Huntingdon borough

Three Faiths, One Roof

Did you know? In March 1817 the ground under one unfinished Huntingdon church was deeded to three congregations at once.

The Lutherans had started it. About 1806 they began a brick church at the northeast corner of Church and Fourth Streets, but they could not raise the money to finish it. Their officers agreed to give the Protestant Episcopal congregation half of their interest in the ground and building if the Episcopalians would complete it. That arrangement did not succeed, and the Presbyterian congregation was admitted to an equal share.

The required money was subscribed. On March 11, 1817, Richard Smith and his wife conveyed lots 239, 240, 241 and 242 to trustees of the Protestant Episcopal Church, the Presbyterian congregation and the German Lutheran congregation. Under that tripartite arrangement the building was completed and occupied by the three congregations in turn for some years.

Some debts remained. The Episcopal and Presbyterian interests were sold at sheriff's sale and conveyed to Henry Miller on November 30, 1826, and the Lutheran interest was sold by the sheriff under a special act of Assembly and conveyed to Miller on January 20, 1841. Africa's 1883 county history says the building was used for religious and school purposes until about 1844, when it was torn down and its material used to build the academy on the corner of Moore Street.

Checked and confirmed. CONFIRMED 2026-10-30 against the sources listed: every factual sentence was tied to a verbatim passage and a script confirmed each passage is in its source. Where sources disagreed on a number, the number was left out.

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