Evangelical Church
Mifflinburg, Union County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
The first church built by "Albright's People," later the Evangelical Association, was erected in New Berlin in 1816. It was the first Evangelical Church in the United States. The site is marked by a monument.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
This marker recalls the 1816 founding of the first church built by "Albright's People" in nearby New Berlin — the beginnings of the Evangelical Association. Named for Jacob Albright, the movement rose among the German-speaking settlers of central Pennsylvania and is honored as the first Evangelical Church in the United States. A monument marks the original site of the congregation's meetinghouse.
Why it matters
The Evangelical Association was one of the distinctly American faiths to emerge from the Pennsylvania German community, reflecting the religious energy and independence of the young republic.
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Related people
- · Jacob Albright
Related events
- · Founding of the Evangelical Association
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Evangelical Church
Limestone Township, PA · est. 1947
In 1816, followers of the German-American preacher Jacob Albright — known as "Albright's People" — built the first church of what would become the Evangelical Association, in nearby New Berlin. It is remembered as the first Evangelical Church in the United States, the seed of a denomination that grew out of the Pennsylvania German revival movement. A monument now stands where that pioneering congregation raised its meetinghouse.
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