1st Plaque on monument: "Site of Paradise Church, also known as Mosser's or Musser's Evangelical. Built 1831 ~ Dismantled 1963. First Pastor - Sebastion Musser. Famous Seventh General Conference held here 1839 - Rev. John Seybert was elected Bishop. (Plaque erected 1974)".

2nd Plaque on monument: "United Methodist Historic Site No. 399".

Take U. S. Route 322 east to Boalsburg (approximately 4 miles), turn left onto PA Route 45 north to Old Fort (approximately 7.3 miles) continue on PA Route 45 to Paradise Road (approximately 9.6 miles from Old Fort), turn right on Paradise Road (this road proceeds approximately 2 miles. Paradise Cemetery is on the hill to the right.

The history of Paradise Cemetery is inextricably entwined with the history of Paradise Church and the Evangelical Association. So, while we do not have a great many details regarding the development of the cemetery itself, we are able to glean some information from the history of the church itself.

One of the earliest preachers in Penn's Valley was Jacob Albright of the Evangelical Association. As early as 1805 he roamed the Penns and Brush Valleys proclaiming the Gospel in any home that would welcome him.

By 1831 the meetings had outgrown the space offered to them and a church was built on the site where the cemetery is now (1997) located. The church that we call "Paradise" was in its early days known as Mosser's or Musser's Church after Sebastian Musser who was a farmer and lay pastor. He supervised the construction of the first two structures; the first having been a destroyed a few years after its construction.

1839 was the pivotal year for the Paradise Church. The Seventh General Conference of the Evangelical Association was held in the original building. Policies generated at the conference centered on Christian principles and morals, leading to the emphasis on temperance work, antislavery actions and mission activity.

For many years Paradise served the spiritual needs of the Penns Valley. But, overtime, the people sought other support and the church declined in membership. By 1960 the membership had declined to the point that the Annual Central Pennsylvania Conference of the Evangelical United Brethren decided to disband the congregation.

At some point following the closing of the church and prior to 1974 the church structure was partially destroyed by a storm and then demolished.

Stones from the structure were used to erect a memorial marker in 1974 to honor the first United Evangelical Church in Centre County. The inscription on the memorial is shown below.



SITE OF PARADISE CHURCH

ALSO KNOWN AS

MOSSER'S OR MUSSER'S EVANGELICAL

BUILT 1831 DISMANTLED 1963

FIRST PASTOR—SEBASTIAN MUSSER

FAMOUS SEVENTH GENERAL CONFERENCE

HELD HERE IN 1839

REV. JOHN SEYBERT WAS ELECTED BISHOP

ERECTED 1974



Sources:

1. Paradise Church marker erected, Centre Daily Times 18, May 1974
2. The Cemeteries of Penn Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania printed in 1997 and published by the Centre County Genealogical Society -- page 51