Milford chronicle., 1920-10-01
BARRATT'S CHAPEL
ANNIVERSARY DAY
BUILT ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY YEARS
AGO; KNOWN FAR AND WIDE AS
CRADLE OF METH0DISM.'
LARGE CROWD WAS PRESENT
REV. F. BURGETTE SHORT, SPEAKER,
WHO REFERRED TO W0MANS
WORK IN POLITICS.

Barratt's Chapel. the Cradle OF
American Methodism" in Delaware,
was the scene last Sunday afternoon
Of one of the largest gatherings ever
known at this historical old church
on an anniversary day. 1t was the
one hundred and fortieth anniversary.
Ministers from various parts of the
state were present as well as promi-
nent laymen from Delaware Mary
land and Pennsylvania. Rev. Francis
Burgette Short of New York, a for
mer member of the Wilmington NJ.
+. Conference. was the speaker of the
afternoon. His text was And Abra-
ham went forth, not knowing whith-
er."
He dwelt at some length upon the
issues Of the day, including woman
suffrage and the advent of women
{ into politics. He declared that with
women now having the vote he ex-
/ pected to see a very different kind
of politics in New York. New Jersey,
Pennsylvania and Delaware. indicat-
ing that the people knew what kind
of politics had prevailed in these four
states, and that with the women US
ing the ballot it will be for them to
drive out the political crooks and
grafters who have held sway in these
four states many years" He contend
ed that what was needed was pro
gress" and with the women in the as
cendancy this would come. He urged
the women to register and vote.
In speaking of the danger of pro-
pounding any new idea. he referred
to William Jennings Bryan as being
a martyr" to the cause of "l6 to L.
s4g Ia To-
question. which has made him unpop-
ular with his party. He described
Bryan as a Christian statesman"
He spoke of the race question in
/ Delaware and referred to negro can
didate for General Assembly and the
possibility Of his election.
Where Coke and Asbury Met
/ In March, 1850, Philip Barratt and
Waitman Sipple, two earnest AIetho-
dists. took the initiative in erecting a
meeting house, the result of which
was Barratt's Chapel. The building
was two stories high. with a vestry
room connected with it and was for
ty-two by forty-eight feet. The build
/ ing was occupied in the autumn of
that year. Tradition has it that the
bricks used were brought from Hol-
land, but as bricks had been burned
at Lewes and many parts of Philadel-
phia prior to that time the legend is
not taken as correct.
The first quarterly meeting at Old
Barratt's was in November 1884.
Some of those in attendance that day
we're Rev. Samuel Megaw, of Philadel-
phia Bishop Francis Asbury, Bishop
Thomas Coke, Caleb B. Pedicord, JOS
eph Hartley and Rev. Crowell, all cell
ebrities of their time. II was upon
that occasion that Bishop Coke and
Bishop Asbury met for the first time.
and as a result of their conference
the Methodist Episcopal Church in
America was organized, being effected
in Baltimore a few weeks later The
old seat or wooden bench upon which
the two bishops sat is preserved as
memento. The old-fashiOned high
pulpit, which was reached by a flight
of steps and which almost concealed
the preacher from his congregation
was remodeled many years ago Rev.
Ezekiel Cooper, then aged twenty-five
years. was ordained as minister by the
two bishops and much credit is given
the three men for the growth of the
Methodist Episcopal Church.