Photo by Mike Bertram, 10/21/2018

Deed History: On the 7th of May, 1842, Daniel McCurdy, Joseph Whitaker, William Garrett, John Pyle, John McCurdy, Jonathan Williams, George Bones, Daniel Coffman, & Silas Gordon, trustees, purchased 80 perches of land from William Umpleby, part of the estate of John Umpleby ¹. The deed states:

To have and to hold all and singular the above mentioned and described Lot or Piece of Land situate lying and being aforesaid together with all and singular the houses woods waters ways and privileges thereto belonging or in anywise appertaining unto the said Daniel McCurdy, Joseph Whitaker, William Garrett, John Pyle, John McCurdy, Jonathan Williams, George Bones, Daniel Coffman, and Silas Gordon and their successors in office forever in trust that they shall erect and build or cause to be erected and built thereon a house or place of worship for the use of the Members of the Methodist Episcopal church in the United States of America according to the rules and discipline which from time to time may be agreed upon and adopted by the Ministers and preachers of the said Church at their General Conferences in the United States of America and in further trust and confidence that they shall at all times forever hereafter permit such ministers and preachers belonging to the said Church as shall from time to time duly authorized by the General Conferences of the ministers and preachers of the Methodist Episcopal Church or by the annual Conferences authorized by the said General Conference to preach and expound God’s Holy Word and in further trust and confidence that as often as any one of more of the trustees herein before mentioned shall die or cease to be a member or members of the said Church according to the rules and discipline as aforesaid then and in such case it shall be the duty of the stationed minister or preacher authorized as aforesaid who shall have the pastoral Charge of the members of the said Church to call a meeting of all the remaining trustees soon as conveniently may be and when so met the said Minister or preacher shall proceed to nominate one or more persons to fill the place or places of him or them whose office or offices has or have been vacated as aforesaid Provided the person or persons so nominated shall have been one year a member or members of the said Church immediately proceeding such nomination and be at least twenty one years of age and the said trustees so assembled shall proceed to elect and by a majority of votes appoint the person or persons so nominated to fill such vacancy or vacancies in order to keep up the number of nine trustees forever and in case of an Equal number of votes for and against the said nomination the stationed minister shall have the casting vote Provided nevertheless that if the said trustees or any of them or their successors have advanced or shall advance any sum or sums of money or are or shall be responsible for any sum or sums of money on account of the said premises and they the said trustees or their successors be obliged to pay the said sums of money they or a majority of them shall be authorized to raise the said sum or sums of money by a mortgage on the said Premises or by selling the said Premises after notice given to the pastor or preacher who has the oversight of the congregation attending divine service on the said premises if the money due be not paid to the said trustees or their successors within one year after such notice given And if such sale take place the said trustees or their successors after paying the debt and other expenses which are due from the money arising from such sale shall deposit the remainder of the money produced by the said sale in the hands of the steward or stewards shall be at the disposal of the next annual conference authorized as aforesaid which said annual conference shall dispose of the said money according to the best of their judgement for the use of the said society

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References

1. Chester County Deed Y4-311.