Fairmount: Celebrating 200 Years of God’s Faithfulness
By Rev. Nathan Beard with Mrs. Debby Rabold
United Presbyterian Church USA. The minis- ter at the time, Rev. David R. Johnston, and the session saw the need to join a Biblically faithful denomination, and so he led the way into the ARPC. Rev. Johnston was also instru- mental in the Virginia Presbytery forming the Northeast Presbytery in the latter part of the 20th Century.
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In the early 19th Century, western Penn- sylvania’s ministers were itinerants, men who braved the elements, traveling the country- side to preach outdoors, in barns, crude log homes, or wherever the faithful gathered. Families living among the hills along the Big Sewickley Creek, which marks the bound- ary between Allegheny and Beaver counties, 13 miles northwest of Pittsburgh, met under a maple tree at Duff’s grist mill. The locals called (and still call) the area “Duff City” since the mill and the oil reserves found there might lead to the expansion of business traf- has more of a “country-feel” to it, though sur- rounded by continued suburban growth. At this location, the church families were visited by Reverend Robert Patterson in the 1810s. Patterson had served as principal of the Pitts- burgh Academy, the forerunner of the Univer- sity of Pittsburgh, before becoming pastor of While living in Ohio, Reverend John An-
newspaper West of the Allegheny Moun- Pittsburgh in 1821 and was subsequently ap- and nearby Sewickley congregations in June of 1822. The Duff Mill congregation was for- mally organized as a church on September 8, 1822, with the appointment of ruling elders. Before retiring in 1832, Reverend Andrews oversaw three Communion services in the summer and fall of 1831. They are described in the 50th Anniversary Exercises of the Pres- byterian Church, Sewickley, Pennsylvania 1888: These sacramental occasions were notable events and, in the language of my informant, “were attended by great crowds of people from the [Neville] Island, the hills and bottoms, and
May/June 2022
airmount Presbyterian Church in Frank- lin Park, Pennsylvania, joined the ARP Church in 1982, withdrawing from the
across the river, for miles around.” The service, of necessity, was held out of doors, the house being too small to hold the assembly. The minister stood under a tent or canopy of boards. The services began usually on Thursday, with two sermons; a solemn fast on Friday; another sermon and the baptisms on Saturday; two, sometimes three ser- vices on Sunday, and again a sermon on Monday. work was suspended, and the whole time given to the church services. Tokens were used, and no one was allowed to commune who had not attended the stated preparatory meetings and received the necessary token. Following Rev. Andrews’ departure, the Sewickley congregation disbanded for a short time, however, the larger Duff Mill congrega- tion continued to grow. Circa 1830, the con- gregation built a brick meeting house on a nearby hilltop on land given by the Duff fami- ly. Beginning in 1838, the congregation would be known as Fairmount Presbyterian Church. For 200 years, God’s faithful have wor- shipped and buried their dead at Fairmount. There are more than 500 burials in the historic church cemetery, the borough’s earliest. The oldest marker dates from 1822. Military vet- erans from as early as the American Revolu- tion are buried here along with generations of Fairmount Church families whose markers display two centuries of grave artistry. After a fire destroyed the Fairmount
Church building in 1902, the congregation continued to hold services in the neighbor- Methodist] church while they built the frame church that was dedicated in 1903 and is still in use almost 120 years later. The worship room still has the old beautiful engraved tin ceiling, which also makes the acoustics re- sound as the Lord’s praises are sung by the congregation. Rev. David Johnston, his wife, Connie, and his family served at Fairmount from 1968 to 1998, being the 25th minister to serve there. Following brief min- istries by Revs. Barry Wells and Glen Goforth, Rev. Tony Cowley, his wife, Natalie, and his family ministered from 2004 to 2014. In
July of 2015, after some pulpit supply by Rev. Jay McMillen, Rev. Nathan Beard and his wife, Kelly, were called to minister at Fairmount and continue today. Fairmount recently hosted the Spring Stated Meeting of the Northeast Presbytery and was honored with the presentation of a bronze memorial plaque from the NEP, which - ness through the generations, spoken of in Psalm 100. This year, 2022, Fairmount is celebrating 200 years of God’s faithfulness. We honor and - ful saints who came before us while looking build one another up, and spread the gospel near and far. We are thankful for Christ’s promise, “I will build my Church, and the gate abroad, to remain faithful lampstands, shin- that great Day when Christ returns. Fairmount is planning a celebration week- end, Thursday, September 8, through Lord’s Day, September 11, 2022. Our Lord willing, speaker, along with other special guests. To register to be a part of this exciting weekend, and for up-to-date information, go to www.
fairmountarpchurch.com or email: fairmoun-
tarpc@gmail.com.
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News In Brief
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