away March 4, 1965.

The 1980’s

After a new Yamaha piano was purchased for the sanctuary in 1984, Olive Kline donated the piano light for it in memory of her husband, John Kline, a great-great grandson.

In 1983, a Historical Cabinet Fund was established to provide a place to display the church’s historical items. Charles S. Martin had a keen interest in this project. Following his death in 1986, the family designated his memorial funds for this project. On April 29, 1990, the completed cabinet, built by local craftsman Dale G. Kline, was dedicated in memory of Charles. This cabinet is located in Salem’s social hall.

The 1990’s

New landscaping was planted in front of the Salem buildings in memory of Marjorie Martin by her family, and dedicated November 17, 1991. Marjorie was a great-granddaughter of John and Susannah Harshman Hoover. 

A Koosa dogwood tree was dedicated at the same time as a memorial to Salem’s servicemen. The new signboard was also dedicated at that time in memory of Richard A. Martin by his family. Richard was a great-great-grandson of John and Susannah Harshman Hoover.

By 1993, the sanctuary hymnals were in disrepair. “The Hymnal for Worship and Celebration” was chosen for purchase to replace the old ones. With contributions from her family and church friends, the new hymnals were dedicated in memory of Dorotha Martin Nusbaum. Dorotha, who passed away in 1984, was a great-great-granddaughter of John and Susannah Harshman Hoover.

On August 23, 1992, a new organ was dedicated in memory of Evelyn J. Kline Grossnickle by the congregation. Evelyn was a gifted musician, playing both the piano and organ at the church for many years. She was a great-great-granddaughter of John and Susannah Harshman Hoover.

The 2000’s

In 2001, when a sound system was installed in the sanctuary, an electronics cabinet, built by Stanley Kline, was dedicated in memory of Effie R. Eccard Stottlemyer by her family. In 2005, a matching Lenten candle stand was built by Stanley and also dedicated in memory of Effie by her family. Effie was married to Frank V. Stottlemyer, Sr., great-great-grandson of John and Susannah Harshman Hoover.

The worn wooden window sills of the sanctuary were replaced with white marble sills in 2007. This project was completed in memory of Frank V. Stottlemyer, Sr., by his family. 

Brian Lee Stottlemyer, son of George and Barbara Stottlemyer and brother of Matthew, passed away in 2006 at the young age of 32. In loving memory of Brian, his family and friends donated the beautiful stained glass window above the interior front doors of Salem’s sanctuary. The window incorporates the shooting-star logo of Brian’s employer, Frederick County Public Schools.  Brian was a great-great-great-great-grandson of John and Susannah Hoover.

For many years two large maple trees shaded the front of the church, but they eventually needed to be removed. Their shade was missed. Two flowering cherry trees were planted in their place in 2008 by George Harne, in memory of his mother and father, Catherine Delauter Harne and Milton Harne. Catherine was a great-great-granddaughter of John and Susannah Hoover.

The 2010’s

In 2012, the Linda M. Kline Memorial Pavilion was constructed to the rear of the church building. The pavilion was a gift from the Kline family and members of the community who made memorial contributions to Salem in memory of Linda (April 22, 1948-December 15, 2002). Linda was a great-great-great-granddaughter of John and Susannah Hoover.

As of this writing (2019), there are plans for memorial stained glass windows. And as Salem looks ahead with plans for expansion, there will be opportunities for other memorials.

Salem celebrated its 200th birthday at services on July 28, 2019. The traditional worship service was at 9 a.m., followed by Sunday School for all ages at 10:15 a.m. The contemporary service was at 11:15 a.m.  

A rededication service commenced at 3 p.m., followed by a pilgrimage to the Hoover barn about 4:30 p.m. The day concluded with a catered meal and ice cream social at 5:30 p.m. at the pavilion. Nearly 200 people attended.

The next section of this series will look at how music has played a part in Salem’s history.

9. There’s a Song in the Air

Music plays an important part in the worship services of most congregations, and Salem United Methodist Church is no exception. But the type of music used in worship appears to have changed over the past 200 years. 

Singing has always been a part of worship. Early ministers were often song leaders; they would sing a line of a hymn which would then be repeated by the worshippers. 

In the 1800’s, many protestant churches sang congregationally with no instruments, and preached against “praising God with machinery.” 

These evangelical denominations were careful to preach no other doctrine than what is plainly laid down in the Bible, especially the New Testament. Since there is no mention of instruments being used to worship in the New Testament, they were not to be used by the church. This policy was also a protest against the practices of the Jews and the Catholic Church, which both used instruments in their services.

The Hoovers were Singers

The Hoover family had a history of good voices. Through the years, the family and other members of the congregation produced numerous individuals, trios and choirs proclaiming the love of God. However, as to be expected, instrumental music was not part of the worship service in Salem’s early years. 

Howison E. Hoover, in his “History of the Hoover Family,” described the music situation in early years, when he speaks of his father, John Wesley Hoover (1836-1928), a grandson of the stone house Hoovers. “He was, early in life, a member of the United Brethren in Christ, the ecclesiastical ark of his forebears; but because of the petrified sanctity of the day and membership which refused to admit the organ was an aid in song in the church, he joined the Methodist Episcopal Church more liberal to new ideas and died a member thereof.” 

