Greenwood Township near Millerstown in Perry County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
The Reverend Peter Beaver
1782 to 1849
| | Perry County Bicentennial 1820 - 2020 | |
In the 18th century, thousands of French and German protestants migrated to Pennsylvania seeking religious freedom and rich farmland. George Beaver, a Huguenot from Alsace, arrived in 1741 and settled in Chester County.
A grandson, Peter Beaver, was born in Strasburg, Franklin County on December 15, 1782. Drawn to the ministry, he became a deacon, an elder and a local preacher in the Methodist Episcopal Church. Bishop Francis Asbury, the "Father of American Methodism", ordained Peter in 1809 at Elkton, Maryland.
He preached, without salary, in German and English churches in Lebanon, Berks, Dauphin and Cumberland (Perry) counties. in 1810, he was assigned as a "missionary to the Germans" and moved to the predominantly German Pfoutz Valley, Perry County. He served the first Methodist church in the valley, which had been established in 1807 just west of the present brick United Methodist Church.
Peter constructed a log homestead along the current Sunbury Path and supported his growing family by working at a local tannery and operating a store. He continued to preach until he left the valley in 1840 to serve in the
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Peter died on August 25, 1849 and is buried in the New Berlin cemetery. Son George bought the family homestead in 1830 and became a farmer. At one time, his progeny were associated with a third of the farms in the valley. Son Jacob fathered James Addams Beaver, governor or PA. And son Thomas moved to Danville in 1857 and became one of the preeminent iron mongers in the United States. His great wealth permitted him to establish endowments at Lafayette and Dickinson Colleges, the Danville Free Library, the Danville YMCA, and the United Methodist Church in Lewisburg.
Erected 2020 by Historical Society of Perry County.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Religion & Religious Structures • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Pennsylvania, Perry County Heritage Trail series list. A significant historical date for this entry is February 2, 1818.
Location. 40° 35.143′ N, 77° 5.776′ W.
Regionally, this marker is in South-Central Pennsylvania, in the Susquehanna Valley, and in Greater Harrisburg. It is also in the American Northeast, in the Mid-Atlantic, in Appalachia, and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Pfoutz Valley (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); A History of Millerstown Education (approx. 3.7 miles away); David Miller (approx. 3.9 miles away); The Founding of Millerstown (approx. 3.9 miles away); Millerstown
Credits. This page was last revised on August 4, 2024. It was originally submitted on August 4, 2024, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 301 times since then and 61 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on August 4, 2024, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
