List of the oldest churches in the United States

This list of oldest churches in the United States is divided into three parts: the oldest in the sense of oldest surviving building, and the oldest in the sense of oldest Christian church congregation, and the old church in each U.S. state. There is a distinction between old church buildings that have been in continuous use as churches, and those that have been converted to other purposes; and between buildings that have been in continuous use as churches and those that were shuttered for many decades.

In terms of congregations, they are distinguished between early established congregations that have been in continuous existence (sometimes through great theological changes), and early congregations that ceased to exist. Some of these churches are located in areas that were part of the original Thirteen Colonies that made up the United States in 1776. Others were built in states that were later annexed, such as Louisiana and New Mexico. Sites on the list are generally from the First Period of American architecture or earlier.

To be listed here a site must: be the oldest church in a state, large city (top 50), or oldest of its type (denomination, architectural, etc.); be freestanding (not a ruin or mound, as there are separate lists for those); and/or be the oldest congregation of its type (denomination).

Oldest church buildings

San José Church Old San Juan PR 1528 Catholic Located in the Old San Juan National Historic Landmark District. Additions and renovations over the centuries. The church has been on U.S. territory since Puerto Rico was annexed in 1898.San Miguel MissionSanta Fe, New Mexico NM Approximately started in 1610 or 1626 Catholic The oldest church built in the continental US. The original adobe walls and altar were built by the Tlaxcalan Indians from Mexico under the orders of the Spaniards, but much of the structure was rebuilt in 1710. Building has been within the U.S. since 1848, when the US annexed Santa Fe de Nuevo México following the Mexican–American War.San Agustín de la Isleta MissionIsleta, New Mexico NM Founded in 1613 and completed in 1629 or 1630 Catholic Originally built by Spanish Franciscan missionaries at the Isleta Pueblo. Like the San Miguel chapel much was rebuilt in 1710 as a result of the Pueblo Revolt. Building has been within the U.S. since 1848, when the US annexed New Mexico territory following the Mexican–American War. Jamestown Church Jamestown, Virginia VA 1647 (Completed) Anglican Only floor tiles and foundations remain from the first brick church (with a tower added sometime earlier or later). Present building erected 1907. Oldest church in the original 13 colonies. San Estevan Del Rey Mission Church Acoma, New Mexico NM 1649 Catholic New Castle Presbyterian Church New Castle, Delaware DE 1657 Presbyterian Current Meeting House erected 1707 Old Trinity Church Church Creek, Maryland MD 1675 Episcopal Church building in continuous use; as such, oldest in the continental US. St. Mary's, Whitechapel Lancaster County, Virginia VA 1675 Episcopal Fairfield Presbyterian Church Cumberland County, New Jersey NJ c. 1680 Presbyterian Second-oldest presbyterian congregation in the United States; briefly congregationalist before adopting presbyterian church government. Third Haven Meeting House Talbot County, Maryland MD 1681–84 Quaker (Friends) Oldest Quaker meeting house in the United States. Old Ship Church Hingham, Massachusetts MA 1681 Puritan, Congregational, now Unitarian Universalist Only remaining 17th-century Puritan meetinghouse in the US."Old Ship Church", National Park Service St. Luke's Church Smithfield, Virginia VA 1682 Anglican, Episcopal after American Revolution, currently non-denominational and does not have a congregation. National Historic LandmarkW. Eugene Kleinbauer, Modern Perspectives in Western Art History: An Anthology, Medieval Academy of America, 1989, p. 315 Old Indian Meeting House Mashpee, Massachusetts MA 1684 Congregational/Native American Oldest Native American church Old Quaker Meeting House Flushing, New York NY 1694 Quaker (Friends) Oldest religious building in Queens County, New York City. The only surviving example in New York State of a typical 17th-century ecclesiastical frame structure of medieval design.National Survey of Historic Sites and Buildings, 1970 Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow Sleepy Hollow, New York NY 1697 (completed) Dutch Reformed Oldest church building in New York state Grace Church Yorktown, Virginia VA 1697 Episcopal Old Norriton Presbyterian Church Montgomery County, Pennsylvania PA 1698 Presbyterian Oldest Surviving church in Pennsylvania and oldest place of worship in Pennsylvania Holy Trinity Church (Old Swedes) Wilmington, Delaware DE 1698 Lutheran/Episcopal Oldest Swedish Church in the United States Great Friends Meeting House Newport, Rhode Island RI 1699 Quaker (Friends) Quaker Meeting House, oldest surviving church in Rhode Island Gloria Dei(Old Swedes' Church) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania PA 1700 Lutheran/Episcopal Oldest surviving church in Philadelphia Portsmouth Friends Meetinghouse Portsmouth, Rhode Island RI 1700 Quaker (Friends) Six Principle Baptist Church North Kingstown, Rhode Island RI 1703 Baptist Possibly oldest surviving Baptist church building in the U.S. St. Mary's Episcopal Church Burlington, New Jersey NJ 1703 Episcopal Oldest church in New JerseySt. Peter's Church (Talleysville, Virginia)New Kent County, VirginiaVA1703EpiscopalOldest Church in the Diocese of Virginia Old St. Andrew's Parish Church Charleston, South Carolina SC 1706 Anglican Oldest church structure in South Carolina and south of Virginia, formerly Episcopal, now the oldest property in the Anglican Church in North America. Old Narragansett Church Wickford, Rhode Island RI 1707 Episcopal Oldest