Apparently, John Wesley Hoover left Salem in 1879, when he withdrew from his position as chairman of the trustees.   

Soon though, there was a change at Salem. According to “The Catoctin News,” a weekly paper once published in Wolfsville, in 1888, Salem United Brethren Church made arrangements for the use of an organ for the summer. Miss Gertrude Hoover, daughter of John Wesley Hoover, was the organist.

Salem’s Early Pianos

According to the trustee minutes, Ary R. Kline collected money for a piano in 1935. This was the first mention of an instrument for Salem, though there may have been earlier ones. Nothing more is known about this purchase, but a new Gulbransen piano was purchased in 1947 for $684, and the old one was sold; in order to pay off the balance owed for the piano, the Women’s Class paid what they had in their Birthday Fund, and Frank Warrenfeltz agreed to pay the balance.

Electric Organs

An electric organ was purchased from the Colonial Music Shop of Frederick, Maryland. At its dedication service on March 22, 1959, special music was provided by organist Mr. J. L. Wantz and harpist Bonnie Caplan. The Women’s Sunday School class was credited with raising almost half the purchase price of over $2,700. This organ served the congregation well for many years. 

Ary Kline’s daughter, Evelyn J. Kline Grossnickle was organist for most of that time, with assistance from Betty Martin Brandenburg, Joann Grossnickle Leatherman, Susan Shankle Koons, and others.  

As repairs became more frequent for the organ, and tubes and other parts harder to find, the Youth Fellowship started an organ fund January 13, 1992. The new organ, purchased from Shockley’s, was dedicated August 23, 1992, in memory of Evelyn Jane Kline Grossnickle.

After the Educational Building was completed in 1968, an upright piano was obtained from the Shuff family estate for $15 and moved into the social room. When this upright piano was beyond repair, a new Yamaha piano was purchased for the sanctuary in 1984, and the old 1947 Gulbransen was moved from the sanctuary to the social room. 

Music and Drama

Christmas Eve services at Salem often included cantatas involving many of the children, youth and a choir of the musically inclined. 

These efforts were expanded when Mary Alice Shankle and Bill Burrier were working with the youth in the late 70s and 80s, and three contemporary musicals were performed:

“The Clown” was performed at Salem in November 1979, and was the first contemporary style musical presented by Salem. It was a forceful combination of drama and music and featured 12 actors, a choral group, and 9 original songs. The message was that Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Marlene Grossnickle Young was the lead vocalist and played the part of the clown. David Brandenburg accompanied the entire musical on the piano.

“The Witness” was another contemporary Christian musical presented at Salem in September 1980. The story of Jesus was told and sung by Peter (the witness) and the other men and women who know him best. Bobby Fogle played the lead part of Peter. Other solos and a chorus told the story in 20 songs. David Brandenburg accompanied the entire musical on the piano.

“The Dreamer – What Really Happened to Joseph,” also a contemporary musical drama, was presented in November 1984, by a 22-member special chorus and drama group of Salem members, assembled especially for this program. It was the story of the life of Joseph, what he went through and what he became. Bobby Fogle played the part of Joseph. There were 17 songs, with many other solos and a chorus. The musical accompaniment was a recorded professional track purchased by the church. It took 6 months of practice and memorization to present this program, under the direction of Stephen Brandenburg.

Not to be left out, the children, under the direction of Susan Shankle, performed the musical “Noah” about 1982, complete with costumes, painted sets, and many cardboard animals.

Salem continues to have a choir for special occasions, under the direction of Sandy Lewis. While Sandy is a member of Garfield United Methodist Church, Salem’s sister church for a long time, she graciously leads our choir for worship. She is also a great-great-great-great granddaughter of John and Susannah Hoover!

Contemporary Christian Praise Band

And now, our forefathers are probably rolling in their graves! 

Contemporary Christian music was introduced to Salem by the praise band “Aflame,” composed of a group of youth under the ministry of Pastor Katie Bishop. Guitars were used!  

The current praise band, “Works in Progress,” plays for several services each month at Salem, and also performs throughout the community at various events. In addition to vocals and guitars, there are keyboards, and sometimes a flute. Oh, my! 

Salem’s contemporary worship service relies on contemporary Christian music, but the traditional service continues to use the older hymns accompanied by the piano or organ. 

There continues to be a song in the air in Wolfsville for worship services, but the words, melodies and accompaniments are often very different than those used two hundred years ago.

The next installment of Salem’s history will describe a new neighbor for the church in 1915 and how it became the house next door.

10. A New Neighbor and the House Next Door

After the sanctuary for Salem United Brethren in Christ Church was built in 1847, the village of Wolfsville grew. The Lutheran and Reformed Churches built sanctuaries near the town. 

John and Susannah Hoover both died and were buried in the Hoover cemetery on the hill. Their stone house and barn passed to their son Gideon; next to Gideon’s son, John Jacob Glossbrenner Hoover; and then to J.J.’s son, Asbury E. Hoover.

