Page 164 - History of UB Church in Hburg Region
P. 164
History of U.B. Churches in Harrisonburg-Staunton Region December 26, 2024
In 1907 Dayton reported having paid $200 on the church debt. In 1908 the report was that
Dayton Church had paid $235 on their debt and put in a library at a cost of $35. W. L. Showalter, of
Dayton, Va., was licensed by the quarterly conference February 17, 1908, then in Shenandoah
Collegiate Institute and School of Music and proposing to “take a thorough English and Theological
course.” The Conference Superintendent reported: “A Bible Conference was held in Dayton, Va.,
May 20 to 25, 1907. Rev. Dr. G. A. Funkhouser, of Union Biblical Seminary, was the instructor. Some
15 or 18 of the ministers attended.” His report in 1908 stated: “A gracious revival of religion obtained
in the Church at Dayton, Va., in which nearly all the students, who were not Christians, professed saving
faith in Christ.”
In 1908 Dayton was, once again, separated from Dayton Circuit and established as a station
church (the charge named Dayton Station and the appointed pastor was George P. Hott). In 1909 the
Superintendent noted that “Bro. George P. Hott has not been able to do any preaching during the year,
but has sufficiently recovered to do some office work and to superintend the church work in Dayton.”
The illness of Rev. Hott resulted in the appointment of the same person for Dayton Circuit and Dayton
Station for several years thereafter. The report in 1909 for the church was that $225.50 had been paid on
the church debt and a beautiful chandelier put in at a cost of $50; also paid $450 on the new pipe organ.
The Superintendent reported in 1909 that “A Bible Conference and school of methods was held
in Dayton, Va., August 24 to 28, 1908. Rev. Dr. G. A. Funkhouser, of Union Biblical Seminary, was the
instructor and leader. It was an occasion of inspiration and great profit.” The Virginia Conference
Woman’s Missionary Association held its annual branch meeting in Dayton, Va., March 29 to 31, 1909.
In 1910 the Superintendent reported: “Bro. A. B. Wilson resigned Dayton station and circuit, October
6th, 1909, and Bro. G. S. Hanleiter of the W.Va. Conference was appointed and began work on
December 26, 1909…. Bro. George P. Hott has been able to preach several times during the year, and
also to look after the work at Dayton during the vacancy caused by the resignation of Bro. A. B.
Wilson.” Rev. Hanleiter reported in 1910: “Paid on church debt, $200; the Y. P. Auxiliary put in two
beautiful chandeliers in the Sunday school room at a cost of $106. The station and circuit bought a
parsonage for $2,100, all of which is paid but $100.” The Superintendent reported in 1910 that the
Ladies’ Aid Society of Dayton had raised a little over $300. Also in 1910, renewed in 1911, Dayton
Circuit Quarterly Conference recommended L. C. Messick for Conference License to Preach the Gospel.
In 1911 the Superintendent reported: “November 1st, 1910, Bro. G. S. Hanleiter resigned
Dayton circuit and Dayton station. Dr. A. P. Funkhouser was appointed to take charge of these works
December 1st.” By 1912 there were 31 societies of the Woman’s Missionary Association, who held their
annual branch meeting in Dayton and who raised $834.59 the conference year just ending. In 1912
Dayton Circuit was renamed West Rockingham Circuit.
In 1912 the Superintendent recommended: “That all old records of the Conference, such as class
books, quarterly conference or official board records, be gathered by the preachers on their charges and
delivered to the Conference Superintendent, who will place them in the vaults of the Ruebush-Kieffer
Co. at Dayton, Va.” Little of what was stored there remains,35 and some of that was transferred to
Shenandoah College for safe keeping (some of these are now in The Gruver-Souders U.B.-EUB Archive
in the basement of Smith Library at Shenandoah University, and others are in the University Archive on
the second floor of Smith Library).
35 Robert J. Miller, a B.Div. student at what is now Union Seminary, working on a history of Shenandoah College in 1950,
had the wisdom to look through the remaining documents at the vault in the Ruebush-Kieffer Co. His work with those
documents (which included old catalogs) is provided at the beginning of Vol. 6.
