St. Barnabas' Episcopal Church (Leeland, Maryland) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids New Brick ChurchSt. Barnabas Church |
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Episcopal |
| Location | |
| Location | 14705 Oak Grove Road Upper Marlboro, Maryland |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Christopher Lowndes, Walter Macomber |
| Architectural style | Georgian Colonial |
| Date established | 1705 |
| Groundbreaking | 1772 |
| Specifications | |
| Direction of façade | west |
| Length | 60 feet |
| Width | 46 feet |
| Materials | brick, wood shingle roof |
| Website | |
| http://www.stbarnabas.net | |
St. Barnabas Church, also known as St. Barnabas' Episcopal Church, Leeland, is a historic church in Leeland, Maryland. It was first established in 1704 as the main church for Queen Anne Parish. This area was one of the richest tobacco-growing regions in Colonial Maryland. Because of this, the church became a very important place for the community.
St. Barnabas Church has been a key cultural center for southern Maryland for a long time. It played a role through early colonial times, the American Revolution, the Civil War, and the period after the Civil War called Reconstruction. The church also holds some very important pieces of art. It was even the site of a tense moment during the American Revolution.
The church is located in the Brock Hall area of Prince George's County, Maryland. It has an Upper Marlboro postal address.
Contents
History of St. Barnabas Church
On December 19, 1704, a larger church area called St. Paul's Parish was divided. The northern part became Queen Anne Parish, and the southern part remained St. Paul's. This division was made by the Maryland General Assembly.
The new Queen Anne Parish was created to serve the growing number of people in the area. It was named after Queen Anne, who ruled England at the time.
The original St. Paul's Parish had a small log chapel in its northern section. When Queen Anne Parish was formed, this chapel became the first St. Barnabas Church. It was built on land owned by John and Mary Duvall.
Soon after, in 1706, the government allowed new towns like "Queen Anne Town" and "Marlborough Town" to be planned. This brought more people and development to the area. In 1708, Reverend Jonathan White became the first Rector (leader) of Queen Anne Parish.
Building the Old Brick Church
Col. Henry Ridgley was a wealthy landowner and an important member of the church. In 1709, he promised money to help build a new brick church. He left even more money for it when he passed away in 1710.
The small log chapel was replaced in 1710 by the first brick church. This was the second St. Barnabas Church on the same spot. It was quite small and is now known as the Old Brick Church. Reverend White stayed at St. Barnabas until 1717.
Henderson's Chapel and Holy Trinity Church
In 1713, Col. Ridgley's widow, Mary, built a chapel on her own land. This chapel was close to her home. On December 17, 1717, Reverend Jacob Henderson became the rector of Queen Anne Parish. He later married Mary Ridgley.
In 1737, Reverend Henderson gave 4 acres of land to Queen Anne's Parish. This land included the chapel he had built. It was known as Henderson's Chapel or Forest Chapel. This chapel served the northern part of the parish. Almost 100 years later, in 1836, Henderson's Chapel became its own church. It is now known as Holy Trinity Episcopal Church.
Reverend Henderson served St. Barnabas for 34 years before he passed away in 1751.
A New, Larger Brick Church
Because the area was rich in tobacco, being the rector of St. Barnabas was a very important job. In 1771, Jonathan Boucher became the rector. He had previously served in Annapolis.
During this time, many important people visited the church. These visitors included George Washington and his family. The Royal Governor of Maryland, Robert Eden, also visited in 1772.
By 1772, the church congregation had grown too large for the original brick building. So, they decided to build a new, bigger church. Christopher Lowndes was hired to design and build this new church. It was to be 60 feet long and 46 feet wide. It was built near where the Old Brick Church stood.
The new church was built in the Georgian Colonial style. It is a two-story brick building with a special brick pattern called Flemish bond. It has two main entrances on the west side. The windows on the first floor are larger than those on the second floor. The roof is covered with wood shingles. A date, "AD July 3, 1774," is carved into one of the bricks on the east side.
Revolutionary Times at St. Barnabas
Jonathan Boucher, the rector, was a strong supporter of the British King. He was against the American Revolution. For many months, he preached his sermons with two loaded pistols next to him.
In 1775, he gave a powerful farewell sermon at St. Barnabas. A large, angry crowd of 200 people was there. Boucher declared that nothing would stop him from praying for the King. After his sermon, he grabbed Osborn Sprigg, a leader of the crowd. With a pistol in his hand, they walked together to Boucher's horse. Both men were allowed to leave safely. Boucher then left for England.
Changes in the 1800s
In the 1850s, the church building was updated. It was changed to fit the popular Victorian style of the time. The original clear glass windows were replaced with colorful stained glass windows.
St. Barnabas in Recent Years
By 1971, the "new Brick Church" needed repairs. It was carefully restored to look exactly as it did when it was first built in colonial times. This included putting clear windows back in. A new chapel was also added. Architect Walter Macomber led this restoration project. The restored church was dedicated in October 1974.
Today, St. Barnabas Church is still an active church. It is part of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. The current Rector, Rev. Robyn E Franklin-Vaughn, started her role on January 15, 2015.
Queen Anne School
Queen Anne School was a private school founded at St. Barnabas' Church. It was one of many private schools started in the south between 1955 and 1976. Queen Anne was an Episcopal school for students in grades 7-12. It was located on a 50-acre campus next to the church. The school closed after the 2010-2011 school year. The campus is now used by Imagine Schools.
Belt Woods and the Church
W. Seton Belt, a former treasurer of St. Barnabas, passed away in 1959. He left a large amount of money and land to the church. This included 3,200 acres across six farms, including Belt Woods. He said that the other farms could be sold to help the church. However, he wanted the trees on his home farm to never be cut down. He also said his 624-acre home farm should never be sold.
In 1976, the church leaders asked the court to change the will. They were allowed to sell and log the farm. In 1981, a company cut down 563 old oak and tulip trees from the "North Woods" for wood veneer. In 1994, the church sold 109 acres with the oldest trees to the state of Maryland for $628,000. This area is now a nature preserve.
Art at St. Barnabas
St. Barnabas Church is home to a very important painting called The Last Supper. It was painted by Gustavus Hesselius and was ordered in October 1721. This was the first time in the American colonies that a public art piece was commissioned. Before this, most paintings in the colonies were portraits of people. The Last Supper was the first major American painting to show a scene with many figures.
The painting is about 35 inches tall and 117.5 inches wide. It was originally made for the first Brick Church. It disappeared when the new Brick Church was built. It was found again in a private collection much later.
The painting was loaned to several museums, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It was also shown at other exhibitions. When Rose Neel Warrington passed away, she willed the painting back to St. Barnabas Church. It is now displayed in the choir gallery of the church.
See also
- Episcopal Diocese of Washington
- List of post 1692 Anglican parishes in the Province of Maryland