Through those 60 years, the meadow next to Salem remained a pasture for the Hoover cows. But that was about to change.

Wolfsville School Children

After the German school on the property near the current Ruritan Park was closed in 1838, Wolfsville school children were educated in a one-room school on current Black Rock Road, near the St. James Reformed Church cemetery.  

That building was replaced in 1881 by a two-room frame school house nearby. The citizens began petitioning for a high school in 1903, though it was not approved at that time. 

The village started its own “Academy” in September 1913, for students above 7th grade. They met in the old Grove carpentry shop at the corner of current Black Rock and Wolfsville Roads, until March 1914, when the building was set on fire and destroyed. 

A replacement room was rented from Jacob Warrenfeltz, but it too burned in April 1914. The students met in the old Marken house between the creek and St. Mark’s Lutheran Church for the remainder of the year. 

In September 1914, the Academy classes began to meet in Baughman’s Hall, a meeting room above the general store on the northeast corner of the “square” in Wolfsville. 

New School House in Wolfsville

Finally in 1914, bids were opened for a four-room brick school house in Wolfsville. The land next door to Salem was purchased from Mr. and Mrs. Asbury Hoover for $1,050. The sellers were to make a new fence at the rear of the school property. A portion of property was retained by Mr. Hoover for grazing his cattle. 

Apparently there was some concern about the location of the building due to the wetness of the property. It was decided to keep the same location, with a wooden floor in the basement rather than cement, and to put in drainage tile with not less than a two-foot air passage.

The building was constructed during the summer of 1915. The doors opened for classes in September with about 100 students. The four upstairs classrooms accommodated all the elementary students. Another room on the ground floor housed the Wolfsville High School. Water was obtained from a nearby spring.

Smaller Schools Consolidated

After the new school opened, a program consolidating smaller schools into larger ones began in the state of Maryland. Between 1922 and 1931, Poplar, Middlepoint, Woodland and Sensenbaugh schools were closed and their students bused to Wolfsville. The big school was bursting at the seams! 

The abandoned portable building which last housed Poplar School was moved to the space between the school and Salem. Because the structure resembled a chicken house and was the classroom for the first graders, it was affectionately known as “the peepie coop.” 

There was discussion of building an addition, but eventually it was decided to close Wolfsville High School; and in 1931, the high school students were sent to Middletown. The first grade moved into the high school room. 

In the fall of 1932, the portable classroom was removed to replace the burned-down school at Philip’s Delight. In 1939, the students from the Forrest School joined those at Wolfsville. 

School Property Joins Salem’s Lot on Two Sides

Salem’s lot was surrounded on two sides by the school property, and separated by a fence. Swings, see-saws, and a sliding board were eventually built behind the sanctuary. The ball field was further down in the meadow where Salem’s pavilion is now located. 

Mr. Hoover grazed his cattle on this rear playground during the summer months, driving them across the school ground to the stone barn across the road. A playground and parking area, with the well in the middle, filled the space between the school and church.

By 1955, the school was again overcrowded, and the people of Wolfsville requested an addition. The county Board of Education decided to build a new school instead. The new building opened in December 1958, and the abandoned school next to Salem was to be sold by sealed bids. 

Salem Purchases School Property

Salem for years had wished to expand, but its lot was too small. If the school property could be purchased, it would be possible to have a parking lot, an educational wing, and eventually a parsonage for a full-time pastor.

On January 7, 1959, the bids were opened. Salem was not the high bidder. When the high bidder was informed that Mr. Asbury Hoover had always maintained a right-of-way for his cattle through the Wolfsville school property, the sale fell through. 

The Board of Education had the restriction removed and again offered the school property for sale, this time at public auction. On July 29, 1959, Salem bought the building and 3.7 acres of land for $5,650.

Salem’s Educational Building

In July 1967, construction began on the two-story educational building, containing six classrooms, a secretary’s office, restrooms, a kitchen and a large assembly area. 

This addition, on the side of the sanctuary nearest the school building, was made possible by using part of the old playground. The building was connected to the school’s well and septic system. Sherman Kline and Sons, members of the congregation, were the builders. The building was dedicated on May 19, 1968. 

School Building Utilized by Salem

The school building was used by Salem for a variety of purposes. The first Lord’s Acre Festival was held in the lower level of the building in 1960. 

The youth fellowship held parties and meetings there. A wall was removed on the upper level to provide a basketball court. Vacation Bible School was held there.

As the years passed, the condition of the building deteriorated. Some minor vandalism occurred. But the final straw happened at the 1968 Lord’s Acre Festival, when someone’s foot went through the wooden basement floor!

School Building Demolished

In April 1969, after much discussion and a congregational vote (34 for demolition, 7 against), the old brick school house next door was demolished and the site cleared. 

The school’s chalkboards were removed and installed in the classrooms in the new educational building. Some of the wooden chairs from the school were used in the classrooms as well. Both the chalkboards and chairs are still in use. The vacant lot was used as a larger parking lot.

