A church that bills itself the oldest congregation in Suffolk is well on its way to getting a historical marker approved to educate travelers about its history.

The present building of the Somerton Friends Meeting at 5329 Quaker Drive was built in the 1860s, but the congregation began meeting nearly 200 years before that.

In 1672, George Fox, who was the founder of the religious Society of Friends — commonly known as Quakers — visited Nansemond County to encourage Friends who had settled here. Fox’s visit established Somerton Friends Meeting, according to research by Faye Sobel, who is not a member of the church but is helping it obtain its historical marker through her work in the Suffolk Chapter of the National Society of Colonial Dames.

“It is not the oldest church, because the Quakers met in homes for years,” she said. “But it is the oldest congregation.” She added it is the oldest presently active Friends meeting in Virginia and North Carolina.

The first meetinghouse for the congregation was built in 1701. In 1866, the building was burned, because the Quakers believed in racial equality, had freed their slaves and were educating black children, according to Sobel.

The church was rebuilt just a couple of years later and still stands on the site, along with a cemetery that dates to the early 1900s. However, since it is in a rural area, the proposed historical marker would be placed on Route 58 near the intersection of Lummis Road. The landowner there has given permission to have the sign on his property.

“We’ve been there since 1672, and there’s a lot of history there,” Pastor Richard Wilcox said. “A lot of people are not aware there’s Quakers still in Suffolk. We’ve excited about drawing attention to the fact that, yes, we’re still there and still active and still pushing forward.”

The church currently has 39 members. Wilcox said it is good to celebrate the good things that happened in the past, especially the partnership that grew between the Somerton Friends Meeting and Zion Christian Church, a black congregation across the street that the Friends helped start. The two churches celebrated together last month and plan another joint service for Easter, Wilcox said.

“We’re excited about being in ministry together,” he said.

Donations are being sought for the cost of the historical marker, which is expected to cost about $1,600. The Rho Kappa National Social Studies Honor Society chapter at Lakeland High School, led by India Meissel, has raised about $500, Sobel said.

Sobel hopes to have the marker in place by early summer. Donors can call her at 539-6234 to help.