Abington Township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Old Abington Church and Graveyard
American Presbyterian and Reformed Historical Site
The oldest Presbyterian church in Montgomery County and mother church, directly or indirectly, to ten offspring churches. Founded in 1714 by the Rev. Malachi Jones, the first pastor. The original church stood in the center of the graveyard and was moved to present site in 1793. During the American Revolution local militia skirmished with British from graveyard. Early settlers of Abington were English Quakers, Welsh, Scots, and Dutch. (Marker Number 179.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Churches & Religion • Colonial Era • Patriots & Patriotism. In addition, it is included in the American Presbyterian and Reformed Historic Sites, and the Quakerism series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1714.
Location. 40° 6.867′ N, 75° 7.324′ W. Marker is near Abington, Pennsylvania, in Montgomery County. It is in Abington Township. Marker is at the intersection of Old York Road (Pennsylvania Route 611) and Susquehanna Road, on the right when traveling south on Old York Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1098 Old York Rd, Abington PA 19001, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Abington District World War I Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); Abington Presbyterian Church Cemetery (within shouting distance of this marker); Reverend Samuel Finley (within shouting distance of this marker); Revolutionary War Patriots Buried in the Abington Presbyterian Church Graveyard (within shouting distance of this marker); Historic Willow Grove (approx. 1.9 miles away); Willow Grove United Methodist Church, 1889 (approx. 2 miles away); The Fountain House Inn, 1717 (approx. 2 miles away); The Manor House, ca. 1719 (approx. 2.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Abington.
Regarding Old Abington Church and Graveyard. Abington Presbyterian Church is one of 445 American Presbyterian and Reformed Historical Sites registered between 1973 and 2003 by the Presbyterian Historical Society (PHS), headquartered in Philadelphia. Approved sites received a metal plaque featuring John Calvin’s seal and the site’s registry number (PHS marker location unknown).
The following text is taken from the Presbyterian Historical Society website:
Founded in 1714, Abington Church members first met in the home of Rev. Malachi Jones, a Welsh Independent minister who joined the newly organized Philadelphia Presbytery shortly thereafter. By 1719 the congregation had built a stone meeting house and a cemetery on land donated by Jones in Montgomery County. Jones died in 1729 and was buried in this cemetery, which also holds the graves of other prominent Presbyterians such as Gilbert Tennent and Samuel Finley. In 1793 the congregation moved to its present site across the road. A new building, erected in 1866, was destroyed by fire in 1895 and replaced in 1896. Church members added a parish hall in 1926 and a Christian education building in 1957, and remodeled the sanctuary in 1959.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 10, 2009, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 1,608 times since then and 43 times this year. Last updated on August 26, 2018, by Douglass Halvorsen of Klamath Falls, Oregon. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. submitted on September 10, 2009, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.