The Church of Messiah was considered one of the most successful small churches in Montgomery County. With contributions of wealthy families from Philadelphia arriving in the Gwynedd countryside, the church continued to gain more support and was able to serve the people of Lower Gwynedd.
Early Beginnings
Since the arrival of new settlers in Gwynedd, there has been a large number of Quakers, but not a lot of Episcopalians. In 1860, there were only seven Episcopal churches in Montgomery County, and the closest on in Gwynedd was at the St. Thomas' Church in Whitemarsh.
Fun Fact #1: The St. Thomas' Church in Whitemarsh was one of the oldest Episcopal church in the United States
After the North Pennsylvania Railroad was built along with the stations built in Penllyn and Gwynedd Valley, newcomers from the city began to move out into the Philadelphia suburbs to establish country homes to live in. There were a number of Episcopalians coming into the Gwynedd countryside, and Reverend Samuel Edwards used that opportunity to hold services at the home of Rodolphus Kent, whose home is next to the Gwynedd Valley Station.
In 1866, Reverend Henry R. Smith organized a church along with others, and thus named the church as we know it today: the Church of the Messiah.
Building a Church
The first service was held at the former Gwynedd School on Dekalb Pike (State 202). By 1868, the church was admitted into the Diocese of Pennsylvania. After being admitted, the organization purchased two acres between the Gwynedd School and the lot of Jacob Acuff, who owned the William Penn Hotel at the time.
On August 27, 1870, ground was broken for the church to be built. On August 10, 1871, the cornerstone was laid by Bishop William B. Stevens, holding their first service at the newly built church on Christmas day the same year.
In 1876, Philadelphia chemist John Gilbert's wife gave the church a 400-pound, "very sweet toned" bell that can be heard miles away. It was possible that the Gilbert family became the first summer family who contributed more to the church.
Fun Fact #2: The Church of the Messiah organized a mission in Lansdale on February 8, 1885. The Gywnedd and Lansdale churches worked together to generate more funds and pay for the minsters; The Gywnedd church service was held in the mornings while the Lansdale church held their services in the afternoons.
As the church continued to face financial problems and the Gilbert family moving out of Gwynedd, the only "summer person" who was willing to help the church was William Singlerly who recently established two farms in Spring House and Franklinville.
The Church About to Close Its Doors
As the Church of the Messiah was about to close its doors, new families continued to arrive in Gwynedd: The Ingersolls, the Bonds, and the Taylors. Civil War veteran Tattnall Paulding also arrived at the scene, who became the savior of the church.
Colonel Tattnall Paulding was born on July 5 near Huntington, New York. Following in his father's and grandfather's footsteps, Tattnall entered into the military at the outbreak of the Ciivl War. He was with the 7th New York Militia Regiment to Washington, and President Abraham Lincoln offered him to command the 6th United States Calvary. After the war, Tattnall settled down in Philadelphia. In 1872, he became a vestryman of the St. Luke's Church in Germantown. He then moved to North Wales in 1890 where he became involved in both the Gwynedd and Lansdale churches. He was the one who read services in both the mornings and afternoons at the two churches. After being relieved from the Lansdale church, Tatnall became the rector's warden at the Church of the Messiah. He was known for his enthusiasm in humanity such as helping young men get a start in life; visit the sick; be the children's friend.
1895 was a rough year for the church as more families continued to move out of the area. When new, wealthy Philadelphians arrived to built their country homes, there was hope that the church will continue to hold services.
Bibliography
Bean, Theodore Weber. History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Volume 2. (Philadelphia: Everts & Peck, 1884): 743, 854.
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"In Memoriam: Col. Tattnall Paulding." The Church Standard 92, no. 1 (1907): 705.
"Our History." Church of the Messiah. Accessed March 5, 2022. https://www.messiahgwynedd.org/history-celebrating-150-years.
Pierson, Robert. "St. Thomas’, Whitemarsh Hosts ECS Families For Their Annual Harvest Fest Celebration." Episcopal Community Service. Last modified October 22, 2014. https://ecsphilly.org/st-thomas-whitemarsh-hosts-ecs-families-for-their-annual-harvest-fest-celebration/.
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Wainwright, Nicholas B. History of the Church of the Messiah, Gwynedd, its first hundred years, 1866-1966. (Gwynedd, 1966).