—Janelle Gray, Echoes of the Struggle
The Earliest Free Black Settlements
Chester County’s African American communities, including Bucktoe*, Hinsonville (now part of Lincoln University), Ercildoun, and others, were among the earliest free Black settlements in the United States. These communities, established at a time when enslavement was rampant in other parts of America and all African Americans at risk in Pennsylvania, made their existence a social achievement. These villages of free African Americans were characterized by their keen sense of autonomy, resilience in the face of adversity, and a deep commitment to education and self-improvement.
The church was the center of activity in these communities. At the close of the 19th Century, Chester County could boast that nearly 40 African Methodist churches of four denominations spread throughout the county, from its population centers to its rural townships. Most played a pivotal role in the abolition movement, serving as a center for community gatherings and a place to hide freedom seekers “in plain sight.” Congregants often included bounded men and women who traveled across the Mason-Dixon to participate in services to buildings that served as safe houses during the week and allowed for the comingling of freedom seekers with congregants on Sunday, to provide cover to transport them further north. Notably, many churches were led by ministers who were prominent figures in the Underground Railroad in Chester County. Some churches are still active; others are historic, unoccupied, or repurposed buildings. Still, in others, only the cemetery remains, and some are scattered ruins.
* Local newspaper articles referred to church activities at the African Union Church at New Garden as being at “Timbuctoo,” and at times, it was called Buc-Too Church, now Bucktoe.
New Garden Memorial UAME Church
The full history of the New Garden Memorial United American Methodist Episcopal Church is not widely known except by a few scholars and members of the small congregation that worships in the church at 309 E. Linden Street. The Church’s roots are deep and go back to the very foundation of the first church for African Americans, which was entirely independent of white control. On September 4th, 1824, Levi Hood and four others, as trustees of the African Union Church of New Garden, bought an acre of land along the west branch of the Red Clay Creek in the south-western corner of Kennett Township, just a half mile north of the Delaware state line. A log church was built on the site, which served a regional congregation for many years, drawing worshippers from Yorklyn and Hockessin, Delaware, and Kennett Square, Avondale, and all parts of New Garden Township. (Early references to church activities in the newspapers refer to it as being at “Timbuctoo,” and at times, it was called Buc-Too Church.)
Levi was the first pastor and served the African Union Church for many years. His wife Harriet, a mother to their ten children and a mother to the church, was involved in abolitionist activities and routinely traveled to give anti-slavery lectures. She served on committees at the Longwood Progressive Meeting and the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society Conference. The church became more than a place of worship. It played a critical role in educating African American children at a time when access to education was very limited for African Americans and, in some places, non-existent. The church also served as a hub for social services and a gathering place for community events and celebrations.
By the early 1900s, many members had moved closer to or into Kennett Square and decided to build a new church in the borough. In 1907 Levi Plater, who had served in the Civil War Company G, 127th Regiment, US Colored Troops, sold an East Linden Street lot to the trustees of the UAME of Kennett Square. While the new church building was being planned and built, worship services were held in a blacksmith shop on the property. The groundbreaking for the new church took place in 1910. The datestone from the original church was set in the new foundation, which was built with stones from the old building. On February 28, 1911, the new sanctuary was dedicated. Eventually, the name of the Church was changed to New Garden Memorial UAME. In 2004, the New Garden Memorial U.A.M.E. Church was officially recognized.
Bucktoe Cemetery
This historic cemetery, which surrounded the original church, holds evidence of 122 burials. Only about a dozen gravestones remain. A number of them have been destroyed by the elements and some by vandals. Some inscriptions have been lost to the weather. A few headstones have complete information, including an engraved periwinkle flower native to the area – a perfect symbol representing the strength, resiliency, and endurance of the African Americans and their legacy. Fieldstones identify other graves. The rest of the graves may have had a simple wood cross at the time of interment. Recently new composite grave markers were installed to acknowledge the 12 known Civil War soldiers buried there. Burials in the cemetery had ceased by 1940.
