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The
Disciple Church, in the southern part of the
village [of Milledgeville], was built in 1875, and is a plain, but
substantial and well-finished, edifice. The present [1877] pastor is Elder Baker. The Disciples, or
Campbellites, as they are otherwise known, had an organization in and
about the village at an early day, and the union church, now used for
public meetings, and, occasionally, as a select-school building, was
mainly erected by them, and was standing in 1852, on the north side of
the village. Their first preaching was during that year, by John Phillips,
now extensively
engaged in the oil business in Butler and Venango counties.
There was an extensive revival under his preaching, and the church owes
its existence mainly to his labors. The first family of Disciples in
the neighborhood was the Chatleys,
the date of whose settlement is mentioned above. The cost of their
present [1877] church was about $1,800.
History
of Mercer County, 1877, page 41
| The Samuel Chatley family
were the first members of the church |
As early as 1852 Elder John Phillips, since
engaged extensively in the oil business, preached in Milledgeville, and
planted the seeds of the present Christian congregation. The family of Samuel Chatley were the first
members, and aided in planting the cause which they profess. This
congregation aided largely in building the old union meeting-house,
which was used also for school purposes. In 1875, however, they erected
a plain but substantial structure of their own. Elder B. E. Baker, who since
joined the Free Will Baptists, was pastor of the congregation at the
time. The congregation is in good condition, and is under the pastoral
care of the preacher in charge of the Sandy Lake congregation.
History of Mercer County,
1888, page 533
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