Aston Township.

fully alluded to in the account of St. George's Church, Lower Chichester.

In the churchyard at Mount Hope several generations of the old families of Aston are interred. Conspicuous among that number was George McCracken, who died only a few months before he had attained his hundredth year of life. George McCracken died on his estate on West Branch of Chester Creek in 1873. He was born in Ireland in 1773, and shortly after he came to this country (early in the century) settled in Aston, and continued to reside there until his death. Although his career was not marked with remarkable incidents outside of the usual happenings of rural life, he was a good citizen, who left an unblemished name to his numerous descendants. Four years before his death, on May 1,1869, while a number of the family and friends had assembled at Mr. McCracken's house to attend a funeral there, the upper floor or the porch, on which about thirty persons were standing at the time, gave way, and fortunately, although several persons were hurt, no serious injury was sustained by any one. In 1851 the church was part of Mount Hope Station, and in 1852 it became Village Green Circuit; from that date the pastors have been as follows: 1851, Rev. John B. Maddox; 1852-53, Rev. Ignatius T. Cooper, D.D.; 1854-55, Henry G. King; 1856-57, Henry Sutton; 1858, Ignatius T. Cooper, D.D. ; 1859-60, Henry H. Bodine; 1861-62, Rev. James Flannery; 1863-64, Rev. James L. Houston; 1865-66, Rev. Henry Mauger; 1867-68, Rev. William C. Johnson; 1869-71, Rev. John A. Watson; 1872-74, Rev. Edward Townsend; 1875-77, Rev. William McGee; 1878-80, Benjamin T. Spring; 1881-83, George T. Hurlock; 1884, William Rink. In March, 1878, Mount Hope Church was set off as a special station.

Crozerville Methodist Episcopal Church. - In the autumn of 1851 a number of the members of Mount Hope Circuit residing in the immediate neighborhood of Rockdale, believing that the cause of Methodism could be advanced by the erection of a church edifice at that place, gathered at the house of Rev. John B. Maddox, near Village Green, which meeting resulted in the organization of a board of trustees and the appointment of a building committee. The trustees were Norris L. Yarnall, Archibald McDowell, John Blackburn, Robert Moss, Robert McCartney, John Thompson, William McBride, Amos Cummings, and David Burnite, and the building committee, Dr. Barton, Rev. Henry G. King, and Archibal McDowell. The first meeting of the trustees was held in Parkmount school-house on Nov. 18, 1851, when, to aid the movement, John P. Crozer donated a lot of ground for the church building, and also subscribed generously to the building fund. In the spring of 1852, although the structure had not been erected, a petition was presented to the Philadelphia Conference urging that the Rockdale Church, as it was then known, should be separated from Mount Hope and constituted a regular station. The request was favorably considered and Rev. George W. McLaughlin appointed the first pastor. At that time services were held in the Temperance Hall at Taylortown, now known as Lenni. The first Quarterly Conference was held on June 13th, and continued the following day, at which Rev. T. J. Thompson, presiding elder, was chairman. The church edifice in the mean while had been pushed forward, and was completed in the summer of 1852, the audience-room being formally dedicated on June 27th of that year, Rev. Dr. William Ryan, of Philadelphia, preaching the dedicatory sermon. On that day nearly seven hundred and fifty dollars was contributed. At the Quarterly Conference held Feb. 19, 1853, as a recognition of the generous favors extended to the society by Mr. Crozer, a resolution was adopted to change the name of the church from Rockdale to Crozerville, which order was made, and by that title the congregation was incorporated December, 1860. The basement of the church was completed in September, 1852. The attendance increased rapidly, and by degrees the indebtedness which had rested on the church was liquidated until, in 1866, it was absolutely freed from debt. Ten years subsequent to the last date the parsonage was erected and carriage-sheds built at the church, the cost of these improvements amounting to two thousand two hundred dollars. During twenty years' service the original edifice became dilapidated, and in the summer of 1882 the congregation renovated and thoroughly renewed the structure, which was formally reopened Oct. 22, 1882, Dr. A. J. Kynitt preaching the sermon.

The following pastors have been in charge of the Crozerville Church since its founding: Revs. George N. McLaughlin, 1852; Dr. Ignatius T. Cooper, 1854; John 0'Niel, 1856; Joseph Dare, 1858; Alfred G. Scott, 1860; John Frame, 1862; Francis W. Harvey, 1864; Edward P. Aldred, 1865; Welmer Coffman, 1867; Stephen Townsend, 1869; Henry White, 1870; A. L. Welon, 1872; H. U. Tebring, 1874; Abel Howard, 1875; James C. Wood, 1877; T. W. McClary, 1879; Alex. M. Wiggins, 1881; Ravil Smith, 1882.

Chester Heights Camp-Meeting Association. - In 1872 an association of Methodists purchased a farm in Aston, on the line of the Baltimore Central Railroad, and was incorporated under the title Chester Heights Camp-Meeting Association. The tract contains about one hundred and sixty-two acres, of which about sixty was woodland, which is inclosed with a close fence seven feet high, having gates located at convenient points for the admission of those attending the meetings. The improvements consist of a large excursion-house, seventy by one hundred and twenty feet; a portion of this building is two stories in height, which is used as lodging-rooms, while in the rear building is one story open at the sides, and can be used in rainy weather for holding religious services. In front are three or four hundred settees, capable of seating between three and four thousand persons, so arranged that all in attendance can have