Other Churches with German Roots

Other German Churches –All Denominations 

Sources:

History of Baltimore City & County; John Thomas Scharf, 1881, J.B. Lippencott & Company, publishers, Philadelphia PA.

Centennial History of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod in Maryland 1820-1920, Wentz 

Website:  http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~zimzip/balto/churches2.htm

History of Baltimore 1729-1898, Elliott  (Published 1898 S.B. Nelson, Publisher)

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If you have any information on any of the churches here or not listed on this website, please contact germanmarylanders@gmail.com. 

Harford Avenue German M.E. Church:  In 1893 a mission of Broadway was dedicated at Harford Avenue and Federal Street, the Harford Avenue M.E. German Chapel.

Light Street German M.E. Church

The church was on Light Street above West and was dedicated on August 3, 1873.  The congregation was organized in 1868.

Pennsylvania Avenue M.E. Church (German)

The church then located at the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and Mosher Street was founded in 1847 by the Rev. Mr. Brenner, and the erection of the church building begun in 1848.  The basement was dedicated on November 26, 1848 and the entire building on December 9, 1849.  It was formerly known as the Western German Mission.  In 1873 the old building was demolished and on March 1, 1874 a new building dedicated.

St. Jacobus' Lutheran Church

Early address is listed as 413-415 North Schroeder Street.  The church was in use from 1869 to 1871.  It had a very short tenure, so could have possibly been renamed.  The later address was at 757-761 George Street.  The denomination was Lutheran and the directory has it listed with a Rev. Beer.  

St. James Evangelical Lutheran Church

This church is also an offshoot from St. Peter's Church. In 1894 it was organized by members from the latter, who were dismissed for this purpose. It purchased a good church property from the Methodists, at the corner of Hanover and Hamburg streets, at the low cost of $3,000. It consists of church edifice and parsonage, and is built of brick. The congregation was organized under the Rev. C. A. F. Hufnagle. The pastor who succeeded him, was the Rev. W. E. Tressel, a son of the pastor of St. Peter's Lutheran Church.  St. James merged in 1962 with Pastor Lowell Thompson as pastor.  See St. Stephen’s and James. 

See also Maryland State Archives

Records at the Maryland Archives MSA S 1512-1889 (00/59/06/28)

St. Jerome's Roman Catholic Church

769 W. Hamburg Street Baltimore Maryland

The church was founded in 1887 to serve the German immigrants in Pigtown.  Located at the corner of Scott and Hamburg (later address was indicated as 1001 Scott Street).  In 2004, St. Jerome's merged with St. Martins of Tours in Franklin Square (Irish/German parish) and with St. Peter the Apostle at Poppleton Street (Irish parish), to become the Transfiguration Catholic Community Church.

St. Jerome (Transfiguration since 2004) was closed by the Archdiocese of Baltimore after its last Mass on November 24, 2024 

St. Johannes’ German Reformed Church

218 N. Calvert Street

The first building was at North Calvert Street between  Saratoga and Lexington and was organized in June 1845.  It was purchased from the Baptists for $5,500 in 1846 [Directories indicated that this church, 'the Third/Calvert Street Baptist' was vacated].  The 1880 Baltimore City Directory lists it as a German church. The pastor was Rev. C. Borchers. (Another source states that the first pastor was Rev. John Kessler).  Another early minister was Rev. P. Weinand (1895).

St. Matthew’s German Lutheran Church-Washington County

The St. Matthew's German Lutheran Church on Antietam Street, was founded in 1871, and the congregation was organized on June 19th of that year.  Work was commenced on the church during the next fall, and the edifice was completed in the spring, the dedication of the church occurred on May 26, 1872. The first church council was as follows: Lewis Heist, Y. Maisack, William Schlotterbeck, Christian Thomas, Jacob Schneider, Wolfgang Brey, Henry Darnberger, Peter Rauth, G. Grebncr, John Brey.  The first pastor was Rev. J. J. Dietrich, who was succeeded by Rev. C. Steinhauer.

After him came Rev. J. G. Reitz, who immediately preceded the present pastor. Rev. G. H. Brandon. 

 St. Peter's German Independent Lutheran Church

A brick church owned by the Baptists on the corner of Eager and Broadway was the beginning of this congregation in 1886.  On November 28, 1886, the new congregation was organized by the Rev. Dr. Kaessman, who was succeeded a few years later by Rev. W. Batz.  The congregation grew and pastor Batz was succeeded by the Rev. Jacob Burkhart.  The Baltimore City directory in 1890 lists the German church at Eager nr. Broadway.  A Baltimore Sunpaper article dated October 17, 1887, 'The Evangelical St. Peter's Lutheran Church' formerly Grace Baptist Church on Eager Street..was dedicated yesterday'.  The 1903 Polk Directory lists the pastor as Rev. F.C. Verwiebe and was listed as St. Petri.  The church later moved to Oliver and Collington and became Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church.  The congregation and church records are maintained at 4815 Hamilton Ave.  The history is described at www.bethleheminbaltimore.com/about-us/our-history/

Second Evangelical Church

In 1848 a plain two-story brick church edifice was erected by this congregation at the corner of McElderry and Short streets. It was dedicated in February, 1849. On September 5, 1869, it was rededicated, having been extensively improved. It was again improved in 1895. The communicants numbered, in 1898 150, and the Sunday-school had 120 pupils. A parsonage was owned across the street from the church. The pastor in 1898 was the Rev. H. Weisshaar, who entered upon the charge in 1897.

The Emmanuel or Sixth German Reformed

This was also an offshoot of the Fourth German Reformed, also called the Second Street Church.  The congregation worshipped for a time at a Hall (China Hall) on West Baltimore Street, but in June 1868 dedicated their own new church building on the northwest corner of Saratoga and Schroeder Streets.  The Rev. John Voegeling was the first pastor and the pastor in 1881 was Rev. J. Conrad Hauser. 

Third Church of the United Brethren

This congregation began its history in 1869 and dedicated was on March 21 of that year. It was situated on the corner of Lombard and Fulton streets. The first pastor was the Rev. John A. Sand. In 1898 the  pastor was the Rev. J. M. Walters. Services were conducted in both the English and the German languages. The membership was in 1898 225.

Third Evangelical Church

This congregation started as a mission of the First Evangelical Church. Its brick chapel was erected in 1887 at a cost of $5,000. It was situated on Cross and Nanticote streets. The pastor in 1898 was the Rev. T. Weber.  The church had a very small congregation.    It became independent in 1898. The MGS Journal address is 1101-1105 W. Cross Street.  It states its tenure was 1888-1908 and the Denomination as 'Evangelical Association'.  The 1901 Directory states Evangelical Association-Cross Street and Nanticoke. 

Trinity Reformed Church

This was the first of five congregations to be organized in consequence of the increased missionary activity. It was located on Third Avenue in Woodberry. It was begun in 1883 by the Rev. Messrs. Firor, Zinkham, Clever, D. D., Rossiter, D. D., and Stanley, D. D. The congregation was organized September 14. 1884. The church was erected the same year at a cost of $5,500. Pastor Rev. E. R. Deatrick, assumed charge May 10, 1884.  The church disbanded in 2005.

Zion United Church of Christ-Frostburg