Hopehill Community

Construction of the present Hopehill United Methodist Church began in 1910. Its predecessor, the first Hope Hill Methodist Episcopal Church, stood beside Hopehill Cemetery on Park Mills Road, a little more than a mile from the present building. Originally established by a white congregation, the church was sold to Black trustees in 1869 for $400. According to historical accounts, the deteriorating structure was later dismantled and sold for timber.  

In 1910, the congregation purchased land on Fingerboard Road for $10. The deed described the property as being “opposite where an old schoolhouse stood,” likely a reference to the Hope Hill Colored School. Some sources indicate that, after the earlier church was demolished, members worshiped in the two-room schoolhouse. The surviving school building is believed to have been constructed around 1890 and to have been the second school on the site.  

At an as-yet-undetermined date, Hopehill United Methodist Church expanded the footprint of its building. The church remains a vibrant congregation and an enduring center of faith and community life. Together, the church, school, and cemetery provide evidence of Hopehill’s longstanding importance as a center of worship, education, and community life for African Americans in Frederick County.