St. Abrahams Lutheran Church
St. Abrahams Lutheran Church
Our History
Founded in 1834 -- once called Shavers Church or Abrahams Church -- the Church was established for all religions and served two congregations. In 1854, the Reverend Daniel Hauer formally organized the church as Lutheran when the Presbyterian congregation moved to another building. The nave was erected in 1856.
The Church was renovated in 1905 and a bell tower was added in 1915. This ministry was an important part of the Beckleysville community which by 1875 was a thriving town with a population of 400.
However, upon the destruction of the Beckley Paper Mill in 1902 by fire, and the construction of the Prettyboy Reservoir in 1925, the business center of Beckleysville disappeared; however the Church continued to thrive. A Christian Educational Building was added in 1975 and a pre-school was established to serve the children in the community. St. Abrahams continues its commitment to serving the needs of the community.
This historical account was obtained, in part, from the "History of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Maryland 1820-1920 by Reverend Professor Abdel Ross Wentz, Ph.D.," with the assistance of the residing pastors of the churches at the time of publication, as well as private church records.