Parsonage Built on School Property

Finally, in 1974, the colonial style parsonage was constructed on the old Wolfsville School property. Dwight Morgan was the general contractor, with much of the work being done by church members. When completed in 1975, the Wolfsville Charge had housing for its first full-time pastor, Rev. Nelson Pittinger.

The three reasons for purchasing the Wolfsville School had been met. The new neighbor of 1915, was replaced with a residence for Salem’s pastors. 

So, as pastors change, there is still occasionally a new neighbor next door!

The next installment of Salem’s history will take a look at some of the cooperative activities, of the Wolfsville area churches, that Salem took part in.

Part 11 — Working Together to Share the Gospel

With three church congregations, Salem United Brethren in Christ, St. Mark’s Lutheran and St. James German Reformed, worshipping within a mile of each other in Wolfsville after 1850, it was natural that some activities would be shared. Add in the churches within a few more miles, and there are a lot of shared events.

The Union Christian Endeavor Society

The Union Christian Endeavor Society was one such activity. Christian Endeavor began February 2, 1881, in Portland, Maine. Dr. Francis E. Clark had great concern for youth who made a clear decision to accept Christ, but were not involved in the church’s activities. He formed a ministry that equipped young people to be committed leaders for Christ and the Church. 

Christian Endeavor was introduced to the Wolfsville area by John W. Kinnaman of Myersville. Kinnaman operated a shoe, harness and saddle repair shop in Myersville, was burgess for several terms, and was recognized in his 1946 funeral notice as “a prominent religious leader.”

The Wolfsville letter in “The Frederick News” often included activities of the Christian Endeavor Society, noting meetings at various local churches in the upper Middletown valley.  

From the May1, 1902, edition: “The C. E. meeting at the Lutheran church on Sunday evening last was led by Miss Ona M. Stottlemyer in a creditable manner. Miss Delva Bowers recited a poem suitable to the topic. The following new members have recently joined the society: Irving R. Morgan, Joshua Longman, Sallie O. English, Ona M. Stottlemyer, George R. Stottlemyer, Delva Bowers, Minnie Hooper, Eva S. Warrenfeltz, Clyde H. Harp.”  

August 11, 1937: “Christian Endeavor will be held in U.B. Church Sunday, with Cecil Martin in charge. The Wolfsville Union Christian Endeavor Society will hold a camp fire service on Wednesday evening, August 25. Rev. G. I. Rider, pastor of the Grace U.B. Church, Hagerstown, will be the speaker.”  

July 28, 1938: “Christian Endeavor will be held on the lawn of the U.B. Church with Margaret Kline as leader. It will be an open air meeting. Rev. Irving Stottlemyer of Grossnickle’s Church of the Brethren will give the address. It will begin promptly at 6:45 o’clock.” 

Cecil Martin, in his diary, mentions numerous meetings of this group, and noted that they contributed $5 toward the installation of Salem’s electric lights in 1938. 

As individual churches formed their own youth ministries, the Union Christian Endeavor Society membership declined. Exactly when Wolfsville’s group disbanded is unknown, but it was still in existence April 17, 1951, when it met at Salem at 7:15 p.m. and June 17, 1951, when it met at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church at 7:15 p.m.

Three-Week Revival in Wolfsville

Another group event that attracted much attention was the three-week revival held July 16-August 6, 1933. This major undertaking by the churches of the area was organized by Rev. Irving Stottlemyer, He contacted Rev. Dr. George W. Cooke, of Wilmington, Delaware, a well-known evangelist through his radio program called “What Are You Broadcasting?” Rev. Cooke agreed to come preach the old-fashioned gospel. 

The evangelistic campaign was held in a large tent, able to seat 1,200 people; the tent was hauled to Wolfsville by Ernest Eccard in his milk truck and erected on the school house grounds behind Salem Church. 

Rev. Cooke, his wife and three children, arrived in Wolfsville, along with his music director, Professor Harold M. Vigneulle. Services were held each evening, except Mondays, with a half-hour song service preceding the old-fashioned gospel preaching. 

Prof. Vigneulle assembled a union choir made up of community singers. He also formed a children’s choir. There were special nights when delegations attended from nearby towns, and when certain groups were recognized by seating them together. The Wolfsville Band played at some services. 

Lena Shepley, Rev. Stottlemyer’s step-daughter, described the services in an article in “The Citizen” on July 29, 1993. “Word spread and people began to arrive. ‘They came out of the woods in different places. They were hanging onto the running boards of the cars. Some walked, some rode horseback, and others came in buggies…. People came out from Baltimore and Washington, usually on the weekends. They stayed at the Hoover House and at the Hayes house, on up toward the Lutheran church.’”

One night, during a very dry spell, a terrible storm came up. Wind swayed the tent and people held onto the poles to keep it from blowing away. Rain accumulated in the top of the tent, and men used poles to push up on the canvas to empty it. The thunder was so loud Rev. Cooke could not be heard, so the crowd started to sing “Showers of Blessings.”

At the close of the three-week revival, nearly 2,000 people from the cities, hills and valleys tried to crowd into the tent. An estimated 350-400 people came forward to confess Christ. What a wonderful event!

