Continuing ... Bean, Theodore W. “History of Montgomery Co, Pennsylvania” (Philadelphia: Everts & Peck, 1884). Chapter XXXIX: Abington Township - Part I: “The congregation of the Presbyterian Church was originally formed by the Rev. Malachi Jones in 1714, tombstones in the graveyard dating back to 1728. P 686 ABINGTON PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. The Rev. Malachi Jones, a native of Wales, where he had received his education and ordination in September, 1714, made application to the Presbytery of Philadelphia, which then numbered only eleven ministers, and by whom he was received in fellowship. In the aforesaid year the organization here of the congregation was accomplished, Benjamin Jones, Abednego Thomas, Stoffel Van Sand and Joseph Breden being chosen elders, besides sixty-five additional members. At this early date the Presbytery had been only formed about eight years. Half an acre of ground having been secured, for which a deed was given August 15, 1719, a log church was very probably soon after erected, the first house of worship possessed by the denomination within the present limits of Montgomery County. It stood within the graveyard at the intersection of the Old York and Susquehanna Street roads until 1793. The elders of the church in 1728 were Abednego Thomas Joseph Breden Benjamin Jones Garret Wynkoop Charles Hasse Joseph Charlesworth, deacons. Mr. Jones continued his labors here with apparent success for fifteen years, or until his death, which took place March 26, 1729, he being seventy-eight years old. With only one exception, his tombstone is the oldest here containing an inscription, and it is mentioned thereon that "He, was the first Minister in This Place." >From the death of Mr. Jones the charge remained vacant until December, 1731, when Rev. Richard Treat was ordained a minister and duly installed. During his ministry the Rev. George Whitefield came hither Thursday, April 17, 1740, and in his journal states that he "Rode last night after a sermon about eight miles. Lay at a Friend's house, and preached this morning to, near three thousand people at Abington, a district under the care of Mr. Treat, a Presbyterian minister, to whom God has been pleased lately to shew mercy. When I had done I took a little refreshment, baptized a child and hastened to Philadelphia." Concerning Mr. Whitefield here the late Rev. Robert Steel relates the following reminiscence: "An old Revolutionary soldier, Mr. Martin, has told me in my youthful days that he was accustomed to take an early breakfast and walk from Southwark to Abington, full twelve miles, to hear Mr. Whitefield preach. He said the house would be full and the graveyard would be filled." The Rev. David Brainerd, the missionary among the Indians at the forks of the Delaware, occasionally preached here and assisted at communions, and also Rev. Charles Beatty, of Neshaminy, one of the founders of the Hatboro' Library in 1755. Mr. Treat continued in the charge the long period of forty-seven years, and also died and was buried here in November, 1778, in his seventy-first year. The pulpit was now supplied by various ministers, among these Dr. McWhorter and Rev. William Mackey Tennent, who was chosen pastor in 1781. He was the son of Rev. Charles Tennent, the youngest of four brothers, all ministers in the church, and grandson of Rev. William Tennent, the founder of the famous "log college" in Bucks County. In this connection Dr. Tennent gave a portion of his time to the small congregations at Norriton and Providence, preaching there about every third Sabbath. The Abington congregation was incorporated by what is termed a private act of Assembly passed February 22, 1785. The original church having now become too small for the wants of the congregation, and needing repairs, a new stone structure was commenced in the spring of 1793, nearly opposite, on the west side of the York road. This was sufficiently completed to be occupied for worship in the following October. In 1798, Isaac Boileau, as the only remaining trustee, conveyed to the use of the church the adjoining farm, given by Simon Thomas and wife, containing one hundred acres. Dr. Tennent died in December, 1810, and his remains also repose in the old graveyard. He was a distinguished member of the church; in 1797 moderator of the General Assembly and one of the trustees of Princeton College. A vacancy now remained in the church for nearly two years, when the Rev. William Dunlap was chosen pastor, who assumed the charge July 2, 1812. He was the son of Rev. James Dunlap, president of Jefferson College, Pennsylvania, and had been ordained to the ministry in 1809, when he was sent on a missionary tour to Canada. He there contracted a severe cold, which terminated in consumption, from which he died in December, 1818, at the early age of thirty-six years. The Rev. Robert Steel