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Writer's pictureYen Ho

Boehm's Church- Blue Bell, PA

Updated: Sep 15, 2021

Who knew a church could play a role in the Revolutionary War? I didn't. I never knew anything about this church, or ever been in there. It's located in the triangular section of Blue Bell when you turn right onto Penllyn Blue Bell Pike from the Blue Bell Inn. It's not hard to miss.


"In 1740, the church's founder, the Reverend John Philip Boehm, lived on his 200-acre farm in Whitpain Township, between what is now Cathcart Road and School House Lane, just northeast of Skippack Pike. During the battle of Germantown, Boehm's Reformed Church was used as a hospital for Revolutionary War soldiers. The soldiers who died were buried in the graveyard next to the church. The Daughters of the American Revolution, Valley Forge Chapter, erected a commemorative marker on the front of the church to honor the fallen soldiers." - https://boehmschurch.webs.com/history


Fun fact: "During the Revolutionary War, Reverend John H. Weikel (Wickle) was a very militant patriot, and preached fiery sermons against the Crown and British cabinet officials, urging his congregations to immediate action. His tirade and eccentric behavior didn't sit well with many of his parishioners; half of them demanded his dismissal. The reverend eventually resigned. He was a pastor from 1775-1778." - Whitpain... Crossroads in Time


Notice I didn't so any special photoshopping. It looks perfect when just pasting the picture onto the present day church
The church is located across from a horse farm locally owned
You can easily tell the difference between the present and the past
Google Satellite Map: 571 Penllyn Blue Bell Pike, Blue Bell, PA 19422
Atlas of the North Penn Section of Montgomery County, Pa., 1916, Plate 28; A. H. Mueller, Publisher

Bibliography:


"A Brief History of Boehm's Church Buildings." Boehm's United Church of Christ. Accessed June 26, 2019. https://boehmschurch.webs.com/history.


"Distance Calculator." DaftLogic. Accessed September 18, 2019. https://www.daftlogic.com/projects-google-maps-distance-calculator.htm.


Herman, Andrew Mark, Postcard History Series: Eastern Montgomery County Revisited (Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 2005), 121.


Mueller, A. H. Atlas of the North Penn Section of Montgomery County, Pa., Plate 28, 1916.

Whitpain Township Bicentennial Commission. Whitpain... Crossroads in Time. (Montgomery County, PA: Whitpain Township Bicentennial Commission, 1977): 131.


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