1806 Old Log Church

1806 Old Log Church. . , This log church, built in 1806, on land donated by John Schell, the founder of Schellsburg, is the oldest church structure in Bedford County. Two congregations, the German Reformed and Lutherans, shared this church until both congregations moved to new structures in the town of Schellsburg by 1852. , The logs for each side of the church were donated by four early pioneers of the area: John Schell, John Mowry, Jacob Hillegass and George Rock. Legend says that members brought their dogs to keep their feet warm prior to the purchase of a stove and pipe in 1809! The wineglass-shaped pulpit, stairs, pews, galleries, floor and plaster were added a few years later for a grand total of $225.91 ½ cents to complete the church. In 1881 white weather boarding was placed over the logs on the exterior. However, in 1936, the weather boarding was removed, and ever since the structure has been called "The Old Log Church.” , According to accounts passed down through the years, the earliest burial occurred in 1806, when workmen were completing the roof on the church and came down to help clear the underbrush to aid in the burial. No marker exists for this grave; however, it is believed that her last name was Whetstone and a line of markers for other members of the Whetstone family can be found a few yards south of the door to the church. In 1860, Peter Schell, a son of John Schell, formed the Chestnut Ridge and Schellsburg Union Cemetery. Today there are over 4,500 burials in the cemetery including eight Revolutionary War soldiers and veterans from all wars to the present. , On January 12, 2005, the Old Log Church was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. , Funded in part by a grant awarded from the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources" Environmental Stewardship Fund, administered by the Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor..