Hain's Church

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Hain's Church

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Location

http://stjhains.org

591 N Church Road - Wernersville, Pennsylvania 19565

Phone: 610-678-2133

Coordinates S5,

Church: 40:20:20.89N 76:04:17.83W

Cemetery area west of Church building: 40:20:22.47N 76:04:24.76W

Cemetery area east of Church building: 40:20:22.91N 76:04:12.35W

Probably the original Hain's Cemetery: 40:20:22.32N 76:04:19.74W

Some notes taken from the Book History of St John's (Hain's) Reformed Church S3,

Church first called Cacoosing Church of Heidelberg Township well before 1776 - [p 10]

Cacoosing Creek - Now Lebanon Valley - Cacoosing Creek was just east of Wernersville - Now Heidelberg, Berks County - Palantinate families including Hain and Fischer families came to this area [p 11]

First mention of Hain's or Cacasi Church was 14 Jan 1739 - "At Cacusi near Oley - Built a log church" - [p 13]

George Hain gave the ground where the church was built - [page 24] - N1, [S6]

Hohn's Church Records 1745-1757 - [p 27] (Book of Baptisms)

Second Period - 1757-1810. John Waldschmidt [p 33] - "In 1757 Waldschmidt began to serve Cacusi (Now Hain's Church in Berks County"
- Baptisms 1757-1810

The Erection of the second church, 1766 [p 40] - I2,
- Limestone walls 3 feet thick - 40 ft wide (north to south) and 50 feet long (east and west) - 30 feet high to the square, or roof plates
- Good description of church construction (pages 40 and 41)

"In the year 1795 the congregation purchased a new organ, built by Tannenberg, of Lititz, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania." [p 58]

Third Period - 1810-1834 - Rev Philip Mayer - [p 127] -
- The Conflict of Languages - German/English - [p 134]
- Baptisms 1810-1834 - [p 137]
- Fischer (Fisher) - P 141 - 144
- Hain, Heckert - P 145-149

Church Remodeled - 1844 - [p 167] - I3 - N2 -
- Church re-dedicated 25 Dec 1844 [p 168]
- New Steeple 1851 - new bell dedicated 19 Oct 1851 [p 168]

Baptisms 1834-1871 [p169]
- Fischer (Fisher) - P 179-188
- Hain, Heckert - p 195-204

Confirmations (School Classes) 1834-1871 - [p 263]

Funerals 1834-1871 - [p 268]

Fifth Period 1871-1883 - Rev William F P Davis - [p 283]
- New Addition to the Church - cornerstone laid 26 May 1878 - Dedicated 16, 17 Nov 1878 - [p 285, 286, 287]
- Baptisms 1871-1883 - Fisher, p 290 - Hain, p 293
- Class Confirmations - [p 307]
- Marriages performed - p 309]
- Funerals - [p 312]

Sixth Period - 1883-1916 - Rev William J Kershner - [p 319]
- Baptisms - [p 320]
- Class Confirmations - [p 374]
- Marriages - [p 385]
- Funerals - [p 416]

Members List - 1916 - [p 441] (38 Fisher - Hain 53

The Church Land - a diagram of the land with an explanation - [p 457-59]
- "A - Four acres. Donated by George Hain at the time of the building of the first or log Church, about the year 1735."
- "E - Seven acres, 30 perches. Purchased from the Hain's Cemetery Company was incorporated under the laws of he Commonwealth of Pennsylvania September 11, 1876, Charter Book No 2, page 501, in Berks County Recorder's Office."
- In 1916 the Church had 40 acres and 88 perches of land - [p 459]

Early Families and Their Homes - [p 459]
- "The names Hain, Fisher, Ruth, ...represent probably most of the early or pioneer families of the congregation." [p 460]

Organ Dedication - 23 May 1904 [p 477, 478]
- First organ - 1789
- New organ incorporated the pipes of the old organ

The Sesqui-Centennial of Hain's Reformed Church - 3-10 Sept 1916 - Program [p 495]

Books

There have been three "History of Hain's Church" books published, and there is a translation copied by William Hinke available from the LDS Library catalog. The Hain's church records are also on Broderbund CD #129(maybe now numbered 166), but it suffers from the same debility that the others suffer. The spelling of the BINKLEY surname in these translations is unbelievably butchered, to the point where I can't separate the Bickee/Bickle/Bickel/Binckee/Binckle/Binkee/Binkel/Binkle/Binkley families one from the other.

I'm certain that Binkley is not the only surname so badly mixed up. There are many families throughout the US which had their immigrant ancestors move on from Hain's church in their early generations. I think we would all benefit from being able to view these original handwritten entries, so we could make our own judgment of whether they might be our family members or not.

The original records are available on microfilm from the LDS church. For the early records, check film no. 20350

The LDS church has not filmed the "original" Hain's church books.

