Bonner: George Junior Republic Chapel Recognized as National Historic Place

September 17, 2025

HARRISBURG – As State Representative, I am pleased to announce that the Jeremiah Sturgeon Chapel on the George Junior Republic (GJR) campus in Pine Township, Mercer County, Pennsylvania has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Constructed in 1914 by early residents, the Sturgeon Chapel is the only structure on the 500-acre campus original to the Progressive Era (1890s – 1920s) in the United States and holds historic significance and integrity at the state and national levels.

Established in 1966 under the National Historic Preservation Act, the NRHP is the official list of historic and archeological resources of the United States federal government. The Register documents over 99,000 historic properties worthy of preservation across the nation. The Sturgeon Chapel at GJR in PA is one of 16 listings in Mercer County and the only current listing in Grove City.

The Sturgeon Chapel was constructed shortly after GJR in PA was established in 1909 as the sixth Junior Republic campus of the national Junior Republic Movement (1895 – 1912). The movement’s founder, William Reuben George, believed in the foundational values of the American Republic and observed through his management of “fresh air” camps how the same principles, taught and practiced early in life, provided the foundation for productive citizenship and meaningful civic engagement among troubled youth.

The establishment of the Grove City Junior Republic was facilitated by the efforts of Dr. Morgan Barnes, who recommended the location to Mr. George during a chance encounter in Chino, California, and by the support of Pittsburgh juvenile justice leaders eager to bring this rehabilitative model to local urban youth. Today, GJR in PA remains one of four Junior Republic campuses, with the Sturgeon Chapel preserved as one of only two original chapels. These chapels hold particular distinction as the earliest examples of non-denominational religious buildings in the United States.

Letitia Deniston, a prominent local philanthropist and the Chapel’s financier, named the building after her grandfather, Jeremiah Sturgeon, a Revolutionary War veteran and Pittsburgh businessman.

I am pleased, then, to congratulate and thank the George Junior Republic of PA upon this well-deserved achievement and service to our nation.

Representative Tim Bonner
17th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Andrew Forgotch
717.772.9905
aforgotch@pahousegop.com
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