surviving colonial Episcopal church in Northeastern USA St. Michael's Church Marblehead, Massachusetts MA 1714 Episcopal Oldest surviving Episcopal church building in New England on its original foundation Merion Friends Meeting House Merion Station, Pennsylvania PA 1715 (completed) 1695 (started) Quaker (Friends) Third oldest Friends meeting house in the United States. Old North Church Boston, Massachusetts MA 1723 Episcopal Oldest active church building in Boston and a National Historic Landmark, the Old North Church (formal name: Christ Church in the City of Boston) is the location from which the famous signal lanterns are said to have been displayed for Paul Revere's midnight ride during the American Revolution. Parish Church of St. Helena Beaufort, South Carolina SC 1724 Anglican Oldest surviving colonial Anglican/Episcopal church south of Charleston Trinity Church, Newport Newport, Rhode Island RI 1726 Episcopal Oldest Episcopal Parish in Rhode Island St. John's Episcopal Church Hampton, Virginia VA 1728 Episcopal Oldest Episcopal Parish in the New World St Francis Xavier Church Compton, Maryland MD 1731 Catholic Oldest Catholic Church in original 13 colonies.Jamesport Meeting HouseJamesport, New YorkNY1731Congregational, now Unitarian UniversalistOldest church and public structure on Eastern Long Island, NY Reformed Church of Newtown Elmhurst, New York NY 1731 Dutch Reformed Oldest Dutch Reformed church in Queens, New YorkBrookville Reformed ChurchBrookville, Long Island New YorkNY1732Dutch ReformedOldest continuous church on Long Island, NY Christ Church Nanjemoy, Maryland MD 1732 Episcopal Oldest Episcopal congregation in Maryland St. Thomas Episcopal Church Bath, North Carolina NC 1734 Episcopal Oldest church in North Carolina Old Donation Episcopal Church Virginia Beach, Virginia VA 1736 Episcopal Oldest congregation in lower tidewater region of Hampton Roads (continuous congregation since 1637). Oldest church in the City of Virginia Beach. Cathedral of San Fernando San Antonio, Texas TX 1738 Catholic Oldest church in Texas. Oldest Catholic cathedral in the contiguous United States. The church was named for Ferdinand III of Castile. In 1868, the cathedral was considerably enlarged in the Gothic style. St. Paul's Episcopal Church Norfolk, Virginia VA 1739 Episcopal Oldest Surviving Building in The City of Norfolk. Augustus Lutheran Church Trappe, Pennsylvania PA 1743 Lutheran Oldest unaltered Lutheran Church in use by the same congregation King's Chapel Boston, Massachusetts MA 1754 Unitarian Christian Oldest continually used religious site in Boston, present church building 1754 St. Michael's Church Charleston, South Carolina SC 1752–1761 Anglican Oldest church edifice in downtown Charleston, SC St. Paul's Chapel New York, New York NY 1766 Episcopal Oldest church building in ManhattanSt. John's Episcopal ChurchFort Washington, Maryland MD 1767 Episcopal Located in the Broad Creek Historic District. The building is the 4th iteration of the church since the original was erected in 1695.St. John's Episcopal Church (Fort Washington, Maryland) Mission San Diego de Alcala San Diego, California CA 1769 Catholic First of the 21 California Missions, oldest church in use in California The Falls Church Falls Church, Virginia VA 1769 Episcopal First church in Falls Church, Virginia and established by the colonial Virginia Assembly in May 1732 for the land north of the Occoquan River First Church of Christ, Congregational (Farmington, Connecticut) Farmington, Connecticut CT 1771 Congregational Famous for its association with the AmistadGuinston Presbyterian ChurchAirville, PennsylvaniaPA1774PresbyterianGuinston has records dating back to 1753. It was officially incorporated in 1754 and one of three original members of the Associate Presbytery of Pennsylvania. The Historic Stone Meeting house was constructed in 1773–1774. Prior to that they met in homes and a log construction sanctuary. Old St. Luke's Church Scott Township, Pennsylvania PA 1774 Episcopal Oldest church west of the Allegheny Mountains in Pennsylvania. Originally a log building, it was replaced by a frame church in 1790, and then the existing stone church in 1852. St. Gabriel Catholic Church St. Gabriel, Louisiana LA 1776 Catholic Oldest church in the Mississippi River Valley Barratt's Chapel Frederica, Delaware DE 1780 Methodist Second oldest Methodist church building in the U.S. built for that purpose (the oldest is St. George's in Philadelphia, PA, built in 1769) Mission San Juan Capistrano San Juan Capistrano CA 1782 Catholic Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church Kodiak AK 1795 Eastern Orthodox The first Eastern Orthodox Church to be built in the United States. The building has burned down multiple times and the current building was built in 1945. Mission San Xavier del BacTucsonAZ1797CatholicThe mission was founded in 1692, and the current structure was completed in 1797.Center Church on the GreenNew Haven, ConnecticutCT1814CongregationalBasilica of St. Joseph Proto-CathedralBardstown, KentuckyKY1816CatholicThe proto-cathedral is the first Catholic Cathedral west of the Allegheny Mountains.Brunswick United Methodist ChurchBrunswick, OhioOH1817MethodistThe oldest church in Medina County and the second oldest in the Western Reserve. Still active today. Was expanded in 2002. Wyandot Mission Church Upper Sandusky OH 1824 Methodist The oldest Methodist mission church in AmericaBeech Cumberland Presbyterian ChurchHendersonvilleTN1828Cumberland PresbyterianThe oldest church in Middle Tennessee. Beech was organized as a Presbyterian church in 1798. The first Synod of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church was constituted here on October 5, 1813. In 1828, the stone building was erected with three-foot thick walls, replacing the original meetinghouse.

Oldest continuous church congregations