Zion Reformed Church of the United Church of Christ, more commonly known as Zion Reformed Church or Zion UCC is a congregation of the

United Church of Christ The United Church of Christ (UCC) is a socially liberal mainline Protestant Christian denomination based in the United States, with historical and confessional roots in the Congregational, Restorationist, Continental Reformed, and Lutheran t ...

in the borough of

Chambersburg Chambersburg is a borough in and the county seat of Franklin County, in the South Central region of Pennsylvania, United States. It is in the Cumberland Valley, which is part of the Great Appalachian Valley, and north of Maryland and the Ma ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

, United States. It belongs to the Mercersburg Association of the Penn Central Conference of the United Church of Christ. The congregation was organized in 1778 or 1779, but its first church building was not built until 1811–1813. This structure is still used for weekly worship, besides special services and other events, and is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

. ''Note:'' This includes

History

The church is one of three churches in Chambersburg known as "rose rent churches." Every June these churches pay a single rose in rent to the descendants of Benjamin and Jane Chambers, according to the terms of the 18th century deeds. The church is built in a classic Georgian style. For many years it had the largest auditorium in Chambersburg and hosted many well-known speakers, including Archbishop John Hughes in 1842 and

Schuyler Colfax Schuyler Colfax Jr. ( ; March 23, 1823January 13, 1885) was an American journalist, businessman, and politician who served as the 17th vice president of the United States from 1869 to 1873, and prior to that as the 25th Speaker of the United Sta ...

in 1867, then

Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hung ...

and later Vice President. Besides the building itself, its two original chandeliers are of interest. The chandelier in the entryway is plain and has been electrified. The other, in the sanctuary, is a Waterford crystal chandelier,Zion Reformed Church
/ref> and is similar to some which are found in St. Paul's Cathedral, although it is larger than them. It is lit on Thanksgiving Eve and Christmas Eve every year. It was added to the

in 1979, and is located in the

Chambersburg Historic District Chambersburg Historic District is a national historic district centered on the Memorial Fountain and Square of Chambersburg in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. The district includes 159 contributing buildings in the central business district and ...

Pastors

File:Library of Congress - Chambersburg, Pa. - 001.jpg, 1877 view from Zion's steeple looking north toward Chambersburg's Diamond or central square, marked by the tall steeple in the distance.

References

External links

Official websitePenn Central Conference of the United Church of Christ
United Church of Christ churches in Pennsylvania Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania Georgian architecture in Pennsylvania Churches completed in 1813 19th-century United Church of Christ church buildings Churches in Franklin County, Pennsylvania National Register of Historic Places in Franklin County, Pennsylvania Individually listed contributing properties to historic districts on the National Register in Pennsylvania {{Pennsylvania-church-stub

History

Pastors

See also

References

External links