Saint John's Evangelical Lutheran Church - Connellsville, Pennsylvania
N 40° 00.976 W 079° 35.243
17T E 620553 N 4430519
The Saint John's Evangelical Lutheran Church is located at 144 E. South Street in Connellsville City, Fayette County, Pennsylvania
Waymark Code: WM9HXK
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 08/24/2010
Views: 1
The congregation was organized in the spring of 1871. It was a German-English congregation and continued that way until 1884 when the English Lutherans formed their own church (Trinity Lutheran). Most of the Germans came to Connellsville to find work in the B&O Yards and repair shops.
In 1874, the Disciples of Christ Church on South Alley and what is now Carnegie Avenue was purchased. This was a modest, one story stone meeting house, which in 1884 became an exclusively German church. This was due to the arrival of large numbers of German coal miners who sought work in the coke region.
In the spring of 1901, a new church was decided upon and the cornerstone was laid on September 4th of that year. The new church was built on the old site using the east and west stone walls of the original church. An addition of fourteen feet in the front of the building formed the vestibule and the two corner towers. The addition of 10 feet in the rear formed the Chancel area. The main entrance tower was tapped with a spire and cross.
The church is Gothic in style and built of red and yellow brick. the windows were of imported stained glass, highly decorative and depicting biblical scenes.
Around 1905, the original cross was replaced with a large electric frosted cross. However, it was blown down by high wind in 1946. The spire was then removed, and the tower was finished in brick.