St. Francis Xavier Church (Warwick, Maryland) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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St. Francis Xavier Church
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 Location in Maryland
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1445 Bohemia Church Road, Warwick, Maryland |
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| Area | 123.8 acres (50.1 ha) |
| Built | 1792 |
| NRHP reference No. | 75000884 |
| Added to NRHP | October 10, 1975 |
St. Francis Xavier Church, also known as Old Bohemia, is an old and important Roman Catholic church in Warwick, Maryland. You can find it in Cecil County, Maryland, United States. This church sits on land that used to be a large property owned by a group called the Jesuits. This property was known as Bohemia Manor.
History of Old Bohemia Church
In 1704, a group of Catholic priests called the Society of Jesus (or Jesuits) bought a farm here. They started a special mission to help people in the area. This was the second mission they set up in Maryland. The first one was at Newtown Manor.
A school at this mission taught many important early American Catholic leaders. Two famous students were John Carroll and his cousin, Charles Carroll. John Carroll later became an archbishop, a very high leader in the Catholic Church. Charles Carroll was one of the people who signed the Declaration of Independence.
The priests from this mission also traveled to other areas. They helped people in places that are now part of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and the Diocese of Wilmington.
One famous person buried in the church graveyard is Catherine ("Kitty") Knight. She lived from 1775 to 1855. People say she saved an elderly neighbor, the church, and much of Georgetown, Maryland. This happened during the War of 1812, even though her own house burned down.
About the Church Building
The most important buildings on this site are a brick church and a brick rectory. The church was built right after the American Revolutionary War. It was officially opened in 1797. The rectory, where the priests lived, was built in the early 1800s. A small connecting part joins the church and the rectory.
The church is made of brick and has four sections deep and three sections wide. A tall, three-story brick tower was added to the front of the church later. The rectory is a two-and-a-half-story brick building. It has five sections long. A kitchen is also attached to one end.
There is also a public graveyard on the property. You can also see a more modern barn and farmhouse. In 1912, a fire badly damaged the inside of the church. But the church was rebuilt using its original walls. Regular church services stopped in the 1920s but have started again in recent times.
The Old Bohemia Historical Society now takes care of the property. This group started in 1954. It was created by a Catholic, a Quaker, and a Methodist working together. They bought about 120 acres of the land.
In 1975, St. Francis Xavier Church was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This list includes