Built in 1804, this was the last meetinghouse to be constructed in Kent County. It quickly became the center of religious life for members of the anti-slavery Hicksite branch of the Society of Friends from Odessa south to Lewes. Along with Little Creek Meeting in far eastern Kent County, Camden shared designation as the regional monthly meeting from 1830 onward. Monthly meetings gathered individuals from across the region for worship and fellowship. These relationships were undoubtedly critical parts of the network of Underground Railroad connections south of Wilmington. Families with documented Underground Railroad associations who attended the Camden Monthly meeting included the extended Hunn, Alston, Jenkins and Cowgill families. John Hunn, called “Chief Engineer” of the Underground Railroad in Delaware by William Still of Philadelphia, is buried in the adjoining cemetery. Historical markers describing his connection to the Underground Railroad are placed here as well.
Camden Friends meeting is an active meeting house with regular worship services. The original meeting house has been preserved, and a modern but complementary community building, known as the Gathering Place, was added to the site.
References
- William Still, The Underground Rail Road. (Philadelphia: Porter and Coates, 1872, 745)
- Frank R. Zebley, The Churches of Delaware (Wilmington, DE: Privately printed, 1947, 224).