List of the oldest churches in the United States

Old Ship Church (1681), the oldest surviving Puritan meeting house in Massachusetts

The designation of the oldest church in the United States requires careful use of definitions, and must be divided into two parts, the oldest in the sense of oldest surviving building, and the oldest in the sense of oldest Christian church congregation. Even here, there is the distinction between old church buildings that have been in continuous use as churches, and those that have been converted to other purposes; and between buildings that have been in continuous use as churches and those that were shuttered for many decades.

In terms of congregations, they are distinguished between early established congregations that have been in continuous existence (despite sometimes great theological changes), and early congregations that ceased to exist. Some of these churches are located in areas that were part of the thirteen original colonies that made up the United States in 1776. Others were built in states and territories that were later annexed, such as New Mexico and Puerto Rico. Sites on the list are generally from the First Period of American architecture or earlier.

To be listed here a site must:

Oldest church buildings

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Cathedral of San Juan Bautista San Juan, Puerto Rico PR 1521-40 Roman Catholic The oldest church built in a (non incorporated) territory of the US. The original cathedral was constructed from wood in 1521. It was destroyed by a hurricane and the current structure constructed in 1540, being reshaped in later centuries, the last time being in 1917. Building has been within the territory of the U.S. since 1898, when Puerto Rico was annexed from Spain.[1]
San Miguel Mission Santa Fe, New Mexico NM 1610 Roman Catholic The oldest church built in the continental US. The original adobe walls and altar were built by the Tlaxcalan Indians from Mexico, but much of the structure was rebuilt in 1710. Building has been within the U.S. since 1848, when the New Mexico territory was annexed from Mexico.[2][3]
Jamestown Church Jamestown, Virginia VA 1639-43 Episcopal Only the church tower and foundations remain from 1639[4]
Old Trinity Church, Maryland Church Creek, Maryland MD 1675 Episcopal Church building in continuous use; as such, oldest in the US.[5]
Third Haven Meeting House Talbot County, Maryland MD 1681-84 Quaker (Friends) Oldest Quaker meeting house in the United States.
Old Ship Church Hingham, Massachusetts MA 1681 Puritan, Congregational, now Unitarian Universalist Only remaining 17th-century Puritan meetinghouse in the US.[6]
St. Luke's Church Smithfield, Virginia VA 1682 Episcopal National Historic Landmark[7]
Old Indian Meeting House Mashpee, Massachusetts MA 1684 Congregational/Native American Oldest Native American church
King's Chapel Boston, MA MA 1686 Unitarian Christian Oldest continually used religious site in Boston, present church building 1754
Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow Sleepy Hollow, New York NY 1685 Dutch Reformed Oldest church building in New York
Old Quaker Meeting House Flushing, New York NY 1694 Quaker (Friends) Oldest religious building in New York City. The only surviving example in New York State of a typical 17th-century ecclesiastical frame structure of medieval design.[8]
Merion Friends Meeting House Merion Station PA 1695 Quaker (Friends) Third oldest Friends meeting house in the United States, and oldest place of worship in Pennsylvania
Holy Trinity Church (Old Swedes) Wilmington, Delaware DE 1698 Lutheran/Episcopal Oldest Swedish Church in the United States
Great Friends Meeting House Newport, Rhode Island RI 1699 Quaker (Friends) Quaker Meeting House, oldest surviving church in Rhode Island
Gloria Dei
(Old Swedes' Church)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania PA 1700 Lutheran/Episcopal Oldest surviving church in Philadelphia
Six Principle Baptist Church North Kingstown, Rhode Island RI 1703 Baptist Possibly oldest surviving Baptist church building in the U.S.
St. Mary's Episcopal Church Burlington NJ 1703 Episcopal Oldest church in New Jersey
Rehoboth Presbyterian Church Rehoboth, Maryland MD 1706 Presbyterian Oldest continuously operated Presbyterian church in the United States
St. Andrews Episcopal Church Charleston, South Carolina SC 1706 Episcopal Oldest church in South Carolina
Old Narragansett Church Wickford, Rhode Island RI 1707 Episcopal Oldest surviving colonial Episcopal church in Northeastern USA
St. Michael's Church Marblehead, Massachusetts MA 1714 Episcopal Oldest surviving Episcopal church building in New England on its original foundation
Old North Church Boston, Massachusetts MA 1723 Episcopal Oldest active church building in Boston and a National Historic Landmark, the Old North Church (formal name: Christ Church in the City of Boston) is the location from which the famous signal lanterns are said to have been displayed for Paul Revere's midnight ride during the American Revolution.[9]
Trinity Church, Newport Newport, Rhode Island RI 1726 Episcopal Oldest Episcopal Parish in Rhode Island
St. John's Episcopal Church Hampton, Virginia VA 1728 Episcopal Oldest Episcopal Parish in the New World
Christ Church Nanjemoy, Maryland MD 1732 Episcopal Oldest Episcopal congregation in Maryland
St. Thomas Episcopal Church Bath, North Carolina NC 1734 Episcopal Oldest church in North Carolina
Cathedral of San Fernando San Antonio, Texas TX 1738 Catholic Oldest church in Texas
Augustus Lutheran Church Trappe, Pennsylvania PA 1743 Lutheran Oldest unaltered Lutheran Church in use by the same congregation
St. Michael's Church Charleston, South Carolina SC 1752–1761 Episcopal Oldest church edifice in Downtown Charleston, SC
St. Paul's Chapel New York, New York NY 1766 Episcopal Oldest church building in Manhattan
Mission San Diego de Alcala San Diego, California CA 1769 Roman Catholic First of the 21 California Missions, oldest church in use in California
Barratt's Chapel Frederica, Delaware DE 1780 Methodist Second oldest Methodist church building in the U.S. built for that purpose (the oldest is St. George's in Philadelphia, PA, built in 1769)
Mission San Juan Capistrano San Juan Capistrano CA 1782 Roman Catholic
Wyandot Mission Church Upper Sandusky OH 1824 Methodist The oldest Methodist mission church in America

