250 years of faith and fellowship
Pigeon Creek Presbyterian Church celebrates milestone anniversary
EIGHTY FOUR – Pigeon Creek Presbyterian Church is marking its anniversary with a celebration of a history dating back to before the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
The church at 45 Church Road in Eighty Four will celebrate its 250th anniversary beginning Sept. 26 with a car cruise, food and DJ from 5 to 8 p.m. On Sept. 27, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., there will be a number of activities including a vendor, food trucks, bake sale, touch-a-truck and face painting. At 5 p.m., the Ringgold String Band will be performing.
To wrap up the weekend on Sept. 28, the 10:45 a.m. service will be conducted by former pastor, the Rev. John Dykstra, who received a calling to another church in 2024 after almost a decade as pastor of Pigeon Creek.
“Our slogan is 250 years of faith and fellowship,” said Tara Schmidt, chair of the anniversary celebration. “So, we just want to celebrate that. We just want to spread the word that we’re here.”
“We want to show off our history,” added longtime parishioner Robert Devore.
Early settlers in the area crossed the Monongahela River at Monongahela, originally named Parkinson Ferry, an important body of water for westbound settlers. As they moved up the valley along a large creek, flocks of pigeons were seen, so the creek became known as Pigeon Creek.
The church was part of the first pastoral charge established west of the Allegheny Mountains.
The Rev. John McMillan, the area’s father of Presbyterianism, preached the first sermon to the congregation on Aug. 29, 1775.
McMillan became pastor of the United Congregations of Pigeon Creek and Chartiers, which recently celebrated its 250th anniversary. McMillan continued at Pigeon Creek until 1800 and Chartiers Hill Church until 1830.
“We always have a friendly banter between us and Chartiers Hills as to who’s the oldest,” Devore said with a smile, before adding Chartiers Hills may get the nod since McMillan is buried in that church’s cemetery. “I’ve looked at some of our dates and they’re similar to theirs.”
Pigeon Creek is believed to have erected its first building, a round log church, in 1778, near the center of its current cemetery. The second building, finished in 1800, was built of stone.
The present brick church was built in 1829 at a cost of $2,714, which included plastering, pews and other amenities. The building has been repaired and remodeled since, with the last major remodeling in 1950.
“There wasn’t a basement here,” Devore said. “The men of the church dug this basement out. Everything was done by hand. I can remember when I was about 7 years old opening the door and seeing a big hole and men down there working. In the old days, when something needed done, the men of the church just did it.”
The church cemetery is among the oldest in the area. The first of four sections was estimated to have been laid out in 1777.
There are 1,660 recorded burials, but it is believed there are more. Thirty-one Revolutionary War veterans are interred there, along with four veterans of the War of 1812 and 23 Civil War veterans.
Devore, 82, has a longtime connection to Pigeon Creek Presbyterian Church, noting he was brought to the church when he was just 6 months old.
“I was brought up here,” he said. “It’s like home to me. I can remember when I was a kid in youth Sunday school. I can remember the pastors we’ve had since 1950. It’s just part of my heritage because I’ve been here.”
His wife, Kathleen, has been a member since 2004.
Currently, about 45 of the church’s 100 or so members attend the weekly service at 10:45 a.m. Sunday. But like many other churches, membership has dwindled over the years.
“We used to get 80 to 100,” Devore said. “The younger people aren’t coming. I can remember coming here and the church was full.”
The parish is searching for a new pastor after Dykstra’s departure.
“We’re going through the process,” Devore said.
But through it all, Pigeon Creek Presbyterian Church has stayed afloat since 1775.
“I think it’s the promise of God,” Devore said. “We’re suffering the same thing that other churches are, but we always say,’God’s been leading us here for 250 years. He’s not going to let us down.'”