Little Creek Hundred near Laurel in Sussex County, Delaware — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Portsville United Methodist Church

Photographed by Mike Stroud, October 15, 2012

1. Portsville United Methodist Church Marker

Inscription. The roots of local Methodism can be traced to the late 18th century, when Bishop Francis Asbury and others visited this area to spread the message of their faith. By the 1820s there was a growing movement within the Methodist Episcopal Church to enact reforms that would result in greater lay participation in church affairs. Many chose to leave and join the Methodist Protestant Church, which was founded in 1830. A local society of Methodist Protestants was organized at that time, first meeting in the homes of its members. On April 30, 1832, James W. Phillips conveyed land to the “Trustees of the Portsville Academy and Chapel” to serve as the site for a house of worship and school. A frame building was erected soon thereafter. It was located approximately one-half mile west of here, and was one of the first Methodist Protestant churches on the Delmarva Peninsula. Some years later, the desire for a new building arose, and the present church was constructed on land that was purchased from Isaac G. and Emeline Phillips in February 1869. For a time it was known as Mount Lebanon. The church was incorporated in 1911. It is now affiliated with the United Methodist denomination.

Erected 2003 by Delaware Public Archives. (Marker Number SC-166.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education • Religion & Religious Structures. In addition, it is included in the Delaware Public Archives series list. A significant historical month for this entry is February 1869.

Location. 38° 33.699′ N, 75° 37.694′ W. Marker is near Laurel, Delaware, in Sussex County. It is in Little Creek Hundred. It is on Dogwood Lane, on the right when traveling south. Located between Shell Bridge Road (County Road 493) and Portsville Road (County Road 492). Touch for map.

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Marker is at or near this postal address: 31050 Dogwood Ln, Laurel DE 19956, 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 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Bethel Shipyard (approx. 0.7 miles away); Town of Bethel (approx. ¾ mile away); Shipcarpenters and Seamen Memorial (approx. ¾ mile away); Sailor's Bethel Methodist Church (approx. 0.8 miles away); Bethel Community House (approx. 0.9 miles away); Captain John Smith Memorial (approx. 2.4 miles away); Phillips Landing and Harley G. Hastings (approx. 2.4 miles away); Paul Laurence Dunbar School (approx. 2.6 miles away).

Portsville United Methodist Church ,Marker, and adjacent cemetery image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mike Stroud, October 15, 2012

2. Portsville United Methodist Church ,Marker, and adjacent cemetery

Portsville United Methodist Church and Marker along Dogwood Lane image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mike Stroud, October 15, 2012

3. Portsville United Methodist Church and Marker along Dogwood Lane

Credits. This page was last revised on June 5, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 22, 2012, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 658 times since then and 31 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 24, 2012, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina.