Roadside in front of 111 Forest St., Sugar Grove, PA

Built in 1849 by many of the community's most radical abolitionists, the church quickly became the community's primary anti-slavery lecture hall.  Lecturers for the American Anti-Slavery Society including Miss Sallie Holley, Rev. JW Loguen, and William Wells Brown all spoke at the church to attentive spectators.  Brown, the first African American playwright and novelist did a one-man performance of  his first play "The Escape" at the church.

210 Jamestown St., Sugar Grove, PA

United Methodist Church

3 Race Street, Sugar Grove, PA

On August 31, 1852, the Methodist Episcopal Church completed a long and very difficult project.  The construction of their first church building had been under discussion and progression since 1847 when a committee was set up to archive the goal.  The land that the church sat on was purchased from Robert Falconer who owned most of the land suitable for building in the borough. 

Constructed in the Greek Revival style that was beginning to define the street, the cost of construction was $800, with $350 going to Stephen Crouch, Jr. for overseeing the project.  The building was 36 feet by 48 feet and stood 20-feet high.  It contained ten windows and dual front doors until by 1898 it had been remodeled to include a single front door and a belfry.

In 1891 the church was one of the victims of the flood of the Stillwater Creek that year.  The sheds of the church were washed away and damage was sustained to the lot which bordered the creek.

While the original Methodist Episcopal Church of Sugar Grove was located at the intersection of Main Street & Warren Road, a decision was made to abandon the site in favor of "The Point" which had become available for building.  So, the congregation built this poured-block church which was constructed to appear as stone.  In June of 1917, the facility was completed and dedicated.  Many of the stained glass windows in the building were donated by notable figures in Sugar Grove's history and add an inspiring addition to The Point.

202 Main Street, Sugar Grove, PA

Although the church was founded in 1821, it took until 1834 to complete the House of Worship.  Counting among its former members the community’s major abolitionists including Cynthia Catlin Miller, the property was used as the main site of the 2004, 2005 and 2006 Sugar Grove Underground Railroad Convention, recreating the original anti-slavery convention held in Sugar Grove in 1854. 

During the early days of Sugar Grove, members of the Presbyterian Church broke off to form the community's Congregational Church as a protest against slavery.  During a sermon, a minister announced that the Presbyterian denomination held more than 2 Million Dollars worth of slaves.  Outraged, all but 6 members of the congregation vacated to form the new group.  After the abolition of slavery, the Congregational Church of Sugar Grove eventually  closed and the majority of its membership returned to the Presbyterian congregation.

The original 1834 construction was remodeled in the 1880's into the Gothic Style and then added onto in 1916.  Today, it stands as the oldest house of worship in Warren County and the Presbytery of Lake Erie.

Site of 101 School Street, Sugar Grove, PA

Founded in 1883 as the United Brethren Seminary, the Sugar Grove Seminary operated until 1917 as an institution of higher education in the community.  Students were offered a variety of courses to prepare them for careers in science, theology, teaching and the fine arts.  It was believed to have been the first integrated college in the county. 

SW Corner of Intersection of Cemetery & Stillwater Roads, Sugar Grove, PA

The community chapel for an area of Sugar Grove and Freehold Townships called The English Settlement.  It was the area's first Methodist church dedicated on June 25, 1898.  It only existed for a few years, closing its doors in 1940.