By MARISSA DECHANT
Staff writer
A historic church recently resurrected in Pleasantville will celebrate its 175th anniversary on Sunday.
Built in 1842 in Forest County, the wooden-framed church was purchased by Oil Heritage Region (OHR), predecessor to the Oil Region Alliance (ORA), in 2004.
By 2006, the church had been added to the list of Pennsylvania’s Most Endangered Historic Properties due to severe structural damage and repairs needed to the roof and foundation.
Neilltown Church held its first sermon on Sept. 14, 1842, and flourished for several decades before the region’s oil boom drew people to the towns of Pleasantville and Tidioute, according to the ORA.
From 1929 to 1945, the church saw regular use as the home of the American Sunday School Union. But, just several years after its centennial celebration, Neilltown Church fell into disuse in 1945.
Kresinski said the church had been scheduled for demolition when the OHR purchased the building for $1. Faith Francis, a local woman who had been baptized at Neilltown Church, had contacted the OHR about saving the property.
In 2006, the ORA launched the “Music Returns to the Neilltown Church Building” series, in which live music programs are held on Sundays during the summer months.
“The whole idea behind the concerts was to show the community that (the church) shouldn’t be torn down,” Kresinski said. “It has great acoustics, and there’s just a presence there that’s really amazing.”
Exterior renovations began in 2010, with the replacement of the church’s asphalt-shingled roof with a more historically accurate cedar-shingled roof, an added gutter system and repairs to the framework.
The building was also brought up to Americans with Disabilities standards, and electricity and a security system were installed.
The church continues to undergo renovations, and insulation, storm windows and electric heat are next on the list, Kresinski said. Sconces that had adorned church walls will also be replicated.
Kresinski said the church has seen increased use recently, with a wedding and two funeral services taking place there.
“Slowly, it is being used more, and what a shame it would be if the church had been torn down,” Kresinski said.
