by Sharon Klein
Immigrant families from the town of Dahlherda in Bavaria, Germany, founded the Dutch Church on Berlin’s West Mountain 150 years ago in 1862.
On Sunday, July 15, at 2 pm an Anniversary and Memorial Service will be held at the site of the Dutch Church and Cemetery. The site is at the intersection of County Routes 42 and 41 (Dutch Church Road) with Bly Hollow Road and Miller Road in the Town of Berlin. The public is invited.
Rev. Dr. Robert Loesch, Pastor of Zion’s United Church of Christ of Taborton, will lead the service. For many years the pastor of the Taborton Church also provided services at the Dutch Church five miles apart. Both churches were first affiliated with the Evangelical and Reformed Church. They later became member churches of United Church of Christ, a national merger in 1957 of the Evangelical and Reformed Church to the Congregational Christian Churches. Although popularly called the Dutch Church, it was a misinterpretation of the word “Deutsch” meaning German.
In 1967 fire damaged the rear portion of the Church, but it was soon repaired. Unfortunately, possibly due to its isolated location, the Church continued to be victimized by arsonists.
In October 1968 the building was completely destroyed by fire. It was decided by the descendants of the founders to rebuild in an identical form to the original. Construction was started in November 1968, but winter weather soon brought it to a halt. A. J. Goodermote and Sons of Berlin had the new Church completed, however, in the spring of 1969. Insurance covered the cost of the building, and other churches donated the furnishings.
The Church was again destroyed by fire 30 years ago in 1982, and a Memorial Stone now stands on the site.
