George Johnson, the founder of the Methodist Episcopal church of Berlin, emigrated from Shepherdstown, Virginia, to this place about the year 1786. He was then a member of the Reformed church, but always cordially treated the Methodist missionaries that visited the county, and opened his house for public meetings, as there was no other place, and the Methodists met with great opposition. The people were very superstitious, and many of the more ignorant class believed that the Methodists had the power of bewitching people. After the execution of Spongenberger, Reformed minister, Johnson joined the Methodists in 1799. He was also made class-leader and local preacher. The meetings of the church were held at his house for many years. After he had abandoned his trade, hatter, he turned his shop into a place for worship, about 1822. Here meetings were held until 1835.
In 1834 James Platt donated the society a lot of land on which to erect a meeting-house. Through Mr. Johnson’s efforts, four hundred dollars was raised by subscription, and a small church was erected. The board of trustees consisted of Geo. Johnson, Frederick Garey, Daniel Landis and Daniel Weyant. Mr. Johnson was class-leader at the time. He was succeeded in 1835 by Austin Lane. Mr. Johnson died in 1837, at the age of seventy-three.
In 1851 the Methodist church building was sold to the Disciples for two hundred dollars, and the same year a brick church, costing about two thousand dollars, was erected on a lot of land donated to the society by Mrs. Sarah Platt. The church has had a hard struggle for life, but has steadily progressed and today is well supported.
(Source: History of Bedford, Somerset & Fulton Counties, PA; 1884)
About Author
