Church: Earliest Methodist Churches in Chester (Pre-1877); Chester County, PA Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Sandra Ferguson . *********************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: Printing this file within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ *********************************************************************** from a book on CHESTER and VICINITY, etc, written in 1877 by John Martin..., The following are all the Methodist in Chester, PA,before 1877; 1832 was the year of the first Methodist congregation in Chester ...their first place of worship was in the old Court House, then they moved to the east side of Market St.., nearly across from the Friends Meetinghouse. In 1836 or 37 they moved to a stone structure on Filbert (now 2nd) St.. It is now (1877) the Asbury Chapel, since sold to the African Methodist Episcopal Church. The second Methodist church was erected ca 1840, on the north side of 5th Street. The first minister was the Rev. Newton Heston.The building is now used as a lodge hall, The Tuscarora Tribe of Red Men, since 1872.. *I have found a notation elsewhere in the book that says Free street was changed to 5th Street.... The 3rd church, just completed (1873) is on the NE corner of 7th and Madison Sts. ============================================ These dates may be either when the congregation first met, or when the church was built. Many times there was no church, but the services were held in schools, businesses (as in the case of the Smith Shop), or the home of a member, as in Anderson's. Benson's Chapel Uwchlan Twp 1781 Smith-Shop 1834 (short distance from the Boot Tavern) West Chester 1816 Phoenixville 1826 Anderson's, near Valley Forge 1780 Laurel (near Bradford Twp) 1797 Romanville (West Bradford Twp) 1773 Springfield 1798 Hopewell ( originally known as Batten's meeting house) 1805 Coatesville 1817 Andrews 1828 Elk Ridge (East Nottingham Twp) 1825 Flint Hill (Franklin Twp) prior to 1829 Marshallton (West Bradford Twp) 1828 Waynesburg (Honneybrook Twp) 1824 Valley Forge 1831 Good-will West Nantmeal 1832 Salem 1833 Downingtown 1824 Unionville (East Marlborough Twp) 1774 Hibernia 1840 Charlestown 1830 ( Charlestown was known as Hard Scrabble at that time) Temple (North Coventry) 1840 Washington 1819 Bethel (South Coventry Twp) 1844 Spring City (East Vincent) 1844 Glen Moore (Wallace Twp) 1831 New London 1851 Penningtonville 1845 Oxford 1828 Kennet Sq. 1854 ST James (Cedarville,North Coventry Twp) 1871 Parkesburg 1872 Hamorton 1872 Avondale 1868 Union (West Nantmeal) Octorara (west Nottingham) Mount Rocky (Elk Twp)