Near Sudlersville in Queen Anne's County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Dudley's Chapel

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), August 24, 2019

1. Dudley's Chapel Marker

Inscription. The first Methodist meeting house in Queen Anne's County, and one of the earliest in the Nation, was built in 1783 on land donated by Joshua Dudley. The Queen Anne's Methodist Society, organized in 1774, was responsible for building the chapel. The Society met at the chapel and was crucial in the spread of Methodism throughout the region. Many early Methodist leaders preached at Dudley's Chapel, including Bishop Francis Asbury, Bishop Thomas Coke, Richard Whatcoat, Jesse Lee (1st Methodist historian) and Freeborn Garrettson (1st Native American Methodist minister). Dudley's Chapel is an outstanding example of an early rural church. Its rectangular plan and steep gable roof typify late 18th century churches in Maryland. The use of brick is rare for early Methodist churches, attesting to the importance of Dudley's Chapel and relative affluence of its congregation. Restoration of this National Register site was initiated in 1991 and continues today.

Erected by Historic Sites Consortium of Queen Anne's County, Maryland.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Religion & Religious Structures. In addition, it is included in the Francis Asbury, Traveling Methodist Preacher

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, and the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1783.

Location. 39° 10.951′ N, 75° 53.544′ W. Marker is near Sudlersville, Maryland, in Queen Anne's County. It is on Benton Corners Road 0.1 miles south of Sudlersville Road (Maryland Route 300), on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1110 Benton Corners Road, Sudlersville MD 21668, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on the Eastern Shore.

It is also in the American Mid-Atlantic,

on the Delmarva Peninsula,

in the Tidewater,

and in the Chesapeake Bay Region.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies

and also the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: A different marker also named Dudley's Chapel (here, next to this marker); Sudlersville Memorial Library (approx. 1.8 miles away); James Emory Foxx (approx. 1.8 miles away); Sudlersville (approx. 1.8 miles away); St. Andrew's Chapel, 1880 Sudlersville, MD (approx. 1.8 miles away); Sudlersville Train Station (approx. 2 miles away); Callister’s Ferry (approx. 4.6 miles away); Henry Highland Garnet (approx. 5.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Sudlersville.

Also see . . . Dudley's Chapel - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form.

Dudley's Chapel is primarily significant for its prominent place in the early history of the Methodist Church in Maryland. The society which built Dudley's was organized by 1774,
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), August 24, 2019

2. Dudley's Chapel Marker
only eight years after Francis Asbury first preached in New York City. The church, built nine years later, is one of the earliest surviving Methodist churches in Maryland, and was the first Methodist church built in Queen Anne's County.

(Submitted on January 12, 2026, by Pete Skillman of Townsend, Delaware.)

Credits. This page was last revised on January 12, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 25, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 424 times since then and 28 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 25, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.