St. Paul's Union Church and Cemetery
Also known as: Old White Church and Cemetery
Why it's listed
Built in 1842 near Ringtown in Union Township, Schuylkill County, the Old White Church is a two-story frame meeting house with a vernacular Federal-style exterior and a painted pulpit and interior that remain largely original. The community raised it with a fieldstone foundation and locally felled timber, and no individual builder is credited. It replaced an earlier log church built around 1810 and served as a union church for Lutheran and Reformed congregations until 1885, after which the Reformed congregation continued to worship there until 1891. It is regarded as the oldest pre-1860 religious building north of the Broad Mountain. The adjoining Union Cemetery holds stone and red shale markers, many in German, and graves dating from the early nineteenth century. The church is significant for its architecture, as an intact example of a regional meeting house, and the cemetery is included for its ties to the church. Annual Ascension Day services continue to draw residents of the valley.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the church is a rare surviving example of the meeting house form in Schuylkill County and a late, intact example of the Federal style. It is described as the oldest and only pre-1860 religious building north of the Broad Mountain. The cemetery is nominated for its association with the church and its early burials.
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 95000516, listed April 27, 1995. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Jct. of T-798 and PA 4037, SW corner, about 1 mi. E of Ringtown, Union Township, Ringtown |
|---|---|
| County | Schuylkill County |
| Listed | April 27, 1995 |
| Reference number | 95000516 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1842 |
| Architectural style | Early 19th-Century Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The church was largely vacant and deteriorating until a restoration committee began work in 1989, and it is now used for services, weddings and community events. |
| Acreage | 1.3 |
| Coordinates | 40.85915, -76.21034 (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 95000516.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7591201
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.