Zion United Methodist Church & Cemetery - New Egypt, NJ
Posted by: 
94RedRover
N 40° 04.890 W 074° 29.403
18T E 543477 N 4436927
Just east of Route 539, along Route 528 (Lakewood Road) in New Egypt, Zion Methodist Church and Cemetery have been here since 1789, the current building since 1838.
Waymark Code: WM6PTH
Location: New Jersey, United States
Date Posted: 07/04/2009
Views: 2
"On an old farm (L) at 15.7 m. is ZION METHODIST CHURCH, first of that denomination in Ocean County. About 1789 Methodism was introduced in the log house of Job Homer, who lived on the farm that included the present church site. The existing church replaced an earlier building that burned in 1837."
--- New Jersey, A Guide to It's Past and Present, 1939
1789, this area of New Egypt was mostly farmland. This Methodist Church began in the home of one of the farmers, and part of his land became the site of the church and cemetery. The original structure for meetings was burned down in 1800. The present building was erected in 1838. The cemetery sits along Route 528, with the church behind it. It may be hard to see the church behind the trees.
There are 137 graves here, including the grave of David Southard, and American Civil War hero and recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor. His gravestone reads:
"David Southard
Medal of Honor
Serg
Co C
1 NJ Cav
Civil War
1845
1894"