Pennsylvania USGenWeb Archives

Benson's Chapel

Upper Uwchlan Township, just off of Route 100

"A walled-in cemetery in Upper Uwchlan Township marks the site of
Benson's Chapel Methodist Episcopal Church, the first Methodist
congregation established, and to erect a building in Chester County."

"A parcel of land was acquired for f3, the sum paid by James Benson,
a leader in the society, whose family had been landholders in the area
as early as 1715. The deed records the names of the trustees as James
Benson, Joseph Jones, Ellis Jones, William Ball, William Flin, James
Battin, Thomas West, John Ball and Daniel Meredy, who are called
"Yoemen" of Uwchlan Township. In 1781 a building was erected which
became known as Benson's Chapel and was described in a 1796 tax list as
"One Log Meeting House, belonging to the Society of Methodists." For its
entire existence, Benson's Chapel was part of a circuit, which linked
together any number of societies under two or three traveling preachers
or circuit riders.

Apparently also buried in the cemetery is none other than Isaac
Rollins the preacher who helped establish Chester County Methodism in
the 1770s.

Another of the leaders mentioned in the deed was James Battin or
Batten, who hosted a class meeting in his home, about 5 miles SW of
Benson's, across the Brandywine Creek. (The beginning of Hopewell
Methodist Church) Members of the class included James Batten and his
wife, Thomas Batten (their son) and his wife, Hannah Batten, Thomas’
sister, Rachel Kerns and Ann Maxwell.

"Over the years, the Hopewell congregation grew, while Benson's
declined. The last service in Benson's Chapel was 1832. At some point,
the building was opened up to the use of a school until stormy weather
caused a tree to fall on it collapsing the roof and the wreck was sold
to a neighbor for whatever he chose to give. In 1881 Rev. John Wesley
Geiger pastor of Hopewell began holding services in the Eagle
Schoolhouse hoping to revive a new congregation in Uwchlan but his dream
did not materialize."

Filename	Description	Date	Submitter	Researching Subject
bensonschapel.jpg bensonschapel1.jpg	Benson's Chapel Ruins	Sep 2006	Dan Lindley
jones-jl.jpg	JONES, Joseph Buried here 1793 JONES, Lydia Roberts d. 04 Apr 1787 (His Wife) Granddaughter of Robert Cadwalader	Sep 2006	Dan Lindley