CHoWs - By Year

1775-1799


Bethlehem Congregational
Bethlehem, CT
Congregational, 1790
Wood
Christ Church, Middle Haddam
Middle Haddam, CT
Church of England, 1786
Wood
St. Paul's, Woodbury
Woodbury, CT
Church of England, 1785
Wood
Wilton Congregational
Wilton, CT
Congregational, 1790
Wood
Appoquinimink FMH
Odessa, DE
Society of Friends, 1785
Brick
Hold mouse here for more info!This is one of the smallest CHoWs, and possibly the very smallest Friends Meeting House from the era.
Asbury Methodist
Wilmington, DE
Methodist, 1789
Brick
Hold mouse here for more info!This church suffers from being in a city, with very little property surrounding it, and the visual misfortune of having power lines and power poles installed right along the north wall.
Barratt's Chapel
Frederica, DE
Methodist, 1780
Brick
Hold mouse here for more info!Although there are a few buildings associated with the Methodist Church in America which are older, they were not built as Methodist Churches. This is the oldest Methodist-built church, and has been called the “Cradle of Methodism” in America for many years. In addition to its fine architecture, its setting is quiet enough to allow one to imagine the peace and tranquility of the 18th century.
Midway
Midway, GA
Congregational, 1792
Wood
Hold mouse here for more info!Site of burial of some Signers of the Declaration of Independence. The relative quiet of the neighborhood, even with I-95 just a couple of miles to the east, enhances the sense of an earlier time that this very large churchyard suggests.
Alna MH
Alna, ME
Congregational, 1789
Wood
Congregational MH Castine
Castine, ME
Congregational, 1790
Wood
All Hallows Snow Hill
Snow Hill, MD
Church of England, 1784
Brick
Conventry Parish, Rehoboth
Rehoboth, MD
Church of England, 1784
Brick
Deer Creek FMH, Darlington
Darlington, MD
Society of Friends, 1784
Stone
Old Bohemia/St. Francis Xavier
Warwick, MD
Roman Catholic, 1794
Brick
Hold mouse here for more info!While the date of this church is slightly later than my timeline ought to allow, its setting and appearance put it in the colonial era visually. Plus, the name alludes to an estate owned by Augustine Herman, the first Bohemian/ Czech to come to America, and my 8x great-grandfather.
Otterbein
Baltimore, MD
United Brethren, 1785
Brick
Patapsco FMH
Baltimore, MD
Society of Friends, 1781
Brick
St. Ignatius, Forest Hill
Forest Hill, MD
Roman Catholic, 1790
Stone
Hold mouse here for more info!One of the few Roman Catholic churches from the Colonial English era.
St. Ignatius, St. Inigoes
St. Inigoes, MD
Roman Catholic, 1785
Brick
Hold mouse here for more info!One of the few Roman Catholic churches from the Colonial English era.
Belchertown
Belchertown, MA
Congregational, 1789
Wood
Congregational Phillipston
Phillipston, MA
Congregational, 1784
Wood
Hold mouse here for more info!Thanks to the small-town atmosphere, this church does give one the impression of having skipped two dozen decades backward.
East Hoosac FMH
Adams, MA
Society of Friends, 1786
Wood
First Parish Church, Milton
Milton, MA
Congregational, 1788
Wood
Goshen
Goshen, MA
Congregational, 1782
Wood
Groveland
Groveland, MA
Congregational, 1791
Wood
Hold mouse here for more info!The church bell, cast by Paul Revere in 1795, is the oldest Revere bell in continuous service.
Holden Congregational
Holden, MA
Congregational, 1789
Wood
Medfield
Medfield, MA
Congregational, 1789
Wood
North Orange Community Church
North Orange, MA
Congregational, 1781
Wood
Old Meeting House, Ludlow Center
Ludlow, MA
Congregational, 1784
Wood
Rocky Hill MH
Amesbury, MA
Congregational, 1785
Wood
Hold mouse here for more info!Believed to be completely unchanged since its construction, it’s one of the few which conveys its 18th century ambiance perfectly.
South Uxbridge FMH
South Uxbridge, MA
Society of Friends, 1776
Brick
Hold mouse here for more info!This Friends meeting house has a rather isolated location, allowing one to imagine oneself in another era more easily.
Southampton Congregational
Southampton, MA
Congregational, 1786
Wood
West Granville
West Granville, MA
Congregational, 1778
Wood
Wilbraham Methodist
Wilbraham, MA
Methodist, 1793
Wood
Congregational, Keene
Keene, NH
Congregational, 1786
Wood
First Church, Hopkinton
Hopkinton, NH
Congregational, 1789
Wood
First Congregational, Rochester
Rochester, NH
Congregational, 1790
Wood
Old Meeting House, Jaffrey
Jaffrey, NH
Congregational, 1775
Wood
Hold mouse here for more info!While not as isolated as some of the most colonial-seeming buildings, the MH in Jaffrey has a suitable setting suggestive of the 18th century.
Old MH Town Hall, Mont Vernon
Mont Vernon, NH
Congregational, 1781
Wood
Old MH Town Hall, Richmond
Richmond, NH
Congregational, 1780
Wood
Old Town House, Henniker
Henniker, NH
Congregational, 1786
Wood
Washington Town Hall
Washington, NH
Congregational, 1786
Wood
Hold mouse here for more info!The town, apparently the very first in the country named for the General, is also billed as the highest (elevation) of any town in New Hampshire. Since its also a classic New England town with a green, standing there near the Town Hall, one can envision the earlier era rather easily.
