Reverend John Shreve
Founder of Shreves Chapel Methodist Log Church
Built 1848
Reverend John Shreve was born in Loudon County, Virginia, April 9, 1782. He died Jan 9, 1862, at his residence in Bedford County, Pennsylvania. His remains rest in the Shreve Chapel Cemetery. The funeral sermon was delivered by Reverend J. W. Baker, assisted by several other ministers.
Reverend Shreve homesteaded a large tract of land in Monroe Township on which he built his cabin in 1806. His wife, Mary Hixon, to whom he was married April 29, 1806, was born in gossip County, New Jersey, December 27, 1787. Her parents moved to Pennsylvania the following year, settling near what is now called Warfordsburg, her influence Reverend Shreve was brought to Christ and became one of the pioneer Methodist ministers. Through his efforts, the Shreve Chapel Log Church was built. Together, Reverend and Mrs. Shreve erected their family alter and planted and nourished Methodism in the region for 67 years. His father, James Shreve, who was born in 1754 and lived to nearly a hundred, fought in the Revolutionary War, crossed the Delaware with George Washington, fought at Princeton and Trenton, and in 1792 moved with his family to Pennsylvania, bringing with him his father Caleb Shreve.
James Shreve took up land which was later owned by William Hixon, and still later by Mr. Hixon's daughter. He remained here until 1809, when they all moved to Ohio with the exception of his son, John Shreve, and his father, Caleb Shreve, who was too old to go with them. Caleb Shreve died February 10, 1810, and his remains rests in the old Shaver Burying Ground near Rock Hill Church, which is now being farmed.
The original Shreve Chapel Church was built in 1879 by the members of the Shreve Chapel Log church. It still stands and is part of the Everett Methodist Circuit, but there are no longer any services held there.
Contributed by Carolyn Carroll for use by the Bedford County Genealogy Project (http://www.pa-roots.com/~bedford/)
Bedford County Genealogy Project Notice:
These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format, for any presentation, without prior written permission.
Return to Bedford County Church Page
Return to Bedford County Genealogy Project