Oldest Continuous Church Congregations

Cathedral of San Juan Bautista San Juan, Puerto Rico PR 1521 Roman Catholic The oldest continuous church congregation in a (non incorporated) territory of the US.[1]
Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine. St. Augustine, Florida FL 1565 Roman Catholic Oldest parish in continuous existence in the United States of America. Parish established September 8, 1565, as San Agustin de La Florida, by Spanish conqueror Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles. Parish records since 1594 available in the Archives of the Diocese of St. Augustine.[10]
San Juan Bautista Church Ohkay Owingeh (formerly, San Juan Pueblo) NM 1598 Roman Catholic Oldest Native American congregation in the United States, and one of the oldest congregations in the United States[11][12][13]
St. John's Episcopal Church (Hampton, Virginia) Hampton, Virginia VA 1610 Episcopal Oldest English-speaking parish in continuous existence in the United States of America, current building from 1728[14]
First Parish Church in Plymouth Plymouth, Massachusetts MA 1620 Originally Separatist (Calvinist) Congregational, now Unitarian Universalist -
Marble Collegiate Church New York, New York NY 1628 Reformed Oldest church congregation in New York State (building from 1854)
First Church in Boston Boston, Massachusetts MA 1630 Originally Puritan (Calvinist) Congregational, now Unitarian Universalist Oldest congregation in Boston, Massachusetts (building from 1968)
First Parish Watertown (Watertown, Massachusetts) Watertown, Massachusetts MA 1630 Originally Puritan (Calvinist) Congregational, now Unitarian Universalist
Christ Church Stevensville, Maryland MD 1632 Episcopal Oldest congregation in Maryland, building from 1880 pictured. (current building from 1995)
First Baptist Church in America Providence, Rhode Island RI 1638 Baptist First Baptist Church founded in America, oldest church congregation in Rhode Island, oldest Baptist congregation in America (building from 1775)
First Church in Albany Albany, New York NY 1642 Reformed Established in 1642 to serve the Dutch inhabitants of the patroonship of Rensselaerswyck. (building from 1790s)
First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica New York, New York NY 1662 Presbyterian Oldest Presbyterian church congregation in continuous existence
First Congregational Church of Greenwich Greenwich, CT CT 1665 Congregational Oldest congregation in Greenwich (wooden buildings in 1667, 1694, 1735 and 1835. Present stone building in 1896.)
St. Philip's Episcopal Church (Charleston, South Carolina) Charleston, SC SC 1681 Episcopal Oldest Episcopal Congregation south of Virginia, present church building 1838
King's Chapel Boston, MA MA 1686 Unitarian Christian Oldest continually used religious site in Boston, present church building 1754
Brandywine Baptist Church (Chadds Ford, PA) Chadds Ford, PA PA 1692 Baptist Oldest Baptist Church in America West of Philadelphia[15][16]
Christ Church, Philadelphia Philadelphia, Pennsylvania PA 1695 Episcopal Oldest Episcopal congregation in Pennsylvania
Trinity Church, New York New York, NY NY 1697 Episcopal Chartered by King William III in 1697.
Trinity Church, Newport Newport, Rhode Island RI 1698 Episcopal Oldest Episcopal Parish in Rhode Island
St. Peter's Episcopal Church (Perth Amboy, New Jersey) Perth Amboy, New Jersey NJ 1698 Episcopal Oldest Episcopal parish in New Jersey (current building from 1849). Graveyard contains the oldest gravestone in New Jersey
Trinity Church (Swedesboro, New Jersey) Swedesboro, New Jersey NJ 1703 Episcopal (originally Swedish Lutheran) First Swedish congregation in New Jersey
Trinity Episcopal Church (Woodbridge, New Jersey) Woodbridge, New Jersey NJ 1703 Episcopal One of the 1703 Episcopal parishes in New Jersey (current building from 1861)
St. Michael's Church, Trenton, New Jersey Trenton, New Jersey NJ 1703 Episcopal One of the 1703 Episcopal parishes in New Jersey (current building from 1810)
St. Mary's Episcopal Church, Burlington, New Jersey Burlington, New Jersey NJ 1703 Episcopal One of the 1703 Episcopal parishes in New Jersey (oldest Episcopal church building in New Jersey)
Old St. Joseph's Parish Philadelphia, Pennsylvania PA 1733 Roman Catholic Oldest Catholic congregation in Pennsylvania. Present church building opened in 1757.
Most Blessed Sacrament Parish Bally, Pennsylvania PA 1741 Roman Catholic Oldest RC Church in the original thirteen colonies still in continuous use in original building, original name St. Paul's Chapel
Congaree Baptist Church (Gadsden, South Carolina) Gadsden, SC SC 1765 Baptist Second oldest Baptist congregation in South Carolina (current building constructed in 1810)
John Street Methodist Church New York City NY 1766 Methodist The congregation is the oldest Methodist congregation in North America, founded on October 12, 1766 as the Wesleyan Society in America (building built in 1841)
St. George's Methodist Church Philadelphia PA 1769 Methodist Oldest Methodist church building in continuous use in the United States (congregation founded in 1767)
Barratt's Chapel Kent County, Delaware Delaware 1780 Methodist oldest surviving church building in the United States built by and for Methodists
Mother Bethel AME Church Philadelphia PA 1794 African Methodist Episcopal (AME) AME Church and denomination (1816) founded in Philadelphia; oldest congregation in the United States (building from 1890)

