A Brief History
John Abbett (later Abbott) came to what is now Adams County in the 1730’s, and in
1763 he founded the village which he originally called Berwick Town. As he was born
in England, it is possible that town was named for Berwick in his homeland. But
his wife’s maiden name was Berwick, and the prevailing opinion is that he named
the village to honor her. The community was known as both “Abbott’s town” and Berwick
until 1911, when the Abbottstown name was formally adopted. This was done to avoid
confusion with another Pennsylvania town named Berwick (in Columbia County), and
as a tribute to the community’s founder. The township in which Abbottstown is situated,
however, continues to be named Berwick. On June 4, 1770, John Abbott conveyed (in
his name and that of his late wife, Alice) several village lots for construction
of a church and for a cemetery. Within six months, the mostly German families of
the area had built a log worship center within what is now the “Old Dutch” portion
of the cemetery, west of the present church building.
The 1770 log church burned in 1829 and with it (tradition says) early church records.
Almost immediately, work began on a brick structure at the site of the present church
building. The cornerstone was set on June 11, 1830. As the membership and activities
of St. John’s Lutheran Church grew, it became apparent that a larger building would
be needed. The existing structure was demolished and (while the congregation temporarily
worshipped elsewhere) the present church was built on the same site. Dedicated on
October 19, 1890, it included a tall steeple “…that could be seen from all highways
entering town.” Although this spire has been modified over the years, the 933-pound
bell that was originally installed in the bell-tower remains.
In the earliest (“Old Dutch”) part of the cemetery, gravestones that are legible
record deaths as early as the 1780’s, though most are from the early 1800’s. Other
early burials are in the churchyard immediately north of the present brick church
building. In 1870, the congregation purchased a tract of land north of the original
“Old Dutch” section from Frederick Wolf, for cemetery expansion. This lies along
the road to East Berlin ( state route 194 ). Further enlargement of the cemetery
was made possible when Mrs. Margaret D. Jordy donated, in 1875, additional acreage
north of the present church structure.
More information about the history of this community of faith may be found on the
church’s web-site, www.stjohnsatown.org. Those researching family history may want
to consult early pastoral records, A History of Abbottstown (Willis W. Eisenhart,1953),
and family history files, all of which are available at the Adams County Historical
Society in Gettysburg. Additional family records are located in the Pennsylvania
Room of nearby Hanover Library.
Benjamin Franklin reportedly said, “Show me your cemeteries, and I will tell you
what kind of people you have.” For more than two centuries the people of St. John’s
Lutheran Church have been acutely aware of their responsibility as conservators
of the churchyard. Evidence of their stewardship includes regular financial support,
memorial gifts, and other donations for the maintenance and improvement of the cemetery.
Included in these conservation efforts was the commissioning, in late 2005, of this
set of near-scale plot maps and alphabetical directory. The mapping project included
gravestone transcriptions by a German translator, and was completed in early 2006.
Respectful visitors are welcome to visit the “burying ground” (as it was originally
called) from dawn to dusk. For additional information or to make a contribution
toward upkeep of this historic cemetery, contact the church office at 100 East Water
Street, Abbottstown, PA 17301 or telephone (717) 259-0796.