The roots of African-American Methodism in this area reach back to the late 18th century, when pioneers such as Francis Asbury and Freeborn Garrettson traveled locally and organized black classes for worship. Over time some groups left the mother church, while this congregation remained affiliated with the Methodist Episcopal faith. By the mid-1800’s, members of Union Wesley were gathering regularly for services, many of the early meetings held in the open air nearby. On December 18, 1873, the trustees purchased the lot where the first church was built in the area now occupied by the cemetery, and that building served the congregation until fire destroyed it in 1957. The present church stands on the former site of District #207-C Blackwater School, on land obtained in 1951 after the school was destroyed by fire, and the new church was completed in 1961. Before permanent structures were placed on the Wesley Campground, worshippers used covered wagons for shelter, arranging them in a circle around a pulpit. By the 1930’s, wooden boarding tents had replaced the wagons, and a confectionery and bower had been built. One adapted building was the old #207-C schoolhouse, constructed in the late 19th century and used as a school until 1922, when it was replaced by the building that later stood on this site. Wesley Campground was the last camp in Delaware to use wooden firestands for lighting, ending the practice in 1943 when electricity arrived, and it is believed to be one of the oldest campgrounds of its type in continuous use.