LDS film 0020350 is the transcription made by William Hinke. It is the one
with all the spelling variations. It is quite obvious to me that, if a
person so skilled as Hinke could read the Binkley and Bickel names so many
different ways, the handwriting made it extremely difficult to discern the
lower case 'e' and 'l' at the end of the name. Whether there was a 'c' or
'n' or 'nc' preceding the 'k' was also problematic.

I would like to have the opportunity to look at the original handwritten
records, so that I can make my own interpretation of the problematic
entries.

I'm fairly certain that film 20350 has the original records. The description
says that it is "microfilm of the original records...." Perhaps someone on
the list has looked at this film and could confirm or correct me.

The following series (6 microfilms) also contains some of the original
records associated with Hain's church:

Church records, 1755-1949 [First Reformed]

Source: Unknown

Hain's Church Tour
Caldwell, Heckles & Egan, Inc - Saint John's Hains Church - Wernersville, PA == Historical renovation of 18th century church == Extensive interior finishes == Pew removal, refinishing and re-installation == Exterior masonry repairs == Roof repaired with new slate to match existing == Historical steeple repair == Designer: Richard Frantz- Pottstown, PA http://www.cheinc.com/st_johns_hains.htm
"There is a varied trip to the hill where Hain's Church peeps down into the Lebanon Valley -- The church built in 1766, which still presents above the main door a stone defaced in 1776, when the Declaration of Independence was read to the assembled congregation. Some who heard the words of defiance to King George thought of the legend on the stone, which told of the purpose of the members 'to be loyal to the King.' The cry was raised, 'The King must come out!' A ladder was brought and part of the inscription was removed, and the stone was left with message incomplete, so it is today." [1], pages 218, 219.
"In a letter dated January 14, 1739, Boehm complains of Goetschy's intrusion into his works, especially at Oley. He suggests that a minister be stationed at Oley, who could also serve Caucusi (Hain's Church) eight miles from the center of the Oley district and muxatawny ten miles distant." [S2] pages 76, 77.

Top of Page

Sources
	Source Citation	Image Click for Larger Image
S1	Book - Falls, John T. Seeing the Eastern States. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott Co, 1922. Repository: Google Books - Bk2951.	Google Books URL
S2	Book - Deatrick, W W Chairman. Centennial History of Kutztown Pennsylvania, The: Celebrating the Centennial of the Incorporation of the Borough - 1815-1915. Kutztown, Pennsylvania: Press of the Kutztown Publishing Company, 1915. - Bk2950. Repository: Google Books. Acc904 SB7/Folder 30.	Google Books URL
S3	Book - Kershner, William Jacob and Adam G Lerch. History of St. John's (Hain's) Reformed Church in Lower Heidelberg Township, Berks County, Penna. Reading, Pa: I. M Beaver, 1916. Bk2954 -	Archive.org URL
S4	Book - Miller, Daniel. Early History of the Reformed Church in Pennsylvania. Reading, PA: The Author, 1906. Bk2968 - (Note: Excerpts from selected pages relating to Hain's Church, Hain Family or George Hain: Doc0198.pdf )	Google Books URL
S5	Google Earth
S6	Deed: Deed, Berks County, Pennsylvania, Deed Book A, Vol. 3, Pages 25-27. "Deeds, 1734-1866 ; Indexes, 1752-1926" https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSFB-534L-2?i=16&cat=244401 , Film # 008066883 (accessed 3 Dec 2021), Doc6219.pdf - Deed Images: Doc6219.pdf - Transcription: Doc6219-Transcription.pdf
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Notes
N1	"The ground for the erection of a church was given by George Hain or Hen. George Hain, after whom the church was named, the donor of the land upon which the church was erected, died in the year 1746, as appears by an appraisment of his estate. The inventory was taken August 19, 1746, wherein mention is made of a certain tract of land on which the church stands, or out of which the church land was taken, which was valued and appraised at 10 pounds."
N2	"The stone over the door on the south side, containing the inscription and date of building, was also attended to. The inscription on the stone was in German and is as follows: 'All, die hier gesen aus und ein, Sollen Gott und dem Koenig unterthan sein,' - In English translation would read as follows: 'All who here go in and out Should be subject ot God and the King.' This couplet indicated their loyalty to England. But during the Revolution their sentiments had been changed, and the inscription became an eyesore. The work "king" was at the direction of the Building Committee, erased with chisel and hammer by Jonathan See, a son of the master carpenter. It was then repainted - the letters in black and the stone white." [S3, page 167]
N3

Images Click Thumbnails for larger Images
I1	I2	I3	I4	I5	I6

Hain's Church abt 1916	Church built in 1766	Third Church - 1844	Memorial Log Church, 1916
Ph7793.jpg [S3, front]	Ph7794.jpg [S3, facing page 40]	Ph7796.jpg [S3, facing page 168]	Ph7798.jpg [S3, p 493]