History

The history of Howertons Baptist Church begins with Old Piscataway Church. Old Piscataway was planted by Elder John Waller, constituted 13 Mar 1774 with eleven members and the first pastor was Elder James Greenwood. Old Piscataway experienced phenomenal growth and soon reached 650 members scattered over a large area. In 1792 Elder Greenwood and members looked about for a suitable location for an additional meeting house. They chose a spot where several farms joined at a road fork near John Howerton's Tavern. They purchased from Thomas Clark and Benjamin Fisher one acre of land on which Howertons Baptist Church was later to stand. A portion of the land, Thomas Clark had previously purchased from Isaac Jordon. On this land they built, on the mound where the cemetery is now located, the Bestland Meeting House (probably named from the area in which it was located being called "Bestlands"; although, the village of Bestland, was located about 3 or 4 miles south of Howertons Ordinary. We are told that Howertons belonged to both Old Piscataway and the newer Bestland church. The new building was an unplastered frame structure with a dirt floor and without provision for heat and with a gallery for colored people. A log fire was kept burning in the churchyard to which those who became uncomfortably cold might resort during services. During service Rev. Howard W. Montague became exasperated with so many men going outside to the fire and has been quoted as stating: "I see some men are going out to warm themselves. If they had washed their feet and put on clean socks before coming to services, their feet would not have gotten cold."