The "Gathering Round 'The Witness Tree': Part I" Story

The historic Donegal Presbyterian Church in Mt. Joy, PA.

It was an ordinary day.  Sitting on a small bench in the sun and if I close my eyes real tight I may be able to envision the group of parishioners and their English minister from the Donegal Presbyterian Church along Donegal Springs Road In Mount Joy, PA joining hands around the large white oak tree in front of the church,

This plaque appears on the wall outside the main door.

vowing allegiance to the cause of the patriots for, you see, on June 16 The Reverend Colin McFarquhar was preaching from the pulpit when a horse rider arrived from Philadelphia to inform parishioner Col. Alexander Lowry that he was being called to gather his battalion and march to the Delaware River.  

The remains of the "Witness Tree".  

The entire congregation immediately walked outside to the large tree in front of their church, joining hands for their vow.  Tough to do for their minister who had prayed every week for the King of England and now was joining forces with his congregation against the British who had invaded Pennsylvania that September in 1777.  The tree they had gathered around was known as "The Witness Tree."  It stood at the entrance of the church for over 260 years until in 1991 it succumbed to drought and old age.  The very base of the tree still stands in the courtyard in front of the church while the "great grandson" of the tree stands nearby as a reminder of the history of the tree.  

The plaque that appears near the tree.
Click on any photo to enlarge it.

Inside the church is a framed piece of one of the branches of the tree that has a brass plaque that simply says: Witness Tree - Donegal Presbyterian Church.  For years I had wanted to make a trip to the church to see the tree and the historical church, but never made it.  Today my nine-year old grandson Caden is tagging along with me as we pulled into the parking lot and parked the car.  I handed him the camera and told him to document our trip to this church.  After explaining what that meant, he put the strap around his neck and turned on the camera as we headed to the front door of the church.  The church was founded prior to 1721 by settlers from the North of Ireland who built the first church from logs.  

Close to the "Witness Tree" stands this
monument that lists the names of the
original families that were part of the
church during the time when the
congregation gathered around the tree.
Clicking on the photo will enlarge, but I'm
to say you still won't be able to read them.
May have to return again and take a better
photo.

While looking at a list of original members I noticed one familiar name ….. my own.  A family of Woods' were parishioners of the original church.  My Nannan (grandmother) always told me I was Scotch-Irish, and now I know for sure.  The church we are standing in front of was built before 1740 on 200 acres of land that was deeded to the congregation by the sons of William Penn.  The original deed hangs inside the building.  Originally itinerant ministers preached in the church until 1727 when the Rev. James Anderson moved from New York to be installed as the first full-time pastor.  At the front door we are met by Mr. Brian who asked if he could help us and soon we were standing inside the neat old church with walls over a dozen inches thick.  He told us that the original pulpit stood in the middle of the church along a side wall and during a remodeling in the 1800s was moved to the front.  

The interior of the church with member pews.

On the far right were a few benches for their choir with a piano in the front left.  On the right side of the church stood an old wooden organ.  He told us that during remodeling they moved the church pews around, making them all the same distance apart.  To do that they just cut up the old benches and re-used them so some pews stand higher than others and have raised panels on the ends of the aisles of varying sizes.  

The pipe organ that stands along the
side of the church.

Also during that remodeling the earthen floor and brick aisles were replaced with wood.  During another renovation in 1958, central heating was being installed in the church when a skull of a horse was found under the pulpit.  It was surmised that the horse had carried stone to build the church and after a sudden death, was honored by burial beneath the pulpit.  It was an old Irish custom that such burials brought good luck.  It was in 1960 that the Christian Education Building was added with the same style architecture as the original church.  Well, Caden and I walked from the back of the church with Mr. Brian toward the Education Building for another history lesson, but that will have to wait until tomorrow's story. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  PS - many of the photos for this story were taken by my grandson while others I snapped.

As we left the church I just had to snap a photo of the door knob which I just used.  Can't imagine how many generations of patriots must have touched this door knob over the lifetime of the church.  I can now say I touched it also.

This is the original deed granting 200 acres of land.  It is deeded from the sons of William Penn. 

An old postcard featuring the church and nearby graveyard.