Near Union in Monroe County, West Virginia — The American South (Appalachia)
Rehoboth Church
Photographed by Don Morfe, August 6, 2012
1. Rehoboth Church Marker
Oldest extant Protestant church west of the Alleghenies. Erected 1786 on land donated by Edward Keenan. Bishop Francis Asbury preached here in July 1788, held three Methodist conferences in 1790s, and performed the first Methodist ordination west of the Alleghenies. Named a Methodist shrine in 1960 an listed on the National Register in 1974.
Erected 2009 by West Virginia Archives and History.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Religion & Religious Structures. In addition, it is included in the Francis Asbury, Traveling Methodist Preacher, and the West Virginia Archives and History series lists. A significant historical month for this entry is July 1788.
Location. 37° 35.288′ N, 80° 30.475′ W. Marker is near Union, West Virginia, in Monroe County. It is at the intersection of West Virginia Route 3 and Rehoboth Church Road (Local Route 3/8) on West Virginia Route 3. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Union WV 24983, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Southern Coalfields. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in Appalachia, and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Rehoboth (approx. 0.2 miles away); Union College (approx. 1.9 miles away); Gen. John Echols House (approx. 1.9 miles away); Ames Methodist Episcopal Church (approx. 1.9 miles away);
this page online
Other markers no longer nearby. Rehoboth Church (was about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line but has been replaced with another marker now near it); Bishop Matthew W. Clair, Sr. (was approx. 1.9 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. Rehoboth - Oldest Church Building West of the Allegheny Mountains
Also see . . . Rehoboth M. E. Church, South--"Old Rehoboth" - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History website entry (Submitted on January 25, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Photographed by J. J. Prats, May 30, 2015
2. Rehoboth Church Marker
Photographed by Don Morfe, August 6, 2012
3. Rehoboth Church
The church GPS Coordinates are 37.5899N 80.5059W
Photographed by Don Morfe, August 6, 2012
4. Rehoboth Church Marker
“This property has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places y the United States Department of the Interior.”
Photographed by J. J. Prats, May 30, 2015
5. The Rehoboth Museum Center
The church and museum is open April through October from 11 to 5 Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and from 1 to 5 on Sunday.
There is covered picnic pavilion on the grounds and rest rooms at the museum.
Credits. This page was last revised on April 26, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 7, 2012, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. This page has been viewed 1,149 times since then and 25 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on September 7, 2012, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. 2. submitted on June 2, 2015, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. 3, 4. submitted on September 7, 2012, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. 5. submitted on June 2, 2015, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
