Madison Street Methodist Episcopal Church is a

Methodist Episcopal Church The Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) was the oldest and largest Methodist denomination in the United States from its founding in 1784 until 1939. It was also the first religious denomination in the US to organize itself on a national basis. In ...

built in 1874 in

Chester Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...

, Delaware County,

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

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. It is located at 701 Madison Street. The building is currently being used by the Wesley House Community Corporation as a

homeless shelter Homeless shelters are a type of homeless service agency which provide temporary residence for homeless individuals and families. Shelters exist to provide residents with safety and protection from exposure to the weather while simultaneously r ...

History

Due to the preachings of Bishop Francis Asbury in Chester, a Methodist meeting was formed in 1810 in the home of Mrs. Mary Withey who kept a house of public entertainment known as the Columbia House located at what is now Fifth and Market Streets. The Methodist meetings moved to the home of John Kelley in 1818. Mr. Kelley had previously been a preacher in St. George's Church in

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. When the services became too large for his home, services were moved to the Chester Court House where Bishop Asbury preached on several occasions. The services soon outgrew the capacity of the Chester Court House and it was decided that a small church should be built. Matthew L. Bevan secured a lot on the corner of Second and Bevan Street and a small chapel named Asbury Chapel was built. Initially there was no regular minister for the Asbury Chapel and the congregation had to rely on circuit riders to preach to them. However, in 1845 the size of the congregation warranted the appointment of a resident pastor and the Reverend Isaac R. Merrill was assigned. The congregation continued to grow under Reverend Merrill and plans for construction of a larger church were initiated. In 1848 a green

serpentine Serpentine may refer to: Shapes * Serpentine shape, a shape resembling a serpent * Serpentine curve, a mathematical curve * Serpentine, a type of riding figure Science and nature * Serpentine subgroup, a group of minerals * Serpentinite, a ...

stone church was erected on a plot of land on the north side of Fifth Street between Market and Edgemont Avenue. The building was used until 1874.

Madison Street Methodist Episcopal Church

In 1872, another lot was purchased on the northeast corner of Seventh and Madison Streets and construction was initiated. On July 17, 1874, the Madison Street Methodist Episcopal Church was dedicated and opened for worship.

David Reese Esrey David Reese Esrey (December 4, 1825 – April 11, 1898) was an American businessman and banker from Chester, Pennsylvania. Early life Esrey was born in Ridley Township, Pennsylvania to Jonathan and Margaret (Kerlin) Esrey. He was educated ...

, the cotton goods manufacturer and banker, was president of the Board of Trustees of the Madison Street Methodist Episcopal Church and contributed liberally to the construction of the church. On June 19, 1983, the Madison Street Methodist Episcopal Church congregation merged with the Christ United Methodist Church located at 600 Dutton Mill Road in

Brookhaven, Pennsylvania Brookhaven is a borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 8,300 at the 2020 census. Geography Brookhaven is located at (39.870662, -75.390915) with an average elevation of above sea level. According to the U ...

. The former Madison Street Methodist Episcopal Church is currently being used by the Wesley House Community corporation as a homeless shelter for families and single women. The facility has 17 rooms and provides shelter to over 240 individuals/75 households each year.

References

External links

* {{coord, 39.873530, -75.405378, type:landmark_globe:earth_region:US-PA, display=title 1872 establishments in Pennsylvania 19th-century Methodist church buildings in the United States Chester, Pennsylvania Churches in Delaware County, Pennsylvania Homeless shelters in the United States Religious organizations established in 1872