Baptist Church

In the spring of 1851 John P. Crozer began the erection of a church at Upland. Prior to this, religious services were conducted by Baptist clergymen in a room in #1 Mill. In March of the following year the structure was dedicated, and on Nov. 17, 1852, when fully completed, was publicly recognized as a house of worship.

Upland Baptist Church and Chapel

Rev. John Duncan was the first pastor, but he resigned in 1854, and Rev. William Wilder was called and accepted the pastorate of the church, continuing until July, 1865. In November of that year Rev. James M. Pendleton was installed as the minister, a relationship which was continued for eighteen years, until October, 1883, when he resigned.

During Dr. Pendleton's tenure, the church prospered and in 1873 the church was enlarged for the second time. The improvements made in that year cost fourteen thousand dollars. The first addition to the original building was made in 1860.

Not only did the membership of the Upland Baptist Church increase threefold during the pastorate of Rev. Dr. Pendleton, but a mission chapel was established at Leiperville, and another at Bridgewater, while the Baptist Churches at Village Green and in South Chester were originally offshoots of the Upland church.

John P. Crozer left $10,000 in his will to be invested, with the income to be used for the maintenance and upkeep of the church buildings, the parsonage and graveyard of the Upland Baptist church.