Vacation Bible School

The Wolfsville Community Vacation Bible School (VBS) is another event involving community churches. 

The first VBS was held at Salem in 1957, at the suggestion of Rev. John W. Schildt, Salem’s minister at that time. Children from Salem, its sister church, Garfield E.U.B., and the surrounding community were invited to take part. 

In 1958, the Wolfsville Ruritan Club joined with the churches to sponsor VBS. St. Mark’s Lutheran Church was invited to take part. 

In 1959, the event was held in the old school house. The location of VBS has rotated between the various churches since that time. Salem and St. Mark’s, with the continued support of the Ruritan Club, still hold VBS for the community. 2020 will be Salem’s turn to host.

Wolfsville Community Worship

The annual Wolfsville Community Thanksgiving service is hosted on a rotating basis among five local churches- Salem UMC, Pleasant Walk UMC, Garfield UMC, St. Mark’s Lutheran Church and Grossnickle Church of the Brethren. Garfield UMC will be hosting in 2019 on Thanksgiving eve. 

The Community Easter Sunrise service rotates among six local churches, including St. John’s Lutheran Church at Church Hill with the five that host Thanksgiving services. Garfield UMC will host the 2020 service. The Wolfsville Ruritan Club provides refreshments for this sunrise service. Attendees can then attend regular Easter services at their home church.

CROP Hunger Walk

The CROP Hunger Walk is celebrating its 50th anniversary in the United States this year, and the Wolfsville community churches have been taking part for at least 32 of those years. 

Sponsors support walkers to complete a 5-mile walk along area roads each September. (It was a ten-mile walk in the early years, but the hills around Wolfsville convinced planners to change the route.) 

Funds raised go to Church World Service to provide hunger and disaster relief worldwide. Twenty-five percent of the money raised is returned to the local area, shared equally by the Salem Food Pantry, Middletown Food Bank and the Religious Coalition for Emergency Human Needs. Last year, five churches participated.

Salem’s Food Pantry

A relatively new activity in the community that has the support of many of the local churches is Salem’s Food Pantry. Housed at Salem, the pantry serves anyone in need of food living within the Myersville, Smithsburg or Sabillasville zip code areas. Families may get a supply of food once a month. The food, hygiene items and cleaning products available, or the money to purchase the same, are donated by numerous churches, the Wolfsville Ruritan Club, Wolfsville Elementary School, and individuals. 

Without all these groups working together, the Food Pantry would not be possible. When the churches in the greater Wolfsville area hold various special services throughout the year, there are often attendees from the other churches. 

There is still a shared belief in God and His work in the community, and the congregations each support the others’ efforts to minister to the church and unchurched. 

Salem’s outreach to the greater Wolfsville community will be discussed in the next installment of Salem’s history.

Part 12 — Reaching Out into the Community and the World

New Ideas from a Young Pastor

In 1956, a young student pastor was assigned to the Wolfsville Charge of the Evangelical United Brethren Church. He was responsible for services at the Salem, Garfield and Pleasant Valley churches, and for a time, the church in Big Pool. This young man was Rev. John W. Schildt.Rev. Schildt brought several new ideas for ministries. One was Vacation Bible School, first held in 1957 and discussed in a previous article. He encouraged the Youth Fellowship to join in activities with groups from Hagerstown. 

He introduced the concept of a Lord’s Acre Festival, which would be a fund-raiser for paying off the loan for purchasing the old Wolfsville School house and for future building plans.

Lord’s Acre Project

The Lord’s Acre program was developed in the southeastern United States as a means of raising funds in small congregations. A portion, or “acre,” of a member’s land was set aside to raise crops to be sold to benefit the church. Those without land could set aside a portion of their needlework, craft items, or any other saleable talent they possessed. The festival is the sale of their donations. What comes in is a surprise to everyone. 

Salem’s first Lord’s Acre Festival and auction was held October 8, 1960, in the recently acquired school house. 

The women were responsible for preparing food to sell. The men were to fix up the school and grounds for the festival. The Little German Band was engaged for music. An auctioneer was obtained. All activities were held in the basement area of the school. The Youth Fellowship provided harvest-time decorations. 

There were areas for the sale of produce and needlework, a food stand in the old cafeteria, grab bags for the children, and rows of chairs for watching the entertainment, the auction, and for visiting with friends. 

It was agreed in 1961 to continue the festival, and for several years it followed the same format. The Little German Band provided music. The crowds grew larger and the school more dilapidated, and at the festival in 1968, someone’s foot went through the basement floor. This helped with the decision to demolish the school in April 1969. The Lord’s Acre Festival needed a new home!

The Wolfsville Ruritan Park had been developed by that time and the Ruritan Club graciously agreed to rent the park to Salem for the Lord’s Acre Festival and the several days ahead, needed for preparations. The festivities continue to be held there on the second Saturday in September. Salem held the most recent festival and auction on September 14, 2019.

Lord’s Acre: What comes in is a surprise to everyone!

About those surprising items donated? Some things that have been auctioned through the years include a calf, a pig, country hams, potatoes, jams and jellies, hot peppers, all kinds of produce, a baby cradle, tables and other wooden furniture, a painting of the Hoover cabin, and the annual quilt made by the women of the church.  One quilt, featuring embroidered pictures of Wolfsville buildings, sold for $5,000! 

