The following history was written in 1889 by Rev. J. C. MELOY:
Somerset, the county seat of Somerset County, is one of the most beautiful towns in Western Pennsylvania. It is delightfully situated on a sandy knoll looking out to the east upon a fertile scope of country and a mile away to the west, upon the foot-hills of the Allegheny Mountains. It is a very pleasant summer resort and is visited by a goodly number of people who desire a quiet resting place during “the heated term”. The church here, was doubtless organized, near the close of the last century, probably in the year 1796, but by whom, or under what circumstances, is unknown at the present time, all the earlier records of the church having been lost in a disastrous fire which occurred in 1872. The name of Somerset appears for the first time in the minutes of Redstone Presbytery, in a list of churches asking for supplies, at a meeting held on the 18th of October, 1796. We infer from this record that the church was organized a short time before that, the Presbytery having failed to make any note of the fact. The congregation, probably, depended upon supplies, on up to the year 1817, as there is no evidence that a pastor had ever been settled among them before that time. The first record of a settlement is dated, October 21st, 1817, and reads as follows: “It was resolved to hold a meeting at Somerset, on the first Wednesday of December, at 12 o\’clock, for the purpose of ordaining and installing Mr. Ross in his charge”. At the October meeting “Mr. John Ross was examined on his experimental acquaintance with religion, theology, the learned languages and church history”, and Presbytery sustained his answers as parts of trial for ordination. The meeting at Somerset was held on the 3d of December, with three ministers present, viz.: Reverends Francis Herron, James Graham, and Thomas Hunt. After the propounding of the constitutional questions, Mr. Ross was ordained and installed.
Mr. Graham preached the sermon and Mr. Hunt presided and gave the charge. This relation continued a little less than two years and in October, 1819, Presbytery granted the request of Mr. Ross to be released. After this there was a protracted vacancy, during which time the church resorted to its long accustomed plan of asking Presbytery to send supplies. An old member of the church affirms, that about the year 1827, Rev. Stephen Frontis, a Frenchman, was pastor for about twelve months, a fact not referred to in the minutes of the Presbytery. It is recorded, that at a meeting of Presbytery, held in the Congruity Church, on the 15th of June, 1830, “a call was presented to the Presbytery, from the congregation of Somerset, for one-half of the ministerial labors of Mr. S. Howel Terry, with the exception of every eighth Sabbath, in which they promise him all they can raise by subscription. A like call was presented from the congregation of “Genner”, for the other half of Mr. Terry\’s labors, with a similar exception, in which they promised him $120 per annum, it being understood that the balance of Mr. Terry\’s support would be furnished by the Board of Missions of the General Assembly”. Mr. Terry accepted and was ordained and “installed as the regular pastor of the united congregations of Somerset and Genner”, July 7th, 1830. He continued pastor until the autumn of 1833.
About 1836 Rev. Robert M. Finley became pastor or Stated Supply and served the church for a number of years. In April, 1841, supplies are again appointed by Presbytery and so continued to be for sometime. His successor was Mr. Henry Davis, who took charge of the congregation about the year 1845 and continued one year. He was followed about the year 1849, by Rev. Peter Hassinger, who was pastor for two years.
After this there appears to have been another long vacancy, ending with the short pastorate of Rev. B. F. Myers, in 1859. And now, once more, the supply system was adopted, and a number of young men, either from the seminary, or but recently graduated, filled the pulpit, among whom the names of Lyon, Agnew, Graham, and Kuhn are still held in remembrance. Of these, Rev. Loyal Young Graham afterwards settled and continued to discharge the duties of the pastoral office for a period of five years, commencing with 1861. Mr. Kuhn was here for about one year, but was not installed. Rev. Henry Bain also supplied the church for one summer. In 1870 Rev. William Edgar became Stated Supply and served the church for a year and a half.
After this there followed three pastorates, viz.: Rev. S. S. Bergen, from 1876 to 1878; Rev. C. B. Wakefield, from 1880 to 1882; and Rev. C. C. B. Duncan, from September 1882, to May, 1885. Since the release of Mr. Duncan, the church has been vacant, but is now earnestly seeking a pastor who shall go in and out before the people.
The first church building in which the congregation was interested was of stone, held jointly by the Reformed and Presbyterians. This arrangement was not satisfactory to either congregation and the Presbyterians sold out their interest to their neighbor for the sum of $300. On the 1st of April, 1856, the congregation, through their trustees, Daniel Stahl and Andrew Stewart, bought a lot on Union Street of G. B. Fundenberg, M.D., at a cost of $450, on which a beautiful brick church 36x 52 feet was built, at a cost of $1,650, and dedicated, April 15th, 1857. This house was burnt in a disastrous fire, which fairly swept the town, on the 9th of May, 1872. Fortunately the congregation had an insurance of $2,000 on the old building. With this and the liberal assistance of many friends, they began to rebuild in 1874, and in the following year had the pleasure of worshiping in a building which had cost them $9,000. It is a beautiful structure, a model of neatness and architectural skill, and a credit alike to the congregation and town. The congregation has always been small but spirited, embracing many of the very best people in the community. Their Board of Elders are the following, viz: George W. Benford, William Stahl, and George H. Love.
We close this imperfect history, secured mainly from the lips of an aged member of the church, whose memory has supplied the place of the records lost in the fire, with the last statistical report. The only explanation we make of it is, that the additions in the column “on examination” were received during a delightful season of grace in February, 1888. Elders, three; added on examination, seven; by certificate, two; whole No., thirty-five; adults baptized, three; Sabbath School members, sixty-five; Home Missions, $5; Foreign Missions, $5; Sabbath School work, $4; Relief Fund, $10; Freedmen, $2; Sustentation, $2; General Assembly, $3; Congregational, $127.
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