received the charge November 9, 1819, to continue in this pastorate for the long period of nearly forty-three years. As the church was again becoming too small, the congregation resolved, at a meeting held March 12, 1833, to enlarge the same, which was done in the following summer, at a cost of nearly nineteen hundred dollars. While this improvement was proceeding worship was held in a neighboring grove. Dr. Steel, on Thanksgiving day, 1855, preached a sermon before his congregation from the text "Hitherto hath the Lord helped us" (1 Sam.7-12), wherein he stated that "since I have commenced my labors here there have been added to the membership of this church 359 persons. I have baptized 280, from infancy to hoary hairs, united in wedlock 256 couples and detained from the sanctuary by sickness but two Sabbaths in all that time." This was subsequently published in the "Presbyterian Magazine" (for February, 1856, vol. vi. pp. 80-87), with a historical account of the church, its author at the time presented the writer with a copy, and which appears since to have been made extensive use of without acknowledgment. With the exception of two acres still retained, the farm given by Mr. Thomas was sold in 1856, and brought $18,872.50. A tract of thirteen acres to the rear of the church and fronting on the Susquehanna Street road was subsequently purchased. Dr. Steel, like a faithful sentinel, remained at his post to the last, where he died September 2,1862, in his sixty-ninth year. One interesting fact remains now to be noticed in connection with the history of this church: that from its first organization for the long period of one hundred and forty-eight years only five ministers had served it, and who in all of that time lived and died here in their several charges and lie buried in its ancient graveyard, indicating a degree of faithfulness on the part of the pastors and harmony in the congregation that is creditable to both as a noteworthy example. p687 The Rev. John Linn Withrow was installed pastor in May, 1863, and remained until November, 1868, when he received the charge of the Arch Street Church, Philadelphia. He was succeeded by Rev. Samuel T. Lowrie in May, 1869, who left in July, 1874, to accept a professorship in the Theological Seminary at Allegheny. In his farewell sermon to the congregation he stated that in liberality this church ranked the fourth or fifth in the Presbytery; that in this year twelve hundred and twenty dollars had been given to benevolent purposes outside of its own operations; and that its three Sabbath-schools and two hundred and fifty scholars in 1869 had increased to four, with four hundred and fifty pupils and thirty-nine teachers. The Rev. L. W. Eckard, the present pastor, was installed May 25, 1875. Abington has been the parent of Huntingdon Valley Presbyterian Church, built in 1860; of Grace Church, at Jenkintown; and of Carmel Chapel, at Edge Hill village. The membership of this congregation in September, 1884, was two hundred and fifteen, with two hundred and fifty pupils in the Sabbath-school. The present handsome brown sandstone structure was erected in the place of the former church in 1863. It is of one story, with stained-glass windows, the main part being about forty by sixty-six and one-half feet, with a rear addition, making the total length one hundred and eighteen feet. The tower and spire is also built of dressed stone and is one hundred and eighty feet in height, and from its elevated position forms a conspicuous landmark for miles around. The graveyard has been enlarged again and again, and now contains about one and a half acres, the whole inclosed with a substantial stone wall. As it has been undoubtedly used now as a place of interment for more than one hundred and sixty years, it may be well supposed that being in such a populous section, there must be many buried here. The earliest stone containing an inscription bears the date of 1728. Among the numerous names we find those of Barnes Hill Ramsey Adams Murray Vancourt Beatty Nash Boutcher McNeal Shelmore Dixon Yerkes Collom Boileau Briton Wood Ottinger Kline Huston Folwell Walker Fulton Wynkoop Wells Henry Fetters Carr McDowell Major Brown Elliott Dubree Roberts Nicholas McVaugh Kesler Wilson Foster Hart McAdams Krier Larzelere Gillingham Lukens Rogers Stevens Dananhower Mann Paxson Wigfall Allen Thornton Solliday Nicholson Ritchie Keightley Kennedy Torrance Dubois Evans Chilcott Bockius Streaper Tomlinson Morrow Bennett Rex Shaw Lambaert Morgan McCalla Ervien Homiller Morrison Scott Booskirk Vansant Blake Ayres Shipps Dean Harvey Holmes Willard Benezet Tennent and Stewart. Among the distinguished dead that repose here may be mentioned Gilbert Tennent, Samuel Finley (president of Princeton College), Robert Loller, William Dean, Hiram McNeal and N. B. Boileau. [END] Patrice (Fulton) Stark Lone Tree, Colorado