By MARY REDLINE

Special to The Press

The History Committee of Ziegels Union Church, 9990 Ziegels Church Road, Breinigsville, was recently awarded an Empowered History Micro-Grant from the Pennsylvania State Archives and National Historical Records and Publications Commission.

The funds will underwrite the project, “Treasures Rediscovered from the Safety Deposit Box.”

The grant helps with the purchase of a color scanner to make digital copies of 18th- and 19th- century documents and a limited publication.

Twenty-five years ago, when the history committee was preparing the booklet for the church’s 250th anniversary, members rediscovered a group of items long kept in the bank safety deposit box, which was unknown to church members at that time.

The biggest surprise was a “Bucher” style box dating from 1771.

The box lid was painted with the names of the church elders at the time: Adam Braus, Peter Haas, and Jacob and Henry Grim.

The accompanying expense report indicated the small wooden box was purchased to house the church patent (deed).

The Ziegels “Bucher” style box is currently on exhibit at The Center for Pennsylvania German Studies at the Dewees Tavern in Trappe, Montgomery County, through August.

In addition, the safety deposit box contained the original 1750 Union Agreement for the church.

Because it had been folded to fit into the box, the document cracked along the fold lines into four pieces.

The church had the document conserved in 2000 at the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts in Philadelphia.

Many other documents, some written in German, detailed the construction agreements and expenses for various church buildings, contracts for various organs or organists, receipts, records for public sales, letters sent in preparation for the 1925 history booklet, and more.

These treasures represent a time capsule of the church’s history for 175 years.

Members of the history committee working on this project are Randall T. Wert (German transcriptions and translations), Marvin and Barbara Ziegler (scanning assistants), Robert Lilley (photography) and Mary Redline (research and writing).

The goal is to create backup copies of the unique documents of the church’s history and to make them accessible for researchers.

The project is scheduled to be completed by April.

In 2025, Ziegels Union Church will be celebrating 275 years of joint ministry in the community.

As a Union Church, the building has been home to a Lutheran congregation and a United Church of Christ (originally a German Reformed in 1750) congregation since the start.

The church will be hosting events during the year for the community.

Details will be featured on the church website and Facebook page throughout the coming year.