Upper Freehold Baptist Meeting | |
Nearest City: | Imlaystown, New Jersey |
Coordinates: | 40.1689°N -74.4744°W |
Location: | Yellow Meetinghouse and Red Valley roads, Upper Freehold Township, New Jersey |
Built: | 1720 |
Added: | April 21, 1975 |
Refnum: | 75001147 |
Designated Other1 Name: | New Jersey Register of Historic Places |
Designated Other1 Abbr: | NJRHP |
Designated Other1 Link: | New Jersey Register of Historic Places |
Designated Other1 Date: | March 25, 1975 |
Designated Other1 Number: | 2069[1] |
Designated Other1 Num Position: | bottom |
Designated Other1 Color: |
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Upper Freehold Baptist Meeting, also known as Ye Olde Yellow Meeting House, is a historic church located on Yellow Meetinghouse and Red Valley roads in the Red Valley section of Upper Freehold Township near Imlaystown in Monmouth County, New Jersey. It is the oldest Baptist meetinghouse in the state.[2] It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 21, 1975 for its significance in religion and exploration/settlement.[3]
An earlier building for the area Baptists was erected in 1720 on land donated by Thomas and Rachel Salter.[3] The current meeting house was built in 1737. It is oriented so that the gable ends are facing due east and west, to maximize sunlight on the southern side. The first resident minister for the congregation was David Jones (1736–1820).[3] The parsonage was built .[4]
The oldest dated grave in the Yellow Meeting House Cemetery is Salter's son, John, who died August 29, 1723.[4] The 5acres cemetery has about two hundred graves.[3]