Join Historical Society of Perry County members, guests, and the congregation from the Burns Valley Mennonite Church for a Christmas Carol Service on December 19th at 7:00 p.m. Nestled in Toboyne Township, the small country church is surrounded by the Tuscarora State Forest. The 167 year old church will ring out in Christmas spirit as the candlelit building will be warmed by the original wood stove. The caroling will transport you to days gone by! We hope you can join us for this truly moving and historic service! This event is not one to miss!
Address:
6025 Big Spring Rd., New Germantown, PA 17071
History of Fairview Church:
Built in 1857, Fairview Methodist Episcopal Church was constructed on 36 perches (approximately ¼ acre of land), and sold to the original trustees by Ephraim McLaughlin for the sum of twenty dollars. McLaughlin, of Scottish birth, was the owner of a nearby tannery and also a church trustee. All materials for construction were obtained locally–with foundation stone gathered from the nearby Conochocheague Mountain, brick made onsite near Sherman’s Creek, and timber sawn and milled at local mills.
Toboyne township’s population was much larger in the 19th century than it is today, with many of the township’s 2000 residents engaged in farming, tanning, milling, timbering, and other industries. The church was used throughout the 19th and first half of the 20th century until just after World War II, when the dwindling population forced the congregation to move its services to other locations. In 1975 the church conference approved its transfer to the Historical Society. Since that time the Society has undertaken restoration of both the interior and exterior façades.