St. George's United Methodist Church, Philadelphia, PA

Metadata

Title

St. George's United Methodist Church, Philadelphia, PA

Digital Identifier

St. George's United Methodist Church, Philadelphia, PA

Description

Historic St. George’s United Methodist Church of Philadelphia is the oldest Methodist Church in America. Located in Philadelphia, the Church was founded by Captain Thomas Webb and the Methodist Society of Philadelphia in 1769 for the purpose of practicing Methodist religion. In December of 1769, a Missionary of John Wesley, Joseph Pilmore, held the first prayer meeting at church followed later by Thomas Coke and Bishop Francis Asbury. Bishop Asbury was the first pastor of St. George’s United Methodist Church and ordained as many as 35 ministers in the Methodist faith within America during his travels.

Two African Americans, Richard Allen and Absalom Jones, licensed as lay preachers of Methodism eventually left the church because of racial tensions and formed two new congregations. Richard Allen formed Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church. Absalom Jones turned to the Episcopal faith and established St. Thomas’ African Episcopal Church.

St. George’s is known as “the church that moved the bridge” as the Benjamin Franklin Bridge was rerouted in the 1920s, so the Church would not be demolished by its construction. St. George’s records consist of conference letters, account books, baptism, death, and marriage records as well as Journals, Diaries, etc.

Selected Items from the Collection

David Dailey's diary from March 17 to November 19, 1817. On March 17 Dailey left the circuit and took his wife Sally to meet his family. He then attended the Philadelphia Conference, where he was appointed to the Accomack circuit.

As with his first…

David Dailey's diary from his time on the Cambridge Circuit, from April 7, 1819 to March 7, 1820.

As with his first several diaries, Dailey recounts his travels, the people he meets, including separate black classes, and his physical and emotional…

Account of a camp meeting held on Tangier Island, in the Chesapeake Bay, in August 1819. Dailey notes the preachers and elders present, their circuits, and what they preached on. The meeting was plagued with heavy rainstorms, but there was still much…

David Dailey's diary from his time preaching on the Dorchester circuit, from April 5th 1813 to April 5th 1814. Dailey recounts his travels, the people he meets, including separate "black classes," and his physical and emotional state throughout.…

David Dailey's diary from his time preaching on the Smyrna and Cambridge circuits, from April 5, 1814 to April 16, 1815.

As with his first diary, Dailey recounts his travels, the people he meets, including separate black classes, and his physical…

David Dailey's diary from his time preaching on the Snow Hill circuit, from April 20, 1815 to April 16, 1816. During this time he notes his 24th birthday.

As with his first two diaries, Dailey recounts his travels, the people he meets, and his…

David Dailey's diary from his second year preaching on the Snow Hill circuit, from April 17, 1816 to March 16, 1817.

As with his first few diaries, Dailey recounts his travels, the people he met, including separate black classes, and his physical…

Minutes of the annual Philadelphia Conference from 1800 through 1814, presided over by Francis Asbury and others. Each year's entry states the date, place, church leaders presiding, and members present, followed by the business discussed. Business…

Two maps showing a grid of cemetery lots and numbers, with the names of the persons buried there. The burial ground was located at the southeast corner of what is now 16th St. and Fairmount Ave.

Sometime between 1860 and 1875, the burial ground had…

Record of burial plots purchased in the Northwest burial ground at St. George's church, from 1818 to 1857. Entries are listed by the date a burial plot was chosen, and span two pages, recto and verso. They include the name of the person who purchased…

Daniel Meredith served as class leader for the Methodists in the "Valey" of Chester County, Pennsylvania for many years. He recorded the preachers assigned to the Chester circuit each year, and kept records of members' attendance at the Valey class.…

Account book of trustee David Lake. The first two pages date from 1843 to 1844 and appear to be a listing of member's burials, with names and grave locations. The records then begin at 1806 and run to 1827. Lake notes the Church's need to raise money…

Two photocopied letters and one typed reproduction of a letter to the annual conference of Methodists in Philadelphia in 1771. The first letter discusses allegations of misbehavior, the second a request for contact from a colleague, and the third a…

Three handwritten letters to the annual conference of Methodists in Philadelphia in 1792 and 1793. One receipt for debt paid on the Preaching House, another receipt for fees paid to rent the Quantico meeting house, and an accounting of fees paid for…

Two letters to the annual conference of Methodists in Philadelphia in 1799, recommending men to serve or be trained as traveling preachers on the area circuits.

Correspondence to the annual conference of Methodists in Philadelphia in 1800. Letters include: requests and recommendations for circuit preachers; reports of misbehavior by or censure of members; and requests for or receipts of financial…

Index of correspondence to the annual conference of Methodists in Philadelphia in 1800, including the date of the letter, name of writer, name of addressee, and a brief summary of the subject.

Correspondence to the annual conference of Methodists in Philadelphia in 1801. Letters to conference typically include: requests and recommendations for circuit preachers; reports of misbehavior by or censure of members; and requests for or receipts…

Index of correspondence to the annual conference of Methodists in Philadelphia in 1801, including the name and/or circuit of writer, date of the letter, name of addressee, and a brief summary of the subject.

Correspondence to the annual conference of Methodists in Philadelphia in 1802. Letters to conference typically include: requests and recommendations for circuit preachers; reports of misbehavior by or censure of members; and requests for or receipts…

Index of correspondence to the annual conference of Methodists in Philadelphia in 1802, including the name and/or circuit of writer, date of the letter, name of addressee, and a brief summary of the subject.

