How many of you enjoy looking at old churches? We love looking at them and always seek them out when we’re traveling. We’ve seen some that were built in the late 1700’s still standing and still holding services. We’ve seen some that have been sold and converted into office space or other things. Some of the buildings are small and may hold 50 people while other’s have been expanded over the years to hold a few thousand.
It’s amazing the different styles that you see. One room (one level), some with multiple levels, with or without steeples, some with parsonages attached or on the property, some with or without their own graveyards, etc. One thing they all have in common is HISTORY!
We like to photograph the interesting ones that we come across. Some will have historical information plaques located nearby, while others we have to look-up online to gather historical information. The older the church, the better. We really love the ones with beauitiful stained glass windows and tall steeples. They’re amazing pieces of our nation’s architecture and history.
In my post today I thought I would show you 3 churches located in central Pennsylvania. The Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hummelstown was built with brownstone that was mined in the state. It’s been serving local residents in the hummelstown area for over 200+ years! The one in the second photo is an old stone church that is still in operation that is located along Walnut Street in Harrisburg. That stained glass window is huge and absolutely stunning to see in person.
The church in the photograph above is an old one called Paxton Church and it’s located in a Harrisburg suburb. What I love about this one is the very tall door and windows! They’re HUGE in length but slender in width. The old Paxton Church has a graveyard on the property and you’ll find some very important people from the local area buried there. You can learn a lot by visiting old churches and their graveyards!
Anyone else enjoy visiting these old buildings? The majority of the time they allow public visitors, so if you ever feel the need to visit inside…don’t be afraid to ask!
I too enjoy visiting and looking at old churches The exterior looks interesting and the interiors often have fascinating finds.
The stained-glass window looks so gorgeous. I do enjoy visiting older churches like this in different areas to learn about the history and architecture.
I love looking at old churches. They are so pretty and are amazing at how they are built. When I lived in Germany, I was amazed at the buildings there.