Group Tours

Open Saturdays and Sundays, 2-4 p.m. or by appointment. Closed holidays. Admission is free, but donations are welcome. Located on US 13, between the towns of Little Heaven and Frederica.

Barratt’s Chapel is known as the “Cradle of Methodism” because of its importance in the formation of the Methodist Episcopal Church in America. It is the oldest building in the United States built by Methodists for worship. Sometimes called the “Independence Hall of American Methodism,” Barratt’s Chapel was built in 1780 during the American Revolution. It is on the National Register of Historic Places and has been designated a National Heritage Landmark by the General Conference of the United Methodist Church. The museum features a collection of Methodist memorabilia and archives.

John Wesley, founder of the Methodist movement in the Church of England sent Francis Asbury to the English colonies in 1781 as a lay minister for the Methodist movement. Three years later, in 1784, John Wesley sent his personal emissary Thomas Coke to meet with Asbury in Delaware at Barratt’s Chapel. The evening that Coke and Asbury met at the chapel, they made plans to call all of the colonial Methodist preachers together to meet in Baltimore, Maryland on Christmas Day, 1784. At this conference in Baltimore, the Methodist Episcopal Church in America was formally organized. A star on the floor inside Barratt’s Chapel marks the site of the famous meeting between Coke and Asbury. Barratt’s Chapel is also known as the site of the first church service conducted by an ordained Methodist minister in the New World.

Group Tours
Amenities: Wheelchair accessible.
Group Tour Rates: Admission is free, but donations are welcome.
Tour Tips: Guided tours available, allow 30 minutes to 1 hour. Advance reservations required for tour appointments outside of regular hours of operation. Group of 50 maximum per tour. Motorcoach parking available.