The original inspiration to hold tent meetings at Cogan Station arose as a few men from the West End Gospel Tabernacle were doing some work at the Canton C. & M.A. Church. A tent in which to hold the meetings was borrowed from the district. Rev. Joel W. McGarvey was appointed the evangelist and director by the District Superintendent, Rev. P.R. Heyd. The meetings were held under the auspices of the Eastern District of the C. & M.A.

The first meeting was held on August 19, 1951 near the site of the former Penn Central Livestock Auction. At that meeting there were 43 persons present. Mrs. Gertie Ulmer was the first convert. The last meeting was held on September 19, 1951 with 114 persons present. The offering that evening was $109.00.

The first prayer meeting after the tent meetings was held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Leo Starr on September 26. The second prayer meeting was held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. James Hettinger. The first class meeting was held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Ezra Umer in October of 1951.

On Saturday, October 13, 1951, at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Start, the following men gathered to establish a gospel witness in the Cogan Station, Pa. area: Bryan Graybill, James Hettinger, Frank Mitchley, Ralph Pratt, Stuart Hall, Rev. Joel McGarvey and Leo Starr.

From the original group of five husbands and wives who were praying for a new church in the Cogan Station area, namely, Mr. and Mrs. Bryan Graybill, Mr. and Mrs. James Hettinger, Mr. and Mrs. Leo Start, Mr. and Mrs. Stuart Hall, and Mr. and Mrs. Frank Mitchley, the group had grown to sixteen which included Mrs. Gertie Ulmer, Miss Betty Winner (now Mrs. Clair Waltz), Mr. and Mrs. Loudenslager and Mr. and Mrs. Merlin Halderman.

By February 23, 1952, the sum of $1,252.00 had been given by those interested in a lot suitable for a church building. The man from whom the lot was to be purchased was asking $1,500.00. At a prayer meeting held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Hettinger just after this date, the amount of $223.50 was given by those present which brought the amount to $1,475.50. When the lot was purchased, the man selling it said he would donate $100.00, so the cash given to him was $1,400.00.

On May 14, 1952 at a meeting held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Stuart Hall, it was decided by unanimous vote to ask the district superintendent to appoint the Rev. Jack Conley as pastor.

Construction of the new church building was started in May of 1952. The original structure was designed by Mr. Leo Starr. It was so

designed that it could be converted to a parsonage when a new charch building was needed. The building was constructed by the men of the church with the exception of the brick work. Mr. Elwood Hoover, a mason by trade, volunteered to do this work if the pastor would keep him supplied with bricks and mortar. The total cost was approximately $8,000.00.

The first service held in the newly constructed church building was a "'Watchnight"' service on the eve of January 1, 1953.

The Fairlawn Community C. & M.A. Church was chartered on September 13, 1953. The following persons are charter members: Rev. Jack and Dorothy Conley, Mrs. Jarvis Conley (now Mrs. Margaret Harris, deceased), Merlin and Isabelle Halderman, Stuart and Marcia Hall, James and Elizabeth Hettinger, John and Edna Laudenslager, John and Leona Miller, Frank and Pearl Mitchley, Leo and May Start, Mrs. Gertie Ulmer, Betty Winner Waltz, Mrs. Bryan Graybill and Frank Pratt. Rev. P.R. Heyd was district superintendent and Rev. Jack Conley was pastor.

In the spring of 1956, the Beck property was purchased for a parsonage. In October of 1960, Rev. Jack Conley resigned to accept the pastorate of the Lewistown C. & M.A. Church. He had pastored here 8 years and 5 months.

Rev. Ronald Julian began his ministry at Fairlawn Alliance Church on the eve of January 1, 1961 at a "Watchnight" service.

The lot on the corner of the Beauty Run Road and the Lycoming Creek road was purchased in August of 1961. And construction of the new addition to the original church was begun on November 1, 1962. Registered architect, Mr. Robert Christenson, drew the plans and Mr. Clair Neff and Sons of Curwensville, Pa. were the contractors. Mr. Christenson and a son were killed shortly after drawing the plans in an accident with a car driven by an intoxicated driver on Rt. 15, at Haleeka.

The first meetings were held in the new church in May of 1963 with Rev. W.G. Weston. The new sanctuary was dedicated September 13, 1963, exactly 10 years after the original church was chartered.

Rev. Ronald Julian resigned in June of 1967 to accept a pastorate at Dayton, Ohio, at the new Fairhaven Church of the C. & M.A. He had pastored here 6 years and 5 months.

Rev. Howard Bowers accepted the call to pastor the Fairlawn Alliance Church in August of 1967.

Ground was broken for a new parsonage on March 22, 1970, and the new parsonage was dedicated on Sunday, September 12, 1971. The parsonage was completely built by men of the congregation and friends under the leadership of Mr. Donald Shriner. The old parsonage was torn down and removed by a member of the church.

Renovation of the original church building, which is now called the overflow room, was started in the fall of 1971. An old wall between the two sanctuaries was removed, new windows were installed, new lights were added and the entire room was plastered, and new floors and wall to wall carpet was put in. New pews were orderd and were to arrive in August, 1972.

However, before the new pews arrived, "Agnes," a hurricane was upon us, when rains started Tuesday night, June 20, and Lycoming Creek overflowed its banks on June 21 and 22. The water at its highest, stood 45 inches deep at the main entrance of the church, or 6 inches above the front door knobs. Some of the men worked along with the pastor to remove church and Sunday School records and books from the pastor's study in the church basement and a sump pump was started, but by early afternoon the water came in torrents across the highway from Lycoming Creek. When the pastor and his son, Dan, started to move their hammock to higher ground, the cement wall gave way on the church side of the parsonage and the water carried Dan into the basement. When Rev. Bowers reached the lower basement door, the inside water pressure broke the door outward and Dan was swept out with the force of the water. The water eventually rose to the ceiling of the church basement and everything remaining in the church basement was destroyed. A total of 5 pianos were destroyed in the church basement. The water was 10 inches deep on the first floor of the parsonage. All the rugs on the first floor were soaked, as well as the bottoms of all the drapes.

