Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-03-30
to first begin It's work In America In this

and the building still remains. Although
| there is some claim that the first Pres
| byterian church In America was built
| at Snow Hill, Md. not far away. the
| fact remains that both were built about
| 1852 by Francis Mackenzie.
In the very same year that the Friends
! or Quakers began a frame meeting
| house at Easton. in Talbot county.
which still stands and probably lis the
oldest frame church in the country, with
| the first weather boarding, framing and
original plan just as built, without any
rebuilding except occasional replacing
of roof. This building was completed
two years later. in 1854.
The main roads as travelled by As
bury are still the main roads, widened
and graded and built into the State
roads system of Maryland-one of the
first and best in the nation.
Leaving the Washington. Baltimore
and Philadelphia road at Elkton. in
Cecil county. one heads south for Sails
bury. a distance of over hundred miles.
from which place he can make short
tours. and return by way of Rehoboth.
Md. Pocomoke City. Snow Hill. Ocean
City. and thence north through the
Delaware section via Georgetown. Mil
ford. Barratt's Chapel Dover and back
to Wilmington. Del. The total trip from
the Baltimore Philadelphia road and re-
turn can be made with some 800 miles
running, while good hotels and summer
boarding houses are all along the road
in the villages and towns.
Some 10 miles below Elkton the road
leads through Bohemia Manor, in Cecil
county. where was established one of
the first 100 Methodist preaching places
in America. Ten miles more takes one
TO Galena. through which Lafayette
passed and is said to have stood out
before his men and raised his hat in
reverence and thankfulness to God for
such beautiful country. In the village
churchyard three preachers have been
buried over 100 years. One of these
John McClaskey-was one of the first
men in power in Peninsula Methodisnn.
though little mentioned by historians.
Buried in 1914. two years before As
bury's death. his grave is close beside
the church and marked by a plain slab
of marble. a 15-mile run carried one
through the heart of the most beautiful
farming country in the world 10 the
county seat of Kent county. In this
county was organized the first Metho-
dist congregation on the Eastern Shore
Ot 1saDu DE nLlODfs
Hynson's Chapel. a 10-mile side trip
from Chestertown. near the Rock Hall
road. The chapel has been removed
but the churchyard still remains. Wind
ing back from this chapel one can go
by way of Old St. Paul's Episcopal
Church. erected in 16S9-1713. and still
used as a place OF woship. thence by
way TO Fairlee TO Old worton Church
va n rxrlNa nf hn NnT ffgf
churches in 1854 stood. but now over
grown in brush. thence back by way OF
l. L. Parish. Here is the grave of Gen.
Philip Reed, hero of the battle OF
Caulk's Field. near Old St Paul's
Church, where Sir Peter Parker was
killed in one OF the raids during the
War of 1912.
At Wye Mills one rides under the
King Of American Oaks in one OF the
front yards on the right as one passes
through the village. The American
Forestry Association has recently class
ed this oak as the greatest in America
II is now over $50 years old has hori-
zontal spread OF branches of over 40
feet, and nine limbs which average
three feet in diameter. The circumfer-
ence one foot from the ground is over
81 feet, and five feet from the ground
il is 20 feet Il was probably a bush
when Columbus discovered America and
Asbury may have preached under it be-
fore the founding Of the Wye Mills
Methodist Church. which stands close
by. about zoo yards from the stone road
in one of the most beautiful cluster Of
oaks in America. II one wishes 70
make a side trip OF five miles. be can
visit the old home Of William Paca.
dence.
12-nile run from Wye Mills on
main motor road. brings one to Easton,
the country seat of historic Talbot
Nearly all the early Methodist preach
e-s preached at some time IN Talbot
county and lived in Easton Bishop
John Emory studied here and had an
early religious experience in a revival
here. Bishop Collins Denny Of the
Methodist Episcopal Church South.
served an appointment OF his church in
this county. Jesse Lee died al a camp
meeting near Hillsborough some f2
miles away. on the edge Of Caroline
county over 100 years ago. Old White
Marsh parish graveyard contains the
grave Of Robert Morris. one Of the f.
nanciers Of the Revolution, who walked
the streets OF Philadelphia till he bor-
rowed money enough 10 relieve the dis
tress Of Washington's troops at Valley
Forge. a few miles further takes one
to the old Tilghman home near OK
-Plimhimmon-made famous by
association with Lieut.-Col. Tench
Tilghman, who was Washington's aid
in the Revolution and had the honor
of carrying the news of Corvallis /
sure der from Yorktown to Philadel- |
ohia.
No visit TO Easton is complete with
1ut q visit TO the quaint old frame meet |
ng house of the Friends, built nj 1882
1854, in which William Penn preached |
Il stands today with the same frame |
and outside weather boarding and on |
the same spot as when built If il is /
not the oldest church building of wood |
IN America to meet all OF these con |
iitions, do not know of any which |
has yet proved title to the honor While |
1ther buildings. as Paul Revere's house |
n Boston. may be older. they were re- |
quilt and then restored. The only pre- |
5ervative ever used on the old ex- |
erior has been whitewash, as mixed by |
he old fashioned colored folks, who give /
t the annual coat every spring and take |
Jride in doing il well The old keeper
ives in his little cottage in the church +
ard and takes pride in his work of |
,eeping the grounds. In its congrega-
ion are some of the wealthiest people |
# Talbot. but no wealth has ever in
,eauty and history as il stands in the
-