Old Zionsville

We are blessed to own an original document from our earliest history. It says:

This indenture made the fourteenth day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine and of the American Independence the thirteenth.

Between Wendel Wyand of the Township of Upper Milford in the County of Northampton and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Weaver, and Christina, his wife, of the one part

and Stophel Mohr of the same place, blacksmith and a member & trustee of the Reformed congregation of the said township of Upper Milford, of the other part.

witnesseth that the said Wendel Wyand for and in consideration of the sum of three pounds in specie[1], to them in hand well & truly paid by the said Stophel Mohl [sic] in the name of the said congregation at and before the ensealing & delivery hereof the receipt whereof they do hereby acknowledge and there acquit & forever discharge the said Stophel Mohr, his heirs and assigns, his or their successor or successors by these presents have granted, bargained, sold, released & confirmed, and by these presents do grant, bargain, sell, release, and confirm unto the said Stophel Mohr his heirs & assigns in trust & behalf of the said congregation, his or their successor or successors all that certain lot, piece or parcel of ground to & for the sole purpose of raising & erecting a Reformed church, a school house & and a burial ground, situate & being in the said Township of Upper Milford.

Beginning at a post set for a corner in a line of land of Peter Sheafer, thence by the same north east eleven perches[2] & one-tenth of perch to a post set for a corner at a public road leading to Philadelphia. Thence in & by said road south nineteen degrees east twenty-four perches and four-tenths of perch to a post. Thence by the said Wendel Wyand’s land south sixty-two degrees and half west, seven perches to a post, and north twenty-seven degrees and a half west twenty perches & seven-tenths of a perch to the place of beginning. Containing one acre, twenty-three perches of land and the allowance of six per cent for roads etc.

(It being part of a certain tract of one hundred & two acres of land and allowance which by patent of the eleventh day of September AD 1751 for the consideration therein mentioned was granted & confirmed unto Philip Hertzog in fee as in & by the said recited patent on record at Philadelphia in Book A Vol 17 page 27 etc more at large may appear.

(Who also in his lifetime became lawfully seized in his demise died intestate whereby the said [illegible] tract and also with one other tract of land became seized & vested unto Philip Hertzog as eldest son & heir at law to the real Estate of the said deceased as by the records & proceedings of an Orphans Court held at Easton in & for the said County of Northampton on the 23^rd day of December AD 1785 more fully & at large may appear.

(Who with Elizabeth his wife by indenture of the sixteenth day of May AD 1786 for the consideration therein mentioned granted & confirmed that same unto the above named Wendel Wyand in fee as in & by the said recited indenture recorded in the Office for Recording of Deed etc in & for the said County of Northampton in Book F Vol 1 page 143 etc & more at large may appear.)

Together with all & singular the buildings & improvements, ways, woods, waters, water-courses, rights, liberties, privileges, hereditaments[3], appurtenances whatsoever thereunto belonging or in anywise appertaining to the reversions & remainders, rents, issues & profits thereof and all the estate right title interest use possession, property claim and demand whatsoever both in law & equity or otherwise howsoever of them the said Wendel Wyand & Christina his wife of, in, & to the same and every part or parcel thereof.

To have and to hold the said described lot or piece of one acre twenty-three perches of land and the allowance as aforesaid. Hereditaments & premises hereby granted or mentioned or intended so to be with the appurtenances unto the said Stophel Mohr this successor or successors, his or their heirs or assigns to the only proper use, benefit and behoof of the said Steven Mohr or his successor or successors from time to being his or their heirs and assigns in fee forever.

Always in trust nevertheless to & for the sole purpose of a place of worship, a church a house of alms, a school-house & a burial ground to & for the use & behoof of the said Reformed religious society.

And the said Wendel Wyand for him & his heirs doth covenant, grant, & agree to and with the said Stophel Mohr, his successor or successors, his or their heirs & assigns that he, the said Wendel Wyand & his heirs the said above described piece of ground or lot of one acre twenty-three perches & the allowance as aforesaid hereditaments & premises hereby granted or meant or mentioned or intended so to be with the appurtenances for the purpose aforesaid unto the said Stophel Mohr or his successor or successors, his or their heirs & assigns against him the said Wendel Wyand and his heirs and against all & every other person or persons whomsoever lawfully claiming or to claim by, from, or under him, them, or any of them shall & will warrant & forever defend by these presents.

In witness whereof the said parties to these presents have interchangeably set their hands & seals hereunto date the day & year first above written.

Sealed and delivered in the presence of us

Henry Laross

[signature illegible]

Received on the day of the date of the above written indenture, of the above named Stophel Mohr [illegible] as trustee above mentioned the sum of three pounds in specie, it being the full consideration, monies above mentioned paid to me for the above bargained premises, say received in full by me.

Wendel Wiand

Witness present at signing

Henry Laross

[signature illegible]

The second day of March AD 1789 before me the subscriber one of the Justices of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the County of Northampton, personally appeared the above name Wendel Wyand [sic} & Christina his wife and acknowledged that above written Indenture to be their Deed, desiring it may be recorded as their deed. The said Christina willing consenting thereunto, she being of full age secretly & apart examined & the contains thereof distinctively read & made known unto her. Witness my hand & seal dated the day & year first above written.

Ludwig Stahler

[1] Specie – coins or other metal money

[2] Perch – a surveyor’s tool and unit of length equal to ​5½ yards; same length as a rod

[3] Hereditament – anything that can be inherited

20Apr22