Avco Corporation, Lycoming Division, uncrated a new 4 inch diesel pump and moved it to the church entrance as soon as the water receded sufficiently and pumped water continuously for nearly three weeks. Mr. Maiola also gave the use of a 2 inch gas powered water pump for several days. The pumps were manned by members and friends of the church.

The cleanup started in the church basement as soon as men could get in with hip and knee boots. The Hepburn Township Volunteer Fire Co. flushed the mud and silt from the walls and floors with their pumper and booster tank. A John Deer water pressure cleaner was loaned to us to clean and disinfect the walls and ceiling, and a water vacuum sweeper was also placed at our disposal to help dry up floors and carpets. The ladies worked along with the men in doing this cleanup. On July 14, the water was entirely out of the basement. Then the cleanup really went into high gear, when about three dozen members and friends dug into the work.

The parsonage wall was relaid and repaired by early September. Painting and repairing started in the church basement in early August. Six young men from the "Speed" program were available for about two weeks to help clean up and paint. Also, the new pews for the overflow room arrived in August and were installed. New carpet was laid in the new sanctuary during the first week of August.

In order to finish the renovation, new restrooms had to be installed in the basement. The Teen Sunday School rooms, under the overflow room had all partitions torn out and new paneling and sliding curtains were installed. New ceilings were put up where the old ones had been destroyed, and all wiring and electric switches had to be replaced. Old light fixtures had to be replaced by new ones. Equipment for Sunday School rooms included four new electronic pianos, many storage shelves, several cabinets and dozens of chairs. The major part of all renovation was done by members of the church.

To do all the necessary repairs and renovations, the church had to borrow $14,000.00 from the Small Business Administration. The district office of the C. & M.A. gave our church $4,163.00. We received gifts for flood repair as follows: Meadville $267.38, Hepburn Township Ministerium $100.00, and St. Luke's Lutheran Church $185.00. Many individual gifts were also received for which we are very thankful.

Many members and friends worked unselfishly to get the church back into operation. The West End Alliance Church offered us the use of their facilities until we could hold services again. We are deeply indebted to many members and friends, as well as many organizations that worked or loaned equipment or gave gifts in order that the Lord's work could be continued in the Cogan Station area through the Fairlawn Alliance Church.

Since this history was completed in 1973, Rev. Bowers has accepted the position of Assistant District Superintendent of the Eastern District. He left for his new office at the end of 1973. He had pastored here 6 years and 4 months. Rev. Ernest Grames accepted our call and began his ministry here in conjunction with a series of "Deeper Life Services" on March 24, 1974. The second occupants in the new parsonage took residency there on April 1, 1974. Their three sons joined them later in the year as they returned home from college. Rev. Joel McGarvey is new administrator of the home for the elderly at Carlisle, Pa. Rev. Don Anderson is our District Superintendent.

The church and parsonage basements were again flooded in September of 1975 by "Eloise," a hurricane of lesser severity than "Agnes." However, flood waters were ceiling high in the parsonage basement, and within six inches of the ceiling in the church basement. Total damages were estimated a $130,000.00. Flood insurance covered about two-thirds of the damage. Some structural damage was evident by cracks in the West wall of the church extending much the length of the building. Services were held in Roan's auction hall for three weeks and Sunday School classes were not able to meet properly for six weeks. Sunday School attendance was down about 50 persons for the remainder of the year.

During 1976, a building committee was formed to search for a new location for our Fairlawn Church facilities because of the need for expansion and to get out of flood territory. Several areas were explored including the Rt. 15 Drive-In Theatre property. However, at that time nothing was available. Then in the fall of 1977, we were contacted by Sportservice Corporation of Scranton, Pa. and informed that the Rt. 15 theatre property was for sale, and they were giving us first option to buy before the property was placed on the open market. After many meetings and consultations with Sportservice and attorney Scott A. Williams, final settlement was made on November 4, 1977. Final settlement, including legal fees and other necessary costs, brought the total amount involved to $43,485.68. There was a reserve of $20,000.00 in the church treasury, and a loan of 25,000.00 was made at the Williamsport National Bank.

Five months later at the church official board meeting on April 19, 1978, the treasurer reported that the church has received $11,186.74 in cash and pledges so as of that date $13,813.26 was still needed to make the property debt free. Then planning can start on the really large project of church enlargement.

On July 10, a gift of $5,000.00 was given by an anonymous donor. A renewed church bulletin board was completed at the entrance to the new property in October of 1978.

At the annual church meeting on January 10, 1979, after the church treasurer had given his annual report, the chairman of the finance committee presented him with a check in the amount of $3,000.00 which was given by an anonymous donor. With this check the balance of the $25,000.00 loan for land payment was paid in full, with a balance of $1,466.00 remaining in the building fund.

At this date, January 1979, Rev. Bowers is pastoring at the Norwalk Alliance Church in Ohio, Rev. Joel McGarvey has retired and is living in his home on West Fourth Street in Williamsport, Pa., and Rev. Ackerman is the administrator at the Alliance home at Carlisle.

This history has been prepared by Alvin B. Manning with the information furnished by pastors and members, both present and charter. It has been proofread by Rev. McGarvey and Rev. Conley, with necessary corrections and additions made. printing by Rev. Charles Cooper.