By state

Alabama

Alaska

Arkansas

Arizona

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Delaware

Old Swede's in Wilmington, Delaware

Florida

Historic Middleburg United Methodist Church

Georgia

Guam

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Missouri

Mississippi

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Puerto Rico

Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

Washington, D.C.

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming

See also

Old St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church was founded in 1733. It has always been staffed by Jesuit priest. Founded by Fr. Greaton.

External links and references

  1. 1 2 http://humanidades.uprrp.edu/ahpr/?page_id=652
  2. http://sanmiguelchapel.org/
  3. http://www.sanmiguelmission.org/
  4. Nellie Urner Wallington , Historic Churches of America, 1907, p. 8
  5. 1 2 "Old Trinity Church HABS MD No. 201" (PDF). Historic American Buildings Survey. US National Park Service. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  6. "Old Ship Church", National Park Service
  7. W. Eugene Kleinbauer, Modern Perspectives in Western Art History: An Anthology, Medieval Academy of America, 1989, p. 315
  8. National Survey of Historic Sites and Buildings, 1970
  9. Fischer 1994, p. 99.
  10. http://www.dosafl.com/our-history/
  11. http://www.sanjuan1598.com/#!__history
  12. http://www.thv11.com/story/news/local/trending/2014/02/20/1760420/
  13. http://www.nps.gov/subjects/travelspanishmissions/mission-san-juan-bautista.htm
  14. 1 2 Tormey, James (April 2009). How Firm a Foundation. Richmond, VA: Diets Press. p. 184. ISBN 978-0-87517-135-7.
  15. 1 2 http://articles.philly.com/1993-04-08/news/25979325_1_sunrise-services-easter-sunrise-liturgy
  16. 1 2 http://articles.philly.com/1992-11-08/news/26008940_1_church-today-massive-oaks-oil-painting
  17. http://www.ruralswalabama.org/attractions/indian-springs-baptist-church-ca-1825-near-mcwilliams-al/
  18. Patsy Pipkin, "Walk Through History event brings to life memories of Smyrna Church", Arkansas Online, 13 Dec 2009, accessed 27 Sep 2010
  19. "Restoration Almost Complete for Arkansas 85", Texarkana Gazette, 27 Sep 2010, accessed 27 Sep 2010
  20. Hostetter, Lance. "Prayer, worship and community keep Conejos flock strong". Valley Courier. NewsMedia Corp., Alamosa, Colorado. Retrieved 25 Nov 2012.
  21. "History & Description of St. John's".
  22. "First Parish Church". Meeting House History. First Parish Congregational Church of York. 2009. Retrieved 13 December 2010.
  23. Farmer, John (1838). "Memoirs of Ministers". In E. Cornelius; et al. Quarterly register and journal of the American education society. The American quarterly register.
  24. http://mht.maryland.gov/nr/NRDetail.aspx?NRID=259
  25. Central United Methodist Church (Detroit)
  26. "Anniversaries in 1949 of Events Recorded in The Missourian Files". Southeast Missouri (Cape Girardeau, Missouri). January 29, 1949.
  27. http://1stpresbvue.org/
  28. https://rocwiki.org/Clarkson_Community_Church
  29. http://www.beulahpresby.org/
  30. http://www.sciway.net/sc-photos/charleston-county/edisto-island-presbyterian.html
  31. James Dillon (23 April 1976). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: St. James' Church, Goose Creek" (pdf). National Park Service. and Accompanying five photos, exterior and interior, from 1975 and 1970 PDF (32 KB)
  32. http://www.historicstlukes.org/history/
  33. http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Counties/Augusta/007-0004_Augusta_Stone_Church_1973_Final_Nomination.pdf
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