Arney's Mount FMH
Pemberton, NJ
Society of Friends, 1775
Stone
Burlington FMH
Burlington, NJ
Society of Friends, 1784
Brick
Fairfield Presbyterian
New England Cross Roads, NJ
Presbyterian, 1780
Stone
Hold mouse here for more info!This stone church is at the edge of a really large rural cemetery, and if one has a quiet traffic day, one can easily see this as the residents saw it in the 18th century.
First Presbyterian, Connecticut Farms
Union, NJ
Presbyterian, 1783
Stone
First Presbyterian, Elizabeth
Elizabeth, NJ
Presbyterian, 1784
Brick
First Presbyterian, Newark
Newark, NJ
Presbyterian, 1787
Stone
First Reformed
Hackensack, NJ
Dutch Reformed, 1791
Stone
Moravian
Oliphants Mill, NJ
Moravian, 1786
Brick
Mt. Holly FMH
Mt. Holly, NJ
Society of Friends, 1775
Brick
Old Springfield FMH
Jacksonville, NJ
Society of Friends, 1775
Brick
Plainfield FMH
Plainfield, NJ
Society of Friends, 1788
Wood
Trinity Church, Swedesboro
Swedesboro, NJ
Swedish Lutheran, 1784
Brick
Woodstown FMH
Woodstown, NJ
Society of Friends, 1784
Brick
Clinton Corners Creek FMH
Clinton Corners, NY
Society of Friends, 1777
Stone
Commack Methodist
Commack, NY
Methodist, 1789
Wood
Crum Elbow FMH
Hyde Park, NY
Society of Friends, 1779
Wood
Dutch Reformed, Stone Arabia
Stone Arabia, NY
Dutch Reformed, 1788
Stone
First Presbyterian, Huntington
Huntington, NY
Presbyterian, 1784
Wood
Jericho FMH
Hicksville, NY
Society of Friends, 1788
Wood
New Lebanon Shaker MH
New (Mt.) Lebanon, NY
Shaker, 1785
Wood
Hold mouse here for more info!Although the Shaker community in Canterbury, New Hampshire, is perhaps the best-known remaining in America, this is the only structure built by Shakers during the colonial era that is still intact. It’s now part of a small college, and surrounded by a green campus and other buildings.
Nine Partners FMH
Millbrook, NY
Society of Friends, 1780
Brick
Hold mouse here for more info!One of several upstate NY FMH’s in ideally colonial rural settings.
Reformed Dutch Middleburgh
Middleburgh, NY
Dutch Reformed, 1786
Brick
St. George's, Schenectady
Schenectady, NY
Church of England, 1785
Stone
Bethabara Moravian
Winston-Salem, NC
Moravian, 1788
Stone
Hold mouse here for more info!In North Carolina’s high country, and now preserved in a park setting that enhances the 18th century atmosphere, Bethabara is unlike almost any other colonial house of worship in appearance.
Basilica of the Sacred Heart
Conewago, PA
Roman Catholic, 1785
Stone
Catawissa FMH
Catawissa, PA
Society of Friends, 1789
Wood
Hold mouse here for more info!Less than a third of the Friends Meetinghouses are built of wood; this is the only one remaining from the colonial era in Pennsylvania. Additionally, though I did not know to ask at the time about this MH, I've known of Catawissa for over 60 years: it was my 4th-grade teacher's home town, and she spoke of it in class occasionally.
Fallsington FMH
Fallsington, PA
Society of Friends, 1789
Stone
First Reformed, Easton
Easton, PA
German Reformed, 1775
Stone
Frankford FMH
Frankford, PA
Society of Friends, 1775
Stone
Free FMH, Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA
Society of Friends, 1783
Brick
Great Conewago Presbyterian
Hunterstown, PA
Presbyterian, 1787
Stone
Lower Marsh Creek Presbyterian
Gettysburg, PA
Presbyterian, 1790
Stone
Sadsbury FMH
Christiana, PA
Society of Friends, 1777
Stone
Hold mouse here for more info!The relatively remote location of this meeting house allows the aura of the 18th century to appear.
Silver Spring Presbyterian
Mechanicsburg, PA
Presbyterian, 1783
Stone
Wrightstown FMH
Wrightstown, PA
Society of Friends, 1787
Stone
Hold mouse here for more info!This meeting house has a congenially colonial-seeming environment.
Conanicut FMH
Jamestown, RI
Society of Friends, 1786
Wood
Hopkinton Union MH
Hopkinton, RI
First Day Baptist, 1789
Wood
Ebenezer Little River
Jenkinsville, SC
Presbyterian, 1788
Brick
First Congregational, Thetford
Thetford Hill, VT
Congregational, 1787
Wood
Hold mouse here for more info!Completed about the same time as Rockingham, or a few days earlier.
Rockingham MH
Rockingham, VT
Congregational, 1787
Wood
Hold mouse here for more info!Completed about the same time as Thetford, or a few days later.
Townshend MH
Townshend, VT
Congregational, 1790
Wood
Old Stone Presbyterian
Winchester, VA
Presbyterian, 1788
Stone
St. Mark's, Little Fork Church
Rixeyville, VA
Church of England, 1776
Brick
Hold mouse here for more info!Compare the architecture of this building with that of Lamb’s Creek Church in Sealston.
St. Paul's
Washington, DC
Church of England, 1775
Brick
Hold mouse here for more info!Restored after a fire in the 1920s.
Rehoboth Church, Union-Gap Mills
Union-Gap Mills, WV
Methodist, 1785
Wood
Hold mouse here for more info!In addition to being a fairly rare example of a log-cabin church still standing (and the only intact CHoW in the state), the history of Rehoboth Church has two remarkable travel-related events: For the dedication, and for another ceremony some years later, Bishop Francis Asbury, the first American Bishop of the Methodist Church, made the long trip through wild country.


Back to the Top