The proceeds over the years have paid for the educational wing, the parsonage, and annual upkeep of the property. Thank you, Rev. Schildt for the suggestion!

Ice Cream Social

After the parsonage was constructed in 1974, the congregation began holding an ice-cream social on the front lawn on a Sunday evening in July.  

This has grown into an event held in Salem’s pavilion to which the community is invited. We have extended invitations to the staff of the Wolfsville Elementary School, the Wolfsville Ruritan Club and the Wolfsville Volunteer Fire Company, in addition to friends and families of Salem attendees. 

In 2019, this event was combined with our 200th anniversary celebration on July 28; approximately 200 people enjoyed the catered meal.  

Ministry to Children

In 2006, Salem welcomed an associate pastor to assist Rev. Randy Reid in serving the charge. 

This gave Salem an opportunity to have a contemporary worship service on Sunday mornings. The service attracts a different group of parishioners than the traditional one. 

The associate, Rev. Kathryn J. “Katie” Bishop also came with ideas for ministry to children. Pastor Katie started a praise band to involve the youth in providing contemporary Christian music for the congregation.

Hero’s Club

She prodded us to evaluate our sanctuary and congregation for safety for our children. She introduced an idea to reach out to children in the area, and she called it “Hero’s Club.”

Hero’s Club is an after school program held on Mondays for elementary school children during the school year. At dismissal from Wolfsville Elementary School, registered children are escorted from the school to Salem Church. 

Weekly activities include snack time, homework time, craft/activity time, chapel time, and outdoor playtime. Special events usually include a dinner for Hero’s Club families, a field trip, and an end-of-year celebration. 

Hero’s Club is staffed by a paid director, and several adult and student volunteers. We often refer to Hero’s Club as “Sunday School on Monday” as we bring the Word of God to the children who are not attendees at Salem.

Salem Mission Projects

Salem has a variety of mission projects that support Christian service around the globe. 

Frank Stottlemyer, Jr. grew up in Salem, and when he and his wife Nancy became missionaries in Senegal, Salem helped support them for the 40 years they worked in Africa. They are now retired but continue to serve the Lord and Salem continues its support. 

Mission work with Africa Inland Mission and The Least of These Ministries in the Dominican Republic are other projects. 

Salem’s youth initiated the idea of supporting children through Compassion International and World Vision; we currently support a boy in Tanzania and a girl in Colombia. 

At Christmas time, Salem packs shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child and stockings for the Salvation Army. 

We support the Society of St. Andrew’s Potato Project, with funds and manpower. This program redirects fresh nutritious produce that is rejected for market because of slight imperfections in size, shape or surface blemishes from the landfill to agencies that distribute food to the needy. Salem’s youth have helped bag truckloads of potatoes for regional food pantries.

The Board of Child Care is an outreach ministry of The United Methodist Church. The agency works with close to 1,700 children and their families affected by poverty, abuse, neglect, and developmental difficulties. The children are given a variety of opportunities to participate in spiritual life activities that enrich their personal growth and provide comfort to them during times of personal distress and change. Salem’s entire Christmas Eve offering goes to the Board of Child Care.

Within Frederick County, we are involved in several programs that support Christian values. 

Salem supports the cost of the Wolfsville Elementary School “All Pro-Families Breakfast.” The breakfast is held once each month when school is in session. The purpose of the breakfast is to promote family values and parent/student relationships. Along with breakfast food there is a meaningful program for parents and students.  

The Fellowship of Christian Athletes at Middletown High School also receives support. Students participating in this Christian organization meet at school and focus on equipping, empowering and encouraging people to make a difference for Christ. 

Care Net Pregnancy Center of Frederick receives a monthly donation to aid in their support for women who are facing issues regarding their reproductive health.                                                       

Through each of these programs, the church body strives to fulfill Salem’s  mission statement: At Salem, with God’s help, we pledge to INVITE others to Christ, HELP each other grow in faith, and SERVE those in need in our congregation, the community, and the world.  

The next installment of Salem’s history will share our anniversary celebration and our hopes for the future.

Part 13 — An Anniversary Celebration and a Look Ahead

One Hundred Years Ago

“The one hundredth anniversary of the United Brethren Church at Wolfsville was celebrated yesterday. 

“Morning, afternoon and evening services were held in the Hoover barn, the original meeting place of the congregation. 

“Tin lanterns, used 100 years ago, supplied light for the evening service. 

“Former pastors preached at the morning and evening service, and in the afternoon, Dr. C. I. B. Brane, one of the editors of the Religious Telescope, Dayton, Ohio, delivered an address. 

“All of the services were conducted along lines of 100 years ago, and many of the worshipers brought lunch and spent the day at the barn. The old building is on the farm of A. E. Hoover, great-grandson of the original owner.” 

This description, from the Baltimore Sun, August 19, 1919, with a Frederick, MD byline of August 18, tells of the celebration of Salem United Methodist Church’s 100th birthday. 