Correspondence to the annual conference of Methodists in Philadelphia in 1803. Letters to conference typically include: requests and recommendations for circuit preachers; reports of misbehavior by or censure of members; and requests for or receipts…

Correspondence to the annual conference of Methodists in Philadelphia in 1804. Letters to conference typically include: requests and recommendations for circuit preachers; reports of misbehavior by or censure of members; and requests for or receipts…

Correspondence to the annual conference of the Methodists in Philadelphia in 1805. Letters include requests or receipts for financial Correspondence to the annual conference of Methodists in Philadelphia. Letters to conference typically include:…

Index of correspondence to the annual conference of Methodists in Philadelphia in 1805, including the date of the letter, name and/or circuit of writer, name of addressee, and a brief summary of the subject.

Correspondence to the annual conference of Methodists in Philadelphia in 1806. Letters to conference typically include: requests and recommendations for circuit preachers; reports of misbehavior by or censure of members; and requests for or receipts…

Correspondence to the annual conference of Methodists in Philadelphia in 1807. Letters to conference typically include: requests and recommendations for circuit preachers; reports of misbehavior by or censure of members; and requests for or receipts…

Index of correspondence to the annual conference of Methodists in Philadelphia in 1807, including the date of the letter, name and/or circuit of writer, name of addressee, and a brief summary of the subject.

Correspondence to the annual conference of Methodists in Philadelphia in 1808. Letters to conference typically include: requests and recommendations for circuit preachers; reports of misbehavior by or censure of members; and requests for or receipts…

Index of correspondence to the annual conference of Methodists in Philadelphia in 1808, including the date of the letter, name and/or circuit of writer, name of addressee, and a brief summary of the subject.

Correspondence to the annual conference of Methodists in Philadelphia in 1809. Letters to conference typically include: requests and recommendations for circuit preachers; reports of misbehavior by or censure of members; and requests for or receipts…

Index of correspondence to the annual conference of Methodists in Philadelphia in 1809, including the date of the letter, name and/or circuit of writer, name of addressee, and a brief summary of the subject.

Correspondence to the annual conference of Methodists in Philadelphia in 1810. Letters to conference typically include: requests and recommendations for circuit preachers; reports of misbehavior by or censure of members; and requests for or receipts…

Index of correspondence to the annual conference of Methodists in Philadelphia in 1810, including the date of the letter, name and/or circuit of writer, name of addressee, and a brief summary of the subject.

Correspondence to the annual conference of Methodists in Philadelphia in 1811. Letters to conference typically include: requests and recommendations for circuit preachers; reports of misbehavior by or censure of members; and requests for or receipts…

Index of correspondence to the annual conference of Methodists in Philadelphia in 1811, including the date of the letter, name and/or circuit of writer, name of addressee, and a brief summary of the subject.

Correspondence to the annual conference of Methodists in Philadelphia in 1812. Letters to conference typically include: requests and recommendations for circuit preachers; reports of misbehavior by or censure of members; and requests for or receipts…

Index of correspondence to the annual conference of Methodists in Philadelphia in 1812, including the date of the letter, name and/or circuit of writer, name of addressee, and a brief summary of the subject.

Correspondence to the annual conference of Methodists in Philadelphia in 1813. Letters to conference typically include: requests and recommendations for circuit preachers; reports of misbehavior by or censure of members; and requests for or receipts…

Index of correspondence to the annual conference of Methodists in Philadelphia in 1813, including the date of the letter, name and/or circuit of writer, name of addressee, and a brief summary of the subject.

Correspondence to the annual conference of Methodists in Philadelphia in 1814. Letters to conference typically include: requests and recommendations for circuit preachers; reports of misbehavior by or censure of members; and requests for or receipts…

Index of correspondence to the annual conference of Methodists in Philadelphia in 1814, including the date of the letter, name and/or circuit of writer, name of addressee, and a brief summary of the subject.

Correspondence to the annual conference of Methodists in Philadelphia in 1815. Letters to conference typically include: requests and recommendations for circuit preachers; reports of misbehavior by or censure of members; and requests for or receipts…

Index of correspondence to the annual conference of Methodists in Philadelphia in 1815, including the date of the letter, name and/or circuit of writer, name of addressee, and a brief summary of the subject.

Correspondence to the annual conference of Methodists in Philadelphia in 1816. Letters to conference typically include: requests and recommendations for circuit preachers; reports of misbehavior by or censure of members; and requests for or receipts…

Index of correspondence to the annual conference of Methodists in Philadelphia in 1816, including the date of the letter, name and/or circuit of writer, name of addressee, and a brief summary of the subject.

Correspondence to the annual conference of Methodists in Philadelphia in 1817. Letters to conference typically include: requests and recommendations for circuit preachers; reports of misbehavior by or censure of members; and requests for or receipts…

Index of correspondence to the annual conference of Methodists in Philadelphia in 1817, including the date of the letter, name and/or circuit of writer, name of addressee, and a brief summary of the subject.

Correspondence to the annual conference of Methodists in Philadelphia in 1818. Letters to conference typically include: requests and recommendations for circuit preachers; reports of misbehavior by or censure of members; and requests for or receipts…

Index of correspondence to the annual conference of Methodists in Philadelphia in 1818, including the date of the letter, name and/or circuit of writer, name of addressee, and a brief summary of the subject.
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