The most historic place in Franklin Township is
the Quakertown United Methodist Church. This large wooden building is
161 years old and it is painted white. In 1835, the first church
service had only 9 members and was held in the house of Mr. and Mrs.
Daniel Green of Quakertown. The preacher was Brother David R.
Bodine.
In 1840, Mr. G.W. Waterhouse donated the land on Croton Road (Route
579) near the corner of Quakertown Road. The original structure cost
$1,200.00 to build, and looks just like the building that is there
today, without the steeple and Sunday school wing. There was no
cornerstone laid at this time, because everyone did not accept
Methodism. Regular services followed the opening of the new church
building. In 1878, the steeple was built and the cornerstone was
laid. In 1961, the Sunday school wing was built.
I think this is the most historical place in Franklin Township
because it is the oldest building I have been in. I attend this
church every Sunday, and see how old it is. Every Sunday, the church
school children climb the stairs to the balcony and ring the church
bells in the steeple. It has back stairways that I really like
because I can sneak out from the sanctuary into the kitchen. I found
a hymnal that was copyrighted in 1905. There are also old pictures
and pew diagrams from the 1800's. This was before people had cars! It
is a pretty church and I can see the steeple from my front yard. I am
very proud of this church, and I hope that we can preserve it for a
long time.
John S
Spring, 2001
