Friedens Church (Ghostlight Theatre)

Ghostlight Theatre (formerly Friedens Church ) – 170 Schenck Street

On a rainy Halloween in 1889, the cornerstone was laid for the Evangelical Friedens Church of North Tonawanda at the corner of Schenck and Vandervoort Streets. On September 1, 1890, the Church was completed. Designed by George Fischer of the Gombert & Thompson Company, the church featured an 80 foot steeple and could seat 400 people. The bell, purchased from the First Presbyterian Church of Buffalo, was cast by the Meenely Foundry in West Troy, New York, in 1851. It weighs 2,800 pounds and the diameter at its mouth is 52 inches. In 1918, a Hope Jones organ, built by the Wurlitzer Company, was installed. In June 2000, the Frieden's United Church of Christ Congregation moved into their new home in Amherst .

 


In January 2001, the church was acquired by the newly formed Starry Night Theatre, Inc. and named the Ghostlight Theatre. Today the Ghostlight Theatre seats 214 on the main floor, with a second floor costume shop and a set construction shop, storage, lounge, and snack bar on the lower level. Starry Night Theatre, Inc., was born on March 22, 2001. The name Starry Night comes from the Vincent VanGogh painting of the same title. The extraordinary painting can be seen displayed on the wall under the balcony of the Ghostlight Theatre.

The Ghostlight Theatre Company was founded in 1972 by Father Louis Dolinic as the NT Summer Theatre Workshop, changed to NT Theatre Workshop in 1983, and to the Ghostlight in 1988. A ten-time winner of arts & humanities awards on the local, regional, and national level, the Ghostlight Theatre Company is currently under the management of the Starry Night Theatre, Inc.

Photo: Top photo of Ghostlight Theatre 2005, courtesy of Museum volunteer Jacqueline Letke; middle photo courtesy of Museum member & volunteer Betty Brandon

Photo: Early Friedens Church, courtesy of Friedens Church


To view an image gallery of Friedens Church, please click HERE.

Cover of 100th anniversary booklet 1889 - 1989

Courtesy of Ellen Wall Markovitz Collection

Page 1:

This year Friedens Congregation will celebrate its 100th Anniversary. So, it is natural that we recall our heritage and honor our founders.

It was the determination, hard work, dedication and foresight of 35 families of German heritage which laid the foundation for our church family.

These were the founding families: Frederick Achelius, Henry Alexander, Frank Bischof, John Buchhardt, Herman Berger, Chris Flatau, Henry Fahs, August Graupmann, Chris Gust, Gotfried Gust, Henry Homeyer, Charles Holzhousen, William Janowsky, Chris Janowsky, John Kaiser, Joseph Kasbaum, Gotfried Kolpack, William Kage, Charles Kaminsky, Andrew Luttmann, August Levendowske, Chris Levendowske, Henry Miller, August Neuman, Fred Oldenburg, John Oelkers, August Rudsonske, Fred Rosebrock, Henry Schumaker, Chris Soklwich, Michael Senkphal, Charles Schaefer, Harold Tack, Chris Wittkowsky, and August Zebulsky.

The Erie Barge Canal played a role in the formation of Friedens, separating Tonawanda from North Tonawanda . At the time, most of our founding families belonged to Salem Church in the Evangelical Synod.

The thirty-five heads of families met June 16, 1889 and decided they would start a new congregation, north of the canal. Salem Church leaders resisted the idea. The Synod turned down their request to join the denomination.

But our founders were determined. They organized as a "free" unaffiliated congregation Deutsche Vereinigte Evangelische Friedens Gemeinde - meaning German United Evangelical Peace Congregation.

Worship was first held June 30 at Union School, Wheatfield at Dahlgren and later on the second floor of Kent's Hall, which is now the Cramer Hardware building on Webster Street. The rental was $2. per Sunday.

A site at Schenck and Vandervoort was purchased for $1,000 and on Reformation Sunday 1890, the cornerstone was laid and the $5,595.16 church building was completed by September that year.

From these humble beginnings, the congregation grew and prospered, serving its members, its community and its Lord.


© 2005 North Tonawanda History Museum
314 Oliver Street
North Tonawanda, NY 14120
(716) 213-0554