St. Gabriel's Church - Cole's Creek, PA - This Old Church on Waymarking.com

The original church was constructed of rough hewn pine logs in 1812. It burned in a fire on April 9, 1876. The congregation wasted no time in re-building their place or worship, and the cornerstone for the new church building was laid on May 23, 1876. The first service in the new building was held on Thanksgiving in 1876, and the building was consecrated May 1, 1877.

The church has lovely stained glass side windows which were given by descendants of the pioneer families who were members of the original congregation. The "St. Gabriel" window above the altar was consecrated in 1922.

Upon arriving at the site you will see a bell tower located at the edge of the clearing in front of the church. The bell was cast in Troy, NY, and was a gift from Blanche A Berard. It was originally hung in a pine tree in 1884, and was later refurbished at the McShane Bell Foundry in Maryland. The bell was then re-hung in the current tower built by Franklin Newhart and re-dedicated in July, 2000.

The church was closed up when we visited, but you may call ahead to see if you can obtain access to the interior:
Phone: 570-752-6205 (The Rev. Robert Brueckner, Licensed Pastor in Residence)

Sunday services are at 10 am. with Rev. Robert M. Brueckner. Eucharist every 1st and 3rd Sundays. Morning Prayer other Sundays.

While you are here it is worth your time to take a walk through the cemetery grounds which are situated immediately behind the church. It contains graves of many pioneer settlers of the area, many of whom were veterans of the Revolutionary War.

Date the Church was built, dedicated or cornerstone laid: 05/23/1876 Age of Church building determined by?: Other reliable source If denomination of Church is not part of the name, please provide it here: Episcopal If Church holds a weekly worship service and "all are welcome", please give the day of the week: Sunday Indicate the time that the primary worship service is held. List only one: 10:00 AM Street address of Church: PO Box 347 Benton, PA USA 17814-0347 Primary website for Church or Historic Church Building: [Web Link] If Church is open to the public, please indicate hours: Not listed Secondary Website for Church or Historic Church Building: Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   08/25/2008 techiegrl64 visited it

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