The Bell Tower @ Chestnut Street Chapel - Gap, PA
N 39° 59.143 W 076° 01.033
18S E 413151 N 4426667
Beautiful, 19th century church, high on a hill, with a country-style bell tower adorned with colorful stained glass and that old time feel beckoning back to an easier and simpler time.
Waymark Code: WMDMDE
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 01/30/2012
Views: 2
The church is located at the intersection of Chestnut & Bridge Streets. There is a terrific little bell on the top reminiscent of quaint country days gone by. The open bell tower is made of wood, rather small and only has room for the bell. All along the sides are stained glass. The church is kind of narrow in with but long on the back. It is decked out in white siding with a rather high concrete base which seems to be slowly disappearing into the ground. Perhaps the church was intentionally built into the hill which is why it has the look of sinking. A sign on the front says Sunday School is 9:15 AM. This is for its current owner, Chestnut Street Chapel.
There is a cornerstone at the front left, 4 feet high off the ground. It is a gray block set into concrete with the following inscription:
Gap
M.E. Church
A.D. 1875
The building currently used by Chestnut Street Chapel is located at 866 Chestnut Street, Gap, PA 17527. The building was built by the congregation of the Methodist Church at Gap. This congregation was begun in 1821 as the Asbury Methodist Episcopal Church along the current Simmontown Road in Sadsbury Township. When that building was in need of repairs, the congregation under the Rev. F.R. Merrill decided to move to Gap where more people lived.
Land on the corner of Chestnut Street and (what is now) Bridge Street was purchased from George H and Annie Rutter for $650. A building committee was appointed consisting of B.P. Livinston, W. Robinson, Sam'l R. Linville and S.O. Linville. The new Methodist Church with its beautiful stained glass windows was dedicated on February 6, 1876. Two windows at the back of the pulpit have names of seventeen early leaders of the congregation. The larger windows along the sides of the building have scenes portraying Jesus as well as the names of prominent members of the church. This society congregation was conneced with the Georgetown Methodist Episcopal which together constituted the Georgetown & Gap circuit beginning in 1873. It was part of the Susquehanna District. The first pastor was Rev. J.R. Merrill. He was followed by Rev's W.M. Douney, A.J. Amthor, J.A. Cooper, E.C. Yerkes and L.D. McClintock.
In May 2000, the Gap building was sold when the Atglen and Gap congregations joined together and moved to the Atglen location. In 2003 a new congregation formed and began meeting in this building which is now called Chestnut Street Chapel. When the Rutter house next to the church was sold, the church was also able to acquire this. Improvements to the church building include new carpet, new heating system and air conditioning.