An American Family History

The original church was organized in the early 19th century when a group of German Lutherans came to Ohio from Virginia. At that time, Lawrenceville was called Noblesville (until about 1876). The church was named Mount Pisgah for the mountain where Moses saw the Promised Land for the first time.

The old log church was a Union Church with two congregations; Lutheran and Reformed. In the original church men and women worshiped separately. The men entered from the south and worshipped in the gallery. The women entered in the east and sat below. The pulpit was an octagonal box 6 or 8 feet above the floor which was reached by a winding stair. Services were in German. The first school was near the church.

Mr. and Mrs. John Metz [son and daughter-in law of Peter Metz and Susannah Baker], Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Miller, Jacob Baker, Samuel Baker, John Baker, Rueben Friermood, Emmanuel Circle, Squire Bowman, Abe Rust and others were active in organizing the church.

The shared church continued until about 1848 when differences arose and they decided to separate. The Reformed congregation erected a building on the present site. It was then called the "German" Reformed Church. The building committee for the new church included John Xanders, and Samuel Baker. Among those who subscribed most liberally were Samuel Baker (father of Silas Baker), and John Xanders. Some of them are said to have given $100.00 each!