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Lutheran Church
This church was first served by Rev. J. C. Eggers, commencing June 30, 1844 with a congregation of 18 members. In its early existence, the Luthern congregation, along with the German Reformed met in the elementary school. A building committee appointed conjointly with the Reformed people, was formed on July 28th, 1844 to purchase a piece of ground and erect a church for their joint use. It was used until 1869, when the congregation sold its share of the church, bought and remodeled the Episcopal property which had been built on jail hill, at High & Penn Sts, in 1842. This church was dedicated in 1870 and used by the Lutheran's until it was destroyed by fire in 1887. Worship services were moved into rooms above the Farmer's Bank at High & Spring Sts. By 1889, they had begun building at the corner of Allegheny and Linn streets, completing the building in 1893 at a cost of $15,000. A parsonage was added in 1913.
In 1921, an organ was purchased, at a cost of $3,250. Although the organ was said to have a 30 year life span, it was in use into 1970, when the church moved to McAllister St.
Methodist Church
The first chapter in the history of Methodism in Bellefonte dates back to the period of the "circuit rider." The earliest recorded mention of the "circuit rider" in Bald Eagle Valley was made in connection with the name of Philip Antis. In July 1787, Philip Antes, with his family, moved into Bald Eagle Valley and settled near the present site of Curtin. The house of Mr. Antes became a home and preaching place for the pioneer circuit riders of the Methodist Episcopal Church until 1806. In that year the first Methodist Church within the bounds of Centre County was erected at Curtin's Works.
On May 6, 1791, a new circuit called Northumberland Circuit was formed. Extending from "Wilkes-Barre down the North Branch to Northumberland, thence up the West Branch and Bald Eagle Creek to four miles above Milesburg, thence four miles up Spring Creek, thence to Penn's Valley, down through Buffalo Valley to Northumberland." Each preacher traveled the circuit in four weeks, preaching every day, except when the distance between missions was too great. The preaching place that called for "four miles up Spring Creek" was no doubt on Logan's Branch of Spring Creek, In the neighborhood of Old Forge on Robert Valentine's farm.
The work of the circuit rider in Bellefonte in the early days proved to be effective as noted from the following: "A postscript of a letter dated Bellefonte, March 7, 1803, from Roland Curtin to Judge James Potter is as follows: P.S. The major part of Dunlop's hands are becoming Methodists, which prevents the rapid sale of whiskey I have had in November and December'."
In April 1817, James McGee, a blacksmith, removed from Antes neighborhood to Bellefonte. This event marks the beginning of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Bellefonte.
The Class of Bellefonte Methodists was organized at the new home of James McGee, in April 1817. The members of this original-class of which Mr. McGee was a leader were Mrs. Jane Harner, Miss Eliza M. Harner, Miss Jane Harner, James Rothrock, Robert Blakely, and Mrs. Robert Blakely.
Until 1822, the Methodists were without a church building. In 1820 they built a church on East High Street. Mr. Ward, one of the trustees, solicited and secured in Pittsburgh all the glass and paint used in glazing and painting the building. Other church members went to the woods, hewed trees, cut logs and had them sawed into lumber. Within two years the church was completed and dedicated. The first trustees were James McGee, George Kennedy, William Ward, James Crawford, and E. Purdue Jr. Robert Minshall and Samuel Bryson were the preachers and Henry Smith was the presiding elder in 1823.
In June 1823 the Methodist Episcopal Sunday School of Bellefonte was organized.
In 1853 the old stone church was replaced with a framed structure on High street. The present brick church on the corner of Spring and Howard streets was built in 1875, at a cost of about $ 20,000 and seats over 600 people. At that time Gov. Daniel H Hastings was the Sunday school superintendent. In 1885 Rev. M. K. Foster supervised the building of the parsonage next to the church on Linn street.
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