A Brief History
1846: The first Deer Park congregation is organized. Services are conducted in the Union Schoolhouse by Reisterstown-area preachers to ensure that residents of Smallwood could worship together.
1854: The Union Schoolhouse congregation was formally incorporated as the Deer Park Chapel Congregation of the Maryland Conference of the Methodist Protestant Church.
1855: The first brick Deer Park Chapel was built. It was dedicated in September.
1880: The church became associated with the town of Smallwood as the local post office was operated out of the Chapel.
1891-92: The Chapel was rebuilt using 35,000 bricks from the old building, starting in October of 1891. It was dedicated in February of 1892.
1920: Eva Logue, a long-standing church member, made a commitment to serve God as a medical missionary in India.
1922: Women were given the right to vote in church councils.
1927: The Social Hall was built and a first annual Memorial Day dinner was held.
1930s: The basement was dug by sixty men using scoops and horses. The first central heating furnace was installed.
1939: The name of the congregation was changed to Deer Park Methodist Church.
1955: During Deer Park's Centennial and Homecoming celebrations, a commitment was made to support the building of a church in Yellary, India.
1962: Land was purchased across the road at the intersection of Route 32 and Deer Park Road by the church for the purpose of erecting an education center and sanctuary there. The 21-acre site formerly belonged to the Magin farm.
1968: The church became Deer Park United Methodist Church to reflect union of the Methodist and United Brethren Church.
1974: Construction on Education Building began.
1976: Education building was consecrated on September 19th.
1993: "By Faith We Build" campaign initiated.
1994: Ground Breaking ceremony for new sanctuary held on September 17th.
1995: Cornerstone of new sanctuary laid on April 30th; consecrated on September 17th.
2005: The 150th Anniversary was celebrated including a special service on the 3rd Sunday of each month for the first half of the year and a community picnic on June 18th.