Fredonia Presbyterian Church - formerly United Presbyterian Church

In 1873 (three years before the borough was incorporated) Erie Presbytery commissioned the Fredonia charge; however, the seeds of their convictions had been sown as early as 1799 and 1880 by Rev. Samuel Tait who established the Fairfield and Coolspring congregations and helped to build their first tiny round log meeting houses.

In those early days, when yet not a single road crossed the virgin timber-clas county, Sunday School was not included in worship or learning program of the church. The Sabbath was considered to be too sacred to be desecrated by any gathering which bore resemblance to a school.

 (It was Samuel Webster, who taught a back-woods one roomer near the Upper Salem Presbyterian Meeting House in Delaware Township, who moved to organize the first Sunday School in Mercer County after he heard Rev. Tait preach there.)

We have, however, no record that Fredonia Presbyterians held Sabbath School classes during the two years they met in the former “select school” on Main Street (the present [1976] Mike J. Shardy, Jr. home) or the then very new Methodist Church in the village, the Union Church, Delaware Grove or the ‘original School’ in Delaware Township.

In 1875 they erected their present house of worship at the cost of $3,000. Improvements of many kinds, remodeling, repair and additions, have been made from time to time, through generous contributions of time, talent and tithe. One of the most recent was a memorial gift to the ‘Glory of God’ for Paul D. McKnight, who lost his life in Vietnam. (The sacred chimes from the carillon may be heard across the valleys and hills both at noon and eventide).

Rev. Richard A. Madsen has served the Fredonia and Coolspring congregations since 1970.

Former ministers are listed as follows: Rev. James McClean, Rev. G. W. Bean, Rev. J. M. Robinson, Rev. Mr. Newell, Rev. Thomas Hickling, Rev. J. M. Stitt, Rev. A. D. Lowers, Rev. S. L. Boston, Rev. James Ervine, Rev. J. A. Sherrard, Rev. William F. Shannon who served for 30 years, Rev. F. B. Marks, Rev. G.W. Peoples, Rev. Charles Stunkard who pastored the two churches for 24 years,  Rev. John A. Walker, pastor emeritus, served for 14 years.

Source: Fredonia Centennial Book, 1837-1976, by Fredonia Centennial- Bicentennial Committee, 1976

Fredonia Presbyterian Church, 1976

The Early Days of the Fredonia Presbyterian Church

The Presbyterian Church was organized in 1875 by Rev. James McLean, and a house of worship, a frame structure, about 40x50, erected at a cost of $3,000.  The congregation is mainly a colony from the Cool Spring Presbyterian Church, and embraced in its list of original members James Walker and wife and children, A. D. Walker and Miss Callie Walker, Thomas McCleary and wife, Dr. C. Byles and wife, Misses Jennie, Lizzie and Julia Byles, William Moore and wife, James Byers and wife, Elias Orr and wife, Robert, Samuel and John Orr, and Misses Sade, Mary and Maggie Orr, Samuel White and wife, Samuel Baker and wife and Charles Baker and wife.  The following is the list of pastors:  Revs. James McLean, Thomas Hickling, J. M. Stitt, A. B. Lowes, S. L. Boston and J. E. Irvine, the present incumbent [1888].

from The History of Mercer County, 1888, page 514