Union Church and Burial Ground
National Register of Historic Places

Union Church and Burial Ground

Philipsburg, Centre County, Pennsylvania
Listed
May 22, 1978
Type
Building
Period
Civil War
Ref No.
78002365

About this property

The Union Church and Burial Ground (also known as the Old Mud Church) is an historic church and cemetery that is located on East Presqueisle Street in Philipsburg, Pennsylvania, United States. The church and cemetery were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. It is located in the Philipsburg Historic District. A log meetinghouse was built in 1820 by the fifty-seven residents of Philipsburg for a cost of $343. The building was used both as a school and as the community's first church, open to all Protestant ministers. In 1842, the building was extensively rebuilt as a Gothic-style, Anglican church with a three-story entrance tower added to the front, a chancel added to the rear and the log walls of the meetinghouse incorporated into the main sanctuary. A rough mixture of plaster and clay stucco covers the church giving it its common name of the "Old Mud Church." Hardman Philips had donated much of the money to rebuild the church and intended to make it an Episcopalian Church. After a lengthy lawsuit, the church continued to serve many denominations, including Episcopalians, Presbyterians, and Methodists. The last regular religious use was by Free Methodists during the early 1920s. The building has also been used as a local museum. The cemetery is surrounded by a three-foot stone wall and contains a 330-year-old white oak known as the "Founder's Oak." The oldest grave dates to 1819. Media related to Union Church (Philipsburg, Pennsylvania) at Wikimedia Commons Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. PA-334, "Union Church, East Presqueisle Street, Philipsburg, Centre County, PA", 3 photos, 8 measured drawings, 1 data page, supplemental material "Old Mud Church" Archived March 3, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, 3 interior photographs

Location

Philipsburg, Centre County, Pennsylvania
40.89815, -78.21738

Categories

EXPLORATION/SETTLEMENTARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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The Land
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Conflict & War
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The Civil War
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The Soldiers
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Native Heritage
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Settlement
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Nearby Historic Sites

Philipsburg Historic District
Listed
0.1 mi
Philips, Hardman, House
Industrial
0.2 mi
Rowland Theater
Industrial
0.3 mi
Black Moshannon State Park Maintenance District
Listed
7.7 mi
Black Moshannon State Park Family Cabin District
Listed
8.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Union Church and Burial Ground listed on the National Register?

Union Church and Burial Ground was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 22, 1978.

What type of historic resource is Union Church and Burial Ground?

Union Church and Burial Ground is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Union Church and Burial Ground?

The period of significance for Union Church and Burial Ground is recorded as the civil_war era.

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