Otterbein United Methodist Church in
Martinsburg dates from 1867 when the United
Brethren Society built "Otterbein Chapel" which
is located on Pennsylvania Avenue at the
northeast corner of the church parking lot.
This building is now the Martinsburg Apostolic
Church. In 1946, the church became known as
Martinsburg First Evangelical United Brethren
Church. In 1968, with the merger of the
Evangelical United Brethren and the Methodist
Church, the name was changed to Otterbein
United Methodist Church. Otterbein's sanctuary holds about 550 people on two levels. Originally, the balconies were used for Sunday School classes, the pastor's study was to the right of the pulpit, and other classes were located in a large basement. The sanctuary was renovated in 1980 and a small chapel was created behind the east wall. Other improvements were made in 1989.
The stained glass windows were created by the
Pittsburgh Art Glass Co. and are original to
the 1912 building. The rose window over the
pulpit was a gift of the Ladies Aid Society of
the church. The west balcony window of the Good
Shepherd was a gift of the Sewing Circle. The
south balcony window of the Blessing Savior was
given by the Young People's Christian Endeavor
Society. Otterbein's Organ was originally crafted by the Moller Organ Co. of Hagerstown, MD in 1922. It was rebuilt in 1980 and upgraded from 9 to 13 ranks. There are a total of 812 pipes, ranging in size from 5/8" to 16'. The two manual consoles control three divisions - Great Organ, Swell Organ, and Pedal Organ - with 13 adjustable combination pistons and a full complement of couplers. Otterbein's congregation comes from throughout the Berkeley-Jefferson County area and is a mix of young families and long-time members. We are an active, friendly congregation with many programs for all ages. |
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