110th Anniversary Celebration

On July 21, 1929, the 110th anniversary was celebrated with services at 9:30, 11:30, 2:00 and 7:30, and an afternoon pilgrimage to the Hoover barn. 

Local people provided sandwiches and coffee for lunch. To accommodate the large audience, estimated to number 500, a large tent was added to the front of the barn. Newspapers from as far away as Hanover, PA and Staunton, VA, mentioned Hoover descendants who had traveled for the family reunion and church celebration.

200th Anniversary Celebration

Salem celebrated its 200th birthday with a full day of activities on Sunday, July 28, 2019, in a similar fashion. 

The day dawned with sunny skies and the promise of typical hot July weather. Thankfully, the sanctuary is now air-conditioned, making for more comfortable worship than may have been experienced long ago. 

At the traditional morning worship service, Rev. H. Ronald Ellis, former pastor at Salem from 1979-1989, spoke on the topic “I Can Only Imagine.” The service included a puppet play, music by the Adult Choir, and prayer by Frank Stottlemyer, Jr., a retired missionary who grew up in the Salem congregation.

The contemporary morning service included a puppet play, music by Works in Progress Praise Band, and a message “Celebrating 200 Years” by current pastor, Rev. Robert Snyder.

At 3 p.m., worshipers gathered again in the sanctuary, with a prayer by pastoral son, Rev. Marvin Kline. 

Special music was provided by the Children’s Choir and Marlene Young, who also grew up in Salem’s congregation. 

Rev. John W. Schildt, pastor from 1956-1961, presented the message, “The Ripple Effect.”

Bill Burrier shared a time capsule cassette tape, prepared by the 1977 Youth Fellowship, that he had converted to video format. Many of the young people featured on the tape were in attendance as adults with grown children of their own.

And then, off to the barn! 

Bill and Joyce Weaver provided period music in the barn while worshipers were walking through Wolfsville, from the current house of worship to one of the original places of worship in 1819. That date is still evident in the Hoover barn’s cornerstone. 

The barn, currently owned by Jeff and Patty Hurwitz, has been restored and people were again able to worship inside. 

Rev. Snyder gave a brief history of Salem. Lori Williamson’s solo, “I Can Only Imagine,” echoed the morning message. What would things have been like 200 years ago, worshiping in Wolfsville?

The day ended with a picnic dinner catered by Mountain Gate Family Restaurant. Approximately 200 guests gathered in Salem’s pavilion and under a tent rented from Totally Tents.  Prayer was offered by Rev. John Wunderlich, Salem’s new District Superintendent. Works in Progress provided music and there were games for the children. 

As the sun began to set, ice cream from South Mountain Creamery was served. What a great way to end a day of worship, remembrance and celebration!

It is interesting to note, in reviewing the participants in the day’s events, that many of them were descendants of John and Susanna Hoover, the first owners of the barn. 

Looking to the Future

What does the future hold? Will Salem exist for another 200 years? Only our God knows the answer to that question. But we do have plans, and maybe if they are put into writing, they will come to fruition.

One of our primary goals is to help Salem United Methodist Church grow, bucking a trend of dwindling membership in mainline churches. 

We plan to continue reaching out and welcoming community residents to come worship with us by getting to know their name and inviting them to join in church activities. 

In the near future we hope to expand our social hall, build a new kitchen, enlarge the entrance foyer, provide a designated Youth Group room, expand the space for the Food Pantry, and provide office space for the pastor and a church secretary. This will allow us to continue current activities for the whole community, as well as reach out in new ways. We are praying and seeking God’s will as to how to do this.

There are plans to install memorial stained glass windows in the near future to honor members of Salem that have passed away. This will be a departure from the simplicity of our building, but will hopefully be a meaningful addition to worship.

We are optimistic. The Youth Sunday School class, under the direction of teacher Fonda Gormer, is preparing a time capsule to be opened in 20 years. It will be interesting to see what these young people are doing and what Salem is like at that time, 

When this history project started in December 2018, the plan was to stop with the December 2019 installment. 

However, the writer has been told that it would be unlucky to stop on #13, and there were bits and pieces of history that did not quite fit into the outline for the first thirteen. So there will be another installment next month. And it will be the last!

This last chapter of the history of Salem United Methodist Church looks at several tangential items of interest. 

Part 14 — Miscellaneous History Tidbits Too Good to Exclude

Correction to Part 10 of the History of Salem 

The correction, in italics:  “The village started its own ‘Academy’ in September 1913, for students above 7th grade. They met in the old Grove carpentry shop at the corner of current Black Rock and Wolfsville Roads, until March 1914, when the building was set on fire and destroyed. A replacement room was rented from Jacob Warrenfeltz, but it too burned in April 1914. The students met in the old Marken house along the creek below St. Mark’s Lutheran Church (on the present Johnny Keller property, 12578 Wolfsville Road) for the remainder of the year. 

In September 1914, the Academy classes began to meet in Baughman’s Hall, a meeting room above the general store on the northeast corner of the ‘square’ in Wolfsville.”

