By Joyce A. Rauschenberger

Deep within Clearfield Township, near the Armstrong County border lays the small village of Fenelton.

Fenelton was founded about 1856 when Peter Fehnel purchased 113 acres in Clearfield Township from the land agents Clymer and Mylert, and brought his two young nephews to live with him. The nephews, Daniel and Abraham, were the children of Abraham Fehnel and Anna Catherine Nunamaker Fehnel, who had more children than they could feed at the time.

Peter Fehnel had come from Westmoreland County and set to work clearing the land, which they found in deplorable condition. The family worked hard to carve out farms from the hazel and thorn bushes, blackjacks and ground oaks. Peter Fehnel, Jr and cousin Abraham Fehnel remained on this land all their lives. Daniel returned to Armstrong County as an adult.

During the late 1800’s, the Fehnel name became more and more “Americanized” from its original German/Irish roots. It eventually took the form of Fennell.

Peter Fennell, Jr. and Abraham Fennell each had large families who populated this section of Clearfield Township so heavily that the area was dubbed “Fennell Town” and later Fenelton.

In a joint venture between the Methodist Episcopal Church of Fenelton and the English Lutheran Society, a church was constructed in October 9, 1857 on the Peter Graff farm. Methodist Charter members were Mr. & Mrs. John Cupps, Lydia Fennell, Margaret Fennell, Peter Fennell Sr.& Jr., John Sipe Sr. & Jr., Joseph Milligan & wife, Margaret Sipe.

This church was used until the Civil War and then abandoned by both religions and sold to Thomas Dipner. Sometime after 1880, Peter Fennell, Jr. donated land and Rev. Paul Sappie rallied support to build a new church at Gospel Corner in Fenelton (corner of Clearfield & Carbon Center roads). The church was finished in July 1910.

On February 8, 1890, the United States Postal Service announced the appointment of Fenelton’s first postmaster: Philip S. Fennell, the son of Peter Fennell, Jr. But on May 14, 1894, the Fenelton post office was transferred to Coylesville, another Clearfield Township rural community just a few miles away.

The Fenelton post office was reestablished on August 23, 1898 when the Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburgh Railroad laid a line of track through the Fenelton Community. The railroad was more convenient for mail deliveries than to send parcels via stagecoach to the Coylesville area. Peter Fennell was appointed as postmaster. Philip S. Fennell was reappointed as postmaster on September 21, 1907. Later his wife Sarah took over the duties in January 1915 and held them until she retired in 1940.

Taking advantage of the business that the railroad brought, a general store was established near the train track by none other than Peter Fennell, Jr. It housed the post office, telephone office and served as the township building as Peter was also the township auditor and tax collector, as well as school teacher.

Information for this article was gathered from the Fehnel Family History and the author’s general knowledge of the area. Joyce Rauschenberger is Peter Fennell’s 3rd great-granddaughter who grew up in Fenelton amid the farmlands of her ancestors.

Last update on: May 30, 2005