Frick's Meetinghouse & Burial Ground

Frick's Meetinghouse & Burial Ground

Hatfield, Montgomery Country, Pennsylvania

Plaque below - History of Frick's Meetinghouse from side of building

Abraham Allebach

born circa 1746

died Oct. 1794

(4th great-grandfather of husband)

In
Memory of
Susannah
wife of David Ruth
who departed this life
April 10th 1866
Aged 83 years
10 months and 28 days
(3rd great-grandmother of husband,
daughter of Abraham Allebach)

"Although no deed is on record for this tract of land on which this Meetinghouse stands, the following facts are known:

Jacob Shooter was the first recorded owner (1740) of the farm on which this tract was located. When he sold the farm in 1776, the deed of sale contained the following conditions: "(that) a small plot, between a small gut (gulley) and Beaver Creek, is set aside as a burying ground for the society of Mennonites with the privileges of a road along the line from the west corner of the farm to the burying ground."

The exact date of the burial ground's establishment is uncertain. However it is believed to have been the first Mennonite cemetery in the area, proceeding the opening of burial grounds at Line Lexington Mennonite Meetinghouse (1752) and Plains Meetinghouse, near Lansdale (1760-69).

A group of Mennonites known as "Funkites" who broke off from the larger church as a result of Revolutionary War tensions erected the original house of worship on this tract in 1812 or 1813. The brick Meetinghouse was located on the hill at the lower end of the burial ground. Peter Frick donated the ground on the southwest side of the cemetery for the establishment of the present-day Meetinghouse. The original building was razed in 1882 and the new one was constructed in that same year. Additional land to the south of the drive was purchased by Raymond and Sallie Rosenberger in 1958 and conveyed to the Trustees. An additional 12 acres to the north of the drive was added in 1977.

A Board of Trustees to oversee the Frick Meetinghouse property has been maintained throughout the years. Trustees Bishop Henry H. Rosenberger of the Brethern in Christ Church, and Daniel Rosenberger of Hatfield, a Mennonite, were trustees instrumental in the construction of the present-day Meetinghouse.

William F. Rosenberger, a Mennonite farmer and founder of Rosenberger's Dairies in Hatfield Township, deserves special mention for his untiring efforts to maintain the Meetinghouse during years when there was little interest or financial support.

Members of the Rosenberger Family continue to oversee the upkeep of this historic property. The Trustees hold an annual meeting on the third Sunday of each September.

Your assistance in caring for this property as you enjoy the peace of this quiet environment is both solicited and appreciated."