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3 unusual facts about Joseph Funk


Joseph Funk House

Its builder Joseph Funk (1777-1862), was a leader in the Mennonite faith and an influential musical theorist.

Singers Glen, Virginia

Thanks to Joseph Funk it is the birthplace of gospel music in the south.

Joseph Funk founded the first Mennonite printing house in the United States here in 1847, best known for printing the Harmonia Sacra.


Jesse B. Aikin

After the influential Ruebush & Kieffer Publishing Company began using his notehead shapes around 1876 (previously they used Funk's shapes), the Aikin shapes eventually became the prevailing standard in shape note and gospel music publication, although few other compilers adopted his other innovations.


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