The church, originally St. Paul’s church grew out of a German Sunday School on Bank Street in 1852 under the lead of Rev. Dr. Elias Heiner.  The congregation organized in 1854 and was formally incorporated September 6, 1858.  At this time a church building, a schoolhouse and lot and a small frame dwelling on Canton Avenue near Broadway were purchased for $4,000. The church was destroyed by fire on November 8, 1866. The new church was dedicated In July 1867.  The cornerstone was laid in January 1867 at the site of the ruins of the former church building which was destroyed by fire on November 8, 1866.  A new church was erected at a cost of $13,000.   

The school opened in 1856 and was still operating in 1887, according to Borchers, "Die deutsche Reformirte Kirche," Seine Vergangenheit und Gegenwart, mit Besonderer Beruecksichtigung des Deutschen Elements.  Borchers was the Pastor of St. John's (Fourth German Reformed Church at the time of publication.

The congregation purchased the church on Pratt and Broadway in 1904 from Trinity Church.   The cost was $10,500.  They worshipped here prior to purchase because their church was destroyed by the great Baltimore fire in 1904. (Sunpaper, March 26, 1904, page 8)

They at one time had a Parsonage at 312 South Patterson Avenue.

The church celebrated their 45th anniversary with a three day celebration in December 1901

The church celebrated their 60th anniversary with a celebration October 28, 1916.

The Church Council as of October 21, 1916 were Mr. Schnatz, Ferdinand Klotz, president; Christian Schoeberlein, vice president; George A. Sanders, treasurer; George A. Glaser, secretary; Frederick Muhlenfeld, Louis J. Bender, George Heimbuch, Charles Muller, Henry Meiners; John Kohlhepp, Henry Siegrist and Christian Feurst.

The church was sold to the Russian Orthodox Church of the Resurrection on August 3, 1938.  The church closed it doors in January 1936 after 80 years of service to the East Baltimore neighborhood. 

Pastors of the Fifth German Reformed:

Rev. Dr. Elias Heiner                       1852

Rev. Gustav E. Gramm                    1856-1858

Rev. Dr. Herzberger                        1858-1859

Rev. William Ide                               1860-1864

Reverend Marcus Bachmann      1864-1910

Reverend Paul H. Schnatz              1910-     

 There is a cemetery that was originally associated with St. Paul's Fifth German Reformed, but has been sold and is now called Voshell's Memorial Gardens.

Many of the records for this church may be found at:

Evangelical & Reformed Historical Society

555 W. James Street

Lancaster, PA 17603

www.erhs.info

Phone: 717-290-8734 (Please call before visiting to assure staff will be available to assist)

Email:  erhs@lancasterseminary.edu

Fifth German Reformed Dedication -Sunpaper 1904