An undated picture post card view of the Evangelical Congregational Church of Gratz, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. This building was erected about 1846 and the church was also known as Samuel’s Church.
As a result of the differences in doctrine arising from the “New Measures” which swept traditional churches in the 1840s, a group of members of the Simeon’s Lutheran and Reformed congregations broke away and established this church as “Samuel’s Lutheran and German Reformed Church.” By 1870, the congregation decided to sell the church, amends having been made with Simeon’s. It was purchased by the Evangelical Association of Gratz, and after the sale it became “Samuel’s Evangelical Church of Gratz.”
Beyond 1870, this church had a troubled history which included a congregational rift and a law suit. After mergers, it became known as the United Evangelical Congregational Church. In the early 21st century, the building was sold and the congregation re-located under a different name on the outskirts of town. The church building still stands today, incorporated into the headquarters complex of the Gratz Bank.
__________________________________
Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.