Salem and the Civil War

There are few Salem records from the time of the Civil War. The records that do exist make no mention of the war, but there are other records that tell of military activity around it.

When the personal property of Harry and Gladys Blickenstaff was sold at auction in 2002, one of the items sold was a Civil War cavalry sword and leather scabbard. 

The note attached to the sword said, “Great-grandfather of George Blickenstaff. Lost and found during the Civil War on the farm of John Jacob Hoover, Wolfsville, MD. Saber has been on the farm since the Civil War.”

This would imply that there were soldiers near the church, possibly camping in the nearby meadow or on the lot across the road from the church.

The current owners of the sword had it appraised. It was dated 1862, one of 10,000 cavalry swords produced for the Union Army by D. J. Millard Manufacturer, Clayville, New York. 

The appraiser noted that though it was made for the Union, it could have been smuggled to the South, or could have been captured by a Confederate soldier. There is no way to know who possessed it when it was lost in Wolfsville.

Another indication that soldiers were in the area of Salem is an entry in Howison E. Hoover’s “History of the Hoover Family.” 

He speaks of marauding soldiers coming into the farming community to carry off wheat, corn, hay and livestock. 

His father John W. Hoover, living just outside of Wolfsville, hid his horses one springtime by leading them about 1 mile to an opposing hill over the hard rock into a thicket so they would not be tracked. Other family members also were raided for their horses. 

The following excerpts from “Wolfsville, Maryland, Occupied”

by John A. Miller (southmountaincw.wordpress.com/2010/07/29/wolfsville-maryland-occupied/) describe Civil War troops camping around Wolfsville.

Union soldiers used Black Rock for observation of General Robert E. Lee’s army during its retreat from Gettysburg in 1863. Union patrols of cavalry garrisoned out of Harper’s Ferry also traveled through Wolfsville to protect citizens against any Confederate raiding parties that might come into the area.

“On July 8th, 1864, while the Confederate Army crossed South Mountain, about fifty Confederate soldiers occupied Wolfsville, guarding General Jubal Early’s left flank as he encamped in Middletown that night.”

“On July 31st …General George Crook’s force left Halltown, crossed the Potomac River at Sandy Point and marched directly to Burkittsville taking the direct route through Middletown. 

“Marching past Middletown, Crook’s forces encamped near Wolfsville that night, covering some fourteen miles that afternoon. The intense summer sun was immensely hot for the footmen of Crook’s army. Many of the men suffered sun stroke and some even died from the horrendous weather conditions. Even the men of future President Rutherford B. Hayes’ brigade were in poor shape from the hot summer heat.”

“On August 1st, Crook’s men marched another four miles, halted on the road and camped in the woods near Wolfsville. During the day it was reported from High Rock, some ten miles away on the ridge of South Mountain, that Chambersburg was burned by the Confederates.” 

“The next day Crook’s Department of West Virginia was still encamped in the woods as well as the fields surrounding Wolfsville. Pickets were thrown up while the soldiers found time to rest, relax, and even wash their cloths in the nearby creek. Many of the soldiers wondered why they were encamped at Wolfsville.”

“On August 3rd, General Crook ordered his command to leave camp at three o’clock in the morning and begin the march toward Frederick. His rested troops would encamp later that night along the banks of the Monocacy River.” 

The Medal in the Vestibule Step

In the concrete step outside the vestibule of Salem’s sanctuary is imbedded a National Geodetic Survey benchmark. 

These markers are placed to mark key survey points on the earth’s surface to indicate elevation. The markers are intended to be permanent, and disturbing them is generally prohibited by federal and state law. 

The benchmark at Salem was originally located in a stone wall along Route 17, located diagonally across the intersection from Harne’s store. 

It indicated an elevation of 1044 feet. In 1974, the Maryland State Highway Administration removed the wall to improve the intersection. The benchmark had to be moved and reset in a new permanent location and Salem was chosen. 

While the elevation on the marker still indicates the old elevation, the current corrected elevation is noted on the National Geodetic Survey website as 1040 feet.

According to a local surveyor, there is a series of these markers set at various places along Route 17 to the Washington County line. Such survey markers are the basis for map-making across the world.

Landscaping the Old Wolfsville School

The four-room Wolfsville School opened in 1915. Charles L. Leatherman was principal and the high school teacher. In the spring of 1918, Mr. Leatherman went up on the mountain near Wolfsville and dug up eight young maple saplings. He planted the trees on the school grounds, six to shade the concrete pavement along the road, and one on either side of the front sidewalk leading to the school entrance. Older residents of Wolfsville will remember those trees as they shaded the front of the school and provided leaves to play in in the fall. Salem also had maple trees planted in front about the same time.

When the school was demolished in 1969, the trees along the road were preserved. They continued to shade the front lawn of the new parsonage, providing comfort for ice-cream socials on hot July Sundays. The trees began showing their age with dying branches and other signs of poor health, and were gradually removed, In March 2008, the last two surviving trees, standing on the Salem parsonage lawn, were felled by lumbermen. 

What events in Salem’s history these trees witnessed in their 90-year lifetime! New trees have been planted and will bear witness to Salem’s future.