In 1791 Daniel Lowber granted permission for the society of people called Methodists to erect a meeting house at this location, and the site was formally conveyed to church trustees in 1796. Adjoining land was obtained in 1813 for use as a public burying ground. The church was named for Richard Whatcoat (1736-1806), a native of England sent to this country by John Wesley in 1784 to assist with the formation of new churches and plan the future of American Methodism. He was elected Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1800. The congregation continued to meet in Whatcoat Chapel until moving to a new location in 1857, and the cemetery was expanded after the old church was removed.