CEDAR HILL — Griffith AUMP Church stands on a quiet hillside near Pleasant Hill in northeastern Cecil County. Here, just a few miles south of the Mason Dixon Line, African-American settled in the years before the Civil War and in time a church and schoolhouse were erected.
Benjamin Griffith donated the property for the Cedar Hill School on Feb.11, 1871. The nearby church, Griffith AUMP, was also built on land donated by Mr. Griffith. The cornerstone of the church was laid on Sunday, June 7, 1874. during a service conducted by the President of the Southern District, the Rev. E. W. Scott (Cecil Whig, June 6, 1874).
The formal dedication was planned for Dec. 6, 1874, and the choir of the Providence Church would be assisting in the service, the Cecil Whig reported (Dec. 5, 1874). That Sunday the church that still stands on this Cecil County hilltop was dedicated in the presence of a large crowd, according to the newspaper. The president of the district, the Rev. Charles Williams attended and Rev. E. W. Scott of Elkton was the minister in charge. Also, the Rev. G. V. Peterson of Elmira, NY was introduced and he raised $117 in contributions for the church. This house of worship, measuring 24 X 40, was built by Mr. A. Miller.
When Benjamin Griffith died on March 24, 1885, in the 77th year of his life, the Cecil Whig wrote: The “deceased was a leading man of his race in Cecil and during his lifetime did a great deal towards elevating his people. He owned considerable property and gave freely of it for charitable and religious purposes. He donated an acre of land upon which Cedar Hill A.M. P., Church was built as well as giving liberally toward the erection of the church. He also gave the lot upon which the schoolhouse near the church stands. His funeral took place on Friday, the 27th instant. The service was held in the church, the Rev. E. Scott officiating, and the remains were interred in the burial ground attached “(Cecil Whig, April 4, 1885).
For additional photos from Griffith AUMP and the Church Cemetery, see our album on Facebook.
Notes & Sources
Cecil Whig, June 6, 1847, Local Affairs, p.3
Cecil Whig, April 4, 1885, from the Library of Congress Online Collection (free access)https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83016348/1885-04-04/ed-1/seq-3/
Cecil Whig, Dedication of a New Church at Cedar Hill, Dec. 5, 1874, p.3https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/
Cecil Whig, Dedication, Dec. 12, 1874, p. 3.
US Geological Survey Map 1942, Free Online Access (see map for details)