A congregation in troubleThe new Oley congregation built a church soon after they were organized in 1742. George Jungman (or Youngman), who had donated sixteen acres for it adjacent to the Leinbachs' land. However, the congregation disagreed on what type of building it should be. Eschenbach's ordination apparently went to his head. He wanted a grand, two-story brick building like the one in Bethlehem. The congregation, looking into their wallets, wanted a small log building. Eschenbach harangued the flock during his sermons when he didn't get his way. Angry letters were written to Zinzendorf, who reluctantly replaced Eschenbach with Heinrich Antes. Eschenbach returned to Bethlehem and eventually took up farming.In the end, however, the congregation apparently adopted Eschenbach's plans. Their church and school building was a 41-by-41-foot, three-story half-timbered, frame building. The first story was divided into four apartments with large open fireplaces. The second story was divided into two halls, one for worship and one for classes. The third story contained sleeping rooms. The school was opened in 1745 with two teachers.
The elder passes onJohannes Leinbach served his church as elder for five years. He died in 1747 at the age of 73. It is believed that he is buried in the "Moravian God's Acre," an abandoned graveyard on a hill near the Moravian School. The graves are unmarked.Johannes left an estate of more than 400 acres. More importantly, he left a legacy of more than 1,200 descendants who spread across the continent and took on "honorable positions filled educationally, professionally, agriculturally, politically and even heroically."[31]
31. Rev. P.C. Croll. Annals of the Oley Valley in Berks County, Pa. (Reading Eagle Press, Reading, Pa., 1926), p. 129.
|
The drawing above shows the Oley Moravian Mission, with the boarding school at left, on land adjacent to the Leinbachs' homestead. (Drawing by Nicholas Garrison, 1757. From the Moravian Archives, Bethlehem, Pa. Published by Philip E. Pendleton in Oley Valley Heritage: The Colonial Years, 1700-1775. Birdsboro, Pa.: The Pennsylvania German Society, 1994, p. 112.)