II.B.14 Dayton U.B. Church and SCI 150
In 1907 Dayton reported having paid $200 on the church debt. In 1908 the report was that
Dayton Church had paid $235 on their debt and put in a library at a cost of $35. W. L. Showalter, of
Dayton, Va., was licensed by the quarterly conference February 17, 1908, then in Shenandoah
Collegiate Institute and School of Music and proposing to “take a thorough English and Theological
course.” The Conference Superintendent reported: “A Bible Conference was held in Dayton, Va.,
May 20 to 25, 1907. Rev. Dr. G. A. Funkhouser, of Union Biblical Seminary, was the instructor. Some
15 or 18 of the ministers attended.” His report in 1908 stated: “A gracious revival of religion obtained
in the Church at Dayton, Va., in which nearly all the students, who were not Christians, professed saving
faith in Christ.”
In 1908 Dayton was, once again, separated from Dayton Circuit and established as a station
church (the charge named Dayton Station and the appointed pastor was George P. Hott). In 1909 the
Superintendent noted that “Bro. George P. Hott has not been able to do any preaching during the year,
but has sufficiently recovered to do some office work and to superintend the church work in Dayton.”
The illness of Rev. Hott resulted in the appointment of the same person for Dayton Circuit and Dayton
Station for several years thereafter. The report in 1909 for the church was that $225.50 had been paid on
the church debt and a beautiful chandelier put in at a cost of $50; also paid $450 on the new pipe organ.
The Superintendent reported in 1909 that “A Bible Conference and school of methods was held
in Dayton, Va., August 24 to 28, 1908. Rev. Dr. G. A. Funkhouser, of Union Biblical Seminary, was the
instructor and leader. It was an occasion of inspiration and great profit.” The Virginia Conference
Woman’s Missionary Association held its annual branch meeting in Dayton, Va., March 29 to 31, 1909.
In 1910 the Superintendent reported: “Bro. A. B. Wilson resigned Dayton station and circuit, October
6th, 1909, and Bro. G. S. Hanleiter of the W.Va. Conference was appointed and began work on
December 26, 1909…. Bro. George P. Hott has been able to preach several times during the year, and
also to look after the work at Dayton during the vacancy caused by the resignation of Bro. A. B.
Wilson.” Rev. Hanleiter reported in 1910: “Paid on church debt, $200; the Y. P. Auxiliary put in two
beautiful chandeliers in the Sunday school room at a cost of $106. The station and circuit bought a
parsonage for $2,100, all of which is paid but $100.” The Superintendent reported in 1910 that the
Ladies’ Aid Society of Dayton had raised a little over $300. Also in 1910, renewed in 1911, Dayton
Circuit Quarterly Conference recommended L. C. Messick for Conference License to Preach the Gospel.
In 1911 the Superintendent reported: “November 1st, 1910, Bro. G. S. Hanleiter resigned
Dayton circuit and Dayton station. Dr. A. P. Funkhouser was appointed to take charge of these works
December 1st.” By 1912 there were 31 societies of the Woman’s Missionary Association, who held their
annual branch meeting in Dayton and who raised $834.59 the conference year just ending. In 1912
Dayton Circuit was renamed West Rockingham Circuit.
In 1912 the Superintendent recommended: “That all old records of the Conference, such as class
books, quarterly conference or official board records, be gathered by the preachers on their charges and
delivered to the Conference Superintendent, who will place them in the vaults of the Ruebush-Kieffer
Co. at Dayton, Va.” Little of what was stored there remains,35 and some of that was transferred to
Shenandoah College for safe keeping (some of these are now in The Gruver-Souders U.B.-EUB Archive
in the basement of Smith Library at Shenandoah University, and others are in the University Archive on
the second floor of Smith Library).
35 Robert J. Miller, a B.Div. student at what is now Union Seminary, working on a history of Shenandoah College in 1950,
had the wisdom to look through the remaining documents at the vault in the Ruebush-Kieffer Co. His work with those
documents (which included old catalogs) is provided at the beginning of Vol. 6.
II.B.14 Dayton U.B. Church and SCI 150
