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ORTHODOX FRIENDS MEETINGS Sadsbury and Cooperville

Township, Lancaster County, Pa

"Churches of Today and Yesterday in Southern Lancaster County" by Fellowship of Solanco Churches, Raymond Dunlap, George Herbert, & Richard Yates , Sr. printed 1968

Two Orthodox Friends Meetings came into being in 1828 following the division of the Society which grew out of the controversial preaching of Elias Hicks. At Sadsbury a number of persons withdrew from the Meeting but continued to worship in the same building for a time, a partition having been placed in that building for their convenience. The Hicksite Friends continued to hold title to the land and building; in 1831 the Orthodox group secured a site at nearby Simmontown upon which they erected their own Meeting House. A small grave yard was located there also. A like division took place for the same reason and at the same time in Bart Meeting. They secured a site for their house of worship about one half mile East of Bart Meeting House on the South side of Valley Road near Cooperville. Were of the opinion that they held Meeting in the school house of Jeremiah Cooper until completion of the new building. Here too a few graves, in course of time, were located; the first being in 1848.

In the year 1880 these two Meetings combined their interests and together erected a brick Meeting House on Slocum Avenue in the village of Christiana. We are told, however, that Cyrus Simmons continued to go to the building at Cooperville and worship alone each First and Fifth days until his death in 1882.

The Meeting Houses of the first two locations have long since been torn down. At Simmontown a dwelling house has lately been erected on the site. At Cooperville the site is now part of a cultivated field. Some of the burials here are said to have been removed to other cemeteries. The Meeting in Christiana, due to decreased membership, was laid down in 1919 by Bradford Monthly Meeting to which this Preparative Meeting had been transferred in 1907 when its Monthly Meeting was laid down. This building also was eventually sold and converted into a dwelling in 1930, by the purchaser, Mr. Harry Mullen. Although laid down in 1919, like the one at Cooperville, one of the older members continued to resort thither and worship alone until about the time of sale. This building is now (1967) the attractive residence of Mr. and Mrs. Vincent Shivery.

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