West Dover Hundred in Marydel in Kent County, Delaware — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Thomas' Chapel

(Chapeltown)

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

1. Thomas' Chapel Marker

Inscription. The site of one of the earliest Methodist Churches in America, the first structure was built in 1761 as an Episcopal Church. Built of logs, the church was referred to as the Log or Forest Chapel. According to tradition, ownership of the structure passed to the Methodists in the late 1770's. The church was renamed Thomas' Chapel to honor William Thomas, a local Methodist leader who was instrumental in securing the church building. A frame structure replaced the log church in the late 18th century and the first brick building was erected in 1825. Major renovations took place in the late 1870's. Thomas' Chapel was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 26, 1994.

Erected 1994 by Delaware State Archives. (Marker Number K-52.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Religion & Religious Structures. In addition, it is included in the Delaware Public Archives, and the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1761.

Location. 39° 5.93′ N, 75° 42.222′ W. Marker is in Marydel, Delaware, in Kent County. It is in

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West Dover Hundred. It is on Westville Road (Delaware Route 208) 0.7 miles east of Local Road 224, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2810 Westville Road, Marydel DE 19964, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American Mid-Atlantic,

on the Delmarva Peninsula,

and on the Eastern Seaboard. 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 New Netherland,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 8 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: West Dover Hundred (approx. 2.4 miles away); Mason-Dixon Crownstone (approx. 2.4 miles away); Sapling from 400 Year Old Oak Tree (approx. 2.4 miles away in Maryland); Cow Marsh Primitive Baptist Church (approx. 4 miles away); Samuel D. Burris (approx. 4½ miles away); Site of Carlisle African Methodist Episcopal Church (approx. 7 miles away); Immigrant Jewish Farmers (approx. 7.2 miles

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

2. Thomas' Chapel Marker

away); Cheney Clow's Rebellion (approx. 7.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Marydel.

Another marker is no longer nearby. Mason-Dixon Crown Stone (was approx. 2.4 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).

Also see . . . Thomas' Methodist Episcopal Chapel - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form.

The building was erected in 1825 and extensively remodeled in 1877. The chapel and the Marydel Circuit which provided ministers to serve the congregation thrived through the late 19th and early 20th century but membership declined in the middle twentieth century. The Wilmington Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church withdrew their support from the building and officially closed the chapel in the early 1950s.

(Submitted on April 24, 2025, by Pete Skillman of Townsend, Delaware.)

Additional keywords. Methodism

Credits. This page was last revised on May 15, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 25, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 666 times since then and 40 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 25, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.