Old Norriton Presbyterian Church
Why it's listed
Old Norriton Presbyterian Church is a one-story brownstone church near Norristown, Montgomery County, with a wooden shake gable roof and a single-room interior with a barrel-vaulted ceiling. The stone is laid in regular courses in a pattern described as Flemish bond, and the only ornament is cut stone trim around the arched front windows and doorway. Land for a meetinghouse and graveyard was conveyed by Matthias and Elizabeth Rittenhouse in 1737, and the oldest gravestone in the cemetery dates to 1740. During the Revolutionary War the building served as a hospital and quarters for soldiers, and some soldiers who died there were buried in unmarked graves. George Washington visited the church, and Benjamin Franklin attended services there with David Rittenhouse. A fire in 1903 destroyed the 1844 furnishings, and in 1940 a high pulpit and box pews were reinstalled in their original positions. The church is valued for its early stone construction and its Revolutionary-era associations.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the church is significant for its plain stone construction laid in regular courses, its long association with Presbyterianism, and its role during the Revolutionary War as a hospital and soldiers' quarters. It also cites visits by George Washington and Benjamin Franklin and the burial of soldiers in the graveyard. The form states that the walls are original and that the building is possibly the oldest Presbyterian church building with unchanged walls in Pennsylvania.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 79002304, listed April 3, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | NW of Norristown on U.S. 422, Norristown |
|---|---|
| County | Montgomery County |
| Listed | April 3, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79002304 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1740-1844 |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Religion |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Document states the interior appears much as it did in its 1740 to 1844 period. |
| Acreage | 0.8 |
| Coordinates | 40.15837, -75.37337 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Religious properties are listed for their architectural or historical significance, not their religious use. Listing is honorary and does not restrict the congregation's use of the building. The federal rehabilitation credit is generally unavailable unless part of the building is income-producing; some state programmes and preservation grants do cover religious buildings. Federal funding or permits trigger Section 106 review.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 79002304.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7084623
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.