Saint George's Hundred in Odessa in New Castle County, Delaware — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Appoquinimink Friends Meeting House

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), May 31, 2021

1. Appoquinimink Friends Meeting House Marker

Inscription. Believed to be one of the smallest Quaker Meeting Houses in the nation, the Appoquinimink Friends Meeting House was built in 1785 by David Wilson and presented to the Friends as a gift. Local tradition identifies this structure as a stop on the Underground Railroad during the years preceding the Civil War. While enroute to destinations north of Delaware, runaway slaves would hide in the loft of the church in order to escape capture. Prominent local Quakers who served as agents on the Railroad included John Alston and John Hunn. The Appoquinimink Friends Meeting House was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.

Erected 1993 by Delaware State Archives. (Marker Number NC-90.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Abolition & Underground RR • African Americans • Religion & Religious Structures. In addition, it is included in the Delaware Public Archives, the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), and the Quakerism series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1785.

Location. 39° 27.478′ N, 75° 39.8′ W. Marker is in Odessa, Delaware, in New Castle County. It is in Saint George's Hundred. It is on Main Street (Delaware Route 299) 0.1 miles west

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of US 13 South, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 626 Main St, Odessa DE 19730, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Delaware’s Southern New Castle County, in Greater Wilmington and in Greater Philadelphia.

It is also in the American Mid-Atlantic

and on the Delmarva Peninsula.

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

and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: 209 North Sixth Street (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); Old St. Paul's Church (about 800 feet away); You Are Not Forgotten (approx. 0.2 miles away); Veterans Memorial (approx. ¼ mile away); The Tatman Office (approx. 0.3 miles away); The Corbit-Sharp House (approx. 0.4 miles away); Odessa (approx. half a mile away); Old Drawyers Presbyterian Church (approx. ¾ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Odessa.

Also see . . . Appoquinimink Friends Meetinghouse - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form.

The Appoquinimink Friends Meeting House is one of the smallest ecclesiastical buildings in America, regularly used for worship. Except for some minor changes that do not alter its character, it is a well-preserved survival from the eighteenth century.

(Submitted on November 13, 2024, by Pete Skillman of Townsend, Delaware.)

Photographed by William Pfingsten, August 10, 2008

2. Appoquinimink Friends Meeting House Marker

This is a previous iteration of the marker. While the information is identical, the formatting is slightly different. Additionally, the background blue color is of a lighter shade than the current version.

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), May 31, 2021

3. Appoquinimink Friends Meeting House Marker

Meeting House sits back off the road in a grove of trees.

Appoquinimink Friends Meeting House image. Click for full size.

Photographed by William Pfingsten, August 10, 2008

4. Appoquinimink Friends Meeting House

Rear view showing the size of the building.

Appoquinimink Friends Meeting Cemetery image. Click for full size.

Photographed by William Pfingsten, August 10, 2008

5. Appoquinimink Friends Meeting Cemetery

Interior of Appoquinimink Friends Meeting House image. Click for full size.

Photographed by William Pfingsten, August 10, 2008

6. Interior of Appoquinimink Friends Meeting House

Credits. This page was last revised on May 20, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 15, 2008, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland. This page has been viewed 3,230 times since then and 30 times this year. Last updated on April 8, 2025, by Carl Gordon Moore Jr. of North East, Maryland. Photos: 1. submitted on June 2, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 2. submitted on August 15, 2008, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland. 3. submitted on June 2, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 4, 5, 6. submitted on August 15, 2008, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.