by Matthew Cumberledge
Southwestern Pennsylvania is a truly beautiful place. Spring is upon us, wild flowers are blooming, trees are getting their leaves, and the natural world is blossoming with life.
The COVID-19 pandemic has taken much from all of us; however, it cannot take away our ability to enjoy the wonders of the world in which we live. Even beyond the sights provided by nature, our faith has illuminated the very land in which we live.
So, let’s all go on a journey and experience the serene beauty of some of our local churches. PA Route 21 is the main east-west route that travels through Greene County, and the path it travels has been a main thoroughfare throughout the region since our pioneer settlers first started building their cabins in the rolling hills of southwestern Pennsylvania.
We’ll start our trip just outside of Greene County, in one of the oldest congregations in the region. In Masontown, at the Intersection of Sweet Pea’s Gas Station, take Leckrone High House Road heading southeast, follow it approximately two miles through the small community of Leckrone, and turn right onto Leckrone-Masontown Road. Just a few hundred yards after turning on Leckrone-Masontown Road, turn right onto Baker Hill Road, follow it to the top of the hill and turn onto Lutheran Church Road, and you’ll immediately see the sprawling Jacobs Lutheran Cemetery expanding before you with the church in the background.
Jacobs Lutheran Church, by all accounts, was established as a congregation in 1768, some eight years before the birth of the United States of America. This is a church that remembers her history well! The present church structure is of red brick, has a beautiful edifice, and was built around 1847 with significant additions and renovations over the succeeding years. This was not the first church to stand on this site. One cannot help but be drawn to the small hewn log building in the oldest section of the cemetery; this small building was rebuilt with the logs that formed the second church building to service the people of Jacobs Lutheran. This building was rebuilt and dedicated on Sunday, July 30, 1933, and stands as a present reminder of the very first families to practice their faith in this rural section of Fayette County. Many of these families can still be found in the area, and quite a few of their descendants crossed the Monongahela River to become some of the first residents of Greene County.
Now that we’ve spent a little bit of time enjoying Jacobs Lutheran Church and the centuries old hand-carved stones that mark the graves of her early congregants, let’s get back on the road!
Find your way back to Route 21 and head west into Greene County; we’ll be stopping at Greene County’s oldest church next! Many of you may already know where we are headed, but for those that do not, once you cross the Masontown bridge back into Greene County, stay on 21 for several miles and turn left onto Ceylon Road, right across from Michaels Auto Sales. This is a beautiful country road that will take you through some of the most amazing landscapes in Greene County. Follow Ceylon Road all the way to the end, where it meets Garards Fort Road, and turn right. Once you get into the village of Garards Fort, you’ll see the John Corbly Memorial Baptist Church (formerly known as the Goshen Baptist Church) sitting on a small knoll to the right.
The Goshen Baptist Church was created sometime around the year 1771, making it the first congregation that would be established in Greene County. The earliest church services were preached by the Reverend John Corbly in various homes of the congregants and little is known of the first dedicated church building. The current structure was built in 1862, and the bell tower was added later. It was on the second Sunday in May 1782, 238 years ago, that the Reverend John Corbly was walking with his family while preparing for church services when his family was attacked. There is a beautiful monument in the nearby Garards Fort Cemetery dedicated to the memory of the lost members of the Corbly family.
Now our journey is going to take us west on Garards Fort road for approximately 5 miles where we will turn right onto Lemley Road. If you need to take a break, stop and enjoy the wetlands preservation area and overlook that you’ll see driving along Garards Fort Road. Follow Lemley Road for about 2 miles, and then turn right onto Route 19. Follow Route 19 for about a mile and turn left onto Pitcock Run, and take it to White Barn Road. At the very top of the hill you’ll see Fairall United Methodist Church positioned with some of the most breathtaking views in the county.
Fairall is known by several folks in the area for being a great place to star gaze and watch the sunset. As you walk around the hill top, pay close attention to the many grave markers that inhabit the cemetery; near the back of the church, a large granite marker that commemorates the life of Caleb Ely who passed on from this life on May 4th 1915. Caleb Ely, born on July 29, 1829, is the farmer whose birthday gave birth to the Rain Day celebration in Waynesburg every July 29th. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Rain Day celebration this year has been cancelled, but you can stop at Fairall United Methodist Church to pay tribute to this well-known Greene County farmer and veteran of the Civil War.
Back on White Barn Road, continue heading west to Route 218. If you turn right, you’ll head back into Waynesburg, where you have a great opportunity, if you are hungry, to head into town and support one of our fine local restaurants and get lunch to go!
In the future, we’ll carry on with this journey and continue on through Rogersville, Pine Bank and Jollytown to visit some of the historic churches in the western half of the county.