Historical Photo of the Week - The Grave of Philip William Otterbein

In 1913, one hundred years after the passing of the Reverend Philip William Otterbein, a monument was erected at his grave site in Baltimore, Maryland. This image, found mis-filed in a box of oversized photographs, is presumably a snapshot of the dedication.

Rev. Otterbein was a German missionary of the Reformed Church who had come to accept many of the teachings of John Wesley. He came to the United States in 1751 and settled in Baltimore, Maryland in 1774. In 1800, at a revival meeting in Pennsylvania, he met the Reverend Martin Boehm (pronounced "Baim") and together they founded the United Brethren Church. As the denomination's first bishop, Otterbein shepherded the U.B. Church until his death in 1813.

The church where Otterbein was buried is today known as the "Old Otterbein Church." It is one of the few churches of the eighteenth century still in use in the city. For more information, you can visit their web site at http://www.oldotterbeinumc.org/.