Hinsonville
Hinsonville, now part of Lincoln University, was founded in 1829 by free African Americans. According to author Elizabeth Schultz “the acres that became Hinsonville were purchased in that year by Edward Walls, a free African American from Maryland. The first permanent settler was Emory Hinson, another free African American and namesake for the village.” Located only six miles north of the Mason-Dixon Line, the community began to flourish as other free African Americans moved from Maryland to escape the restrictive legislation enacted in the state between 1820-1850. The community played a significant role during the Civil War, when many of the free African American residents joined the Union Army to fight against slavery, believing it to be part of their own fight for personal freedom.
Hinsonville’s most significant contribution occurred in 1854 when the Ashmun Institute, named after Jehudi Ashmun, a leader in the American Colonization Society, was established. The Institute became the first degree-granting institution of higher education for African Americans in the United States, a radical statement in a time when education for African Americans was either forbidden or heavily restricted. This institute, later renamed Lincoln University, played a pivotal role in educating African Americans, many of whom became leaders and influential figures in various fields. Lincoln University has now subsumed much of the old town, with the Hosanna African Union Methodist Protestant Church considered “the last building in Hinsonville.”
Founded by the Walls brothers, the Amos brothers, Emory Hinson, and Samuel Glasco in 1843, the church served as a spiritual complement to the educational pursuits of the Ashmun Institute. It was a central station along the Underground Railroad as ministers and congregants aided hundreds in their escape north using church grounds or resources. It has long been known that a trap door under the pulpit led to a secure basement. Recent construction has also revealed a hidden tunnel beneath the floor, used by slaves to crawl their way to the woods hundreds of feet behind the church.
The church held two types of services: one that was proper and reserved under the scrutiny of slave overseers and the other more emotional, after the overseers had departed. These gatherings were not just for worship but also served as forums for debate among African Americans on issues such as abolition and the idea of returning to Africa to establish a free state. Records show that Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth visited the church to speak at some of the gatherings and debates.
Hayti
The origins of Hayti, named after the independent African American Republic of Haiti, symbolizing hope, freedom, and self-governance, date back to the pre-Civil War era. Many of the residents were enslaved who had been freed, gained their own freedom, or were descendants of these people. Hayti’s residents created a self-sustaining community, built homes, established businesses, and formed a close-knit society that thrived on mutual support and collective effort. As was the case in many other communities of free African Americans, many of the men joined the Union Army to fight against slavery.
Before the small frame church for the Union American Methodist Church of Marple was completed in 1839, residents of Hayti held worship services in their homes. A cemetery which is still in existence was started in 1839 as well. Many of those buried there served their country in the Grand Army of the Republic during the Civil War. Other headstones in the cemetery indicate that burials were made as late as 1918. Unfortunately, the cemetery in Marple has been abandoned, but it remains a silent memorial to brave and humble people who built their faith on solid rock. The cemetery is not just a burial ground but a historic repository containing stories of lives lived, struggles endured, and contributions made to the community. Each unmarked grave tells a unique story, reflecting the socio-cultural fabric of the African American community over the years.
Ercildoun
After the Civil War, when former enslaved Jacob Carter and his bought land and began his ministry here after the Civil War, many more former enslaved residents settled in Ercildoun, enlarging the town with a grange, church, library, and town hall.
Unionville
Chester Springs
Sugartown
When the 1780 Gradual Abolition Act marked a gradual shift from slavery to freedom for many African Americans, communities like Sugartown emerged as havens for free African Americans. By the early 1800s, Sugartown had become a notable settlement for free African Americans, either freedom seekers or those born free, who wanted to reside in communities where they could live autonomously. With an economy based on agriculture, most of the African American residents engaged in farming.
This agricultural focus was a means of sustenance, a symbol of their freedom and self-sufficiency, and a place to shield other freedom seekers at this critical juncture on the Underground Railroad at the edge of Chester County. Many residents actively participated in this network, providing shelter and aid.
At one point, there were five African American churches in Sugartown that were more than religious institutions. Serving as the heart of the community, they hosted social events, celebrations, and communal meals. In an era when African Americans were marginalized and discriminated against, the churches offered a safe space for free expression. Here, individuals could share their experiences, joys, and sorrows without fear of repression, creating a sense of solidarity and mutual support. In addition, within the limited access of African Americans to education, the churches also served as educational centers.