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About Us
The History of the First United Methodist Church of Hershey Although the First United Methodist Church of Hershey has been known by a
number of names, there has been continuity in its ministry to
the members of the congregation and to the entire community.
The history of our church dates to 1843 when two United
Brethren ministers, Reverend Simone Knoll and Reverend Samuel
Enterline approached the leaders of the "Old Mennonites" who
resided in the Village of Derry and asked permission to preach
and hold revival meetings in the Spring Creek Meeting House,
which was owned by the "Old Mennonites." Permission was
reluctantly granted and the United Brethren Church became a
reality in the Village of Derry.
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Soon a new name was given to the
building where the United Brethren were meeting - instead of
being know as the Spring Creek Meeting House, it became known
as the United Brethren Meeting House. Located on what is now
Park Avenue, this structure, together with the
old church
cemetery directly behind it, can still be seen.
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About 1880, the church structure
was improved and beautified, and a new name "Salem United
Brethren Church" (pictured above) was adopted. The year 1903 marked the
construction of the church's first parsonage, even though the
Salem United Brethren Church was but a part of circuit
pastoral assignment.
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The greatest
growth of the congregation coincided with the establishment of the
chocolate factory in the community by Milton S. Hershey. Soon thereafter
the name of the community was changed from Derry to Hershey. With the
growth of the community and the congregation, the Board of Trustees and
the Official Board petitioned the 1911 session of the Eastern
Pennsylvania Conference of the United Brethren Church to make the church
a separate station and charge. |
Meanwhile, the congregation continued to grow, crowding the Park
Avenue facilities. An addition was constructed during 1912 and dedicated
February 2, 1913. On that same date the name of the church was changed
from Salem to "First United Brethren Church of Hershey".
However, the facilities were still inadequate for the ever growing
congregation and the Trustees undertook the task of finding a new
location for the church building.
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In 1914, the site upon which our present edifice stands, at the
corner of Chocolate and Linden Road (then know as Prince Street), was
purchased for the sum of $6,500. On January 10, 1927 the Board of
Trustees voted to proceed with the erection of a new church structure
(pictured above). Pursuant to this decision a formal ground breaking
ceremony was held at the site on January 24, 1927.
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The main entrance of
FUMC-Hershey (photo by Bill Fraley)
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The cornerstone laying service was held on Easter Sunday, April 8,
1928. Dedicatory services for the new edifice were held Sunday, November
25, 1928.
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The construction resulted in an indebtedness of $35,000 and, in order
to cover this amount, numerous members of the congregation mortgaged
their homes - a tremendous act of faith!
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When the congregation first moved to its present location, the long
range plans were to add educational facilities to the church structure
and to build a parsonage adjacent to the church. These projects were
brought to fruition in 1935 as a direct result of a $20,000 gift from
Milton S. Hershey. Each church of Hershey at that time received a
similar gift.
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Continued growth of the congregation, by then known as the First
Evangelical United Brethren Church a result of the merger in 1946 of the
Evangelical and the United Brethren denominations, resulted in an
$80,000 addition being erected in 1950. This project added
administrative and church school facilities. Before long these
facilities again proved inadequate, for by 1960 the membership exceeded
1,000 and the average Sunday School attendance was nearly 500.
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The
Linden Avenue entrance of FUMC-Hershey
(photo by Bill Fraley)
Another church configuration was completed in 1962, with construction
added to the east end of the 1950 structure. The cost of this addition
was $185.000.
The second half of the decade of the 1960's brought about the last
change in the name of the congregation. This resulted from the merger of
the Evangelical United Brethren and the Methodist Churches in 1968 into
the denomination today known as United Methodists.
Renovations to the church property in the 1970's included the
construction of a two car garage and storage facility, modernization of
the social room and kitchen, relocation of the church lounge, the
offices of both pastors, and the nursery and kindergarten departments.
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In 1998 and 1999 a $1.3 million addition and renovation took place.
This project included the conversion of the former senior pastor's
parsonage into staff offices, the addition of a new main entrance and
narthex, renovation of the kitchen and social hall, addition of
classrooms, a new elevator, a new library, a new parlor, a new sacristy,
painting of the sanctuary, new handicap accessible restrooms, new
landscaping, addition of a prayer garden, and general refurbishing
throughout the building. All of this serves to enhance the facilities
for greater ministries in the name of Christ. The congregation joined
enthusiastically in this project - "Growing Together in
Faith".
Certainly the materialistic history of the church structure is but a
minor part of the story of First Church. The greater portion is untold
in this brief resume for it would be the story of the dedication of the
many Christian men, women, and youth who faithfully served their God and
their fellow man. With a present membership of more than 1,300, the
future is only what the membership wills it to be.
Compiled by Dr. L. Eugene Jacques
FUMC-Hershey's Cemetery -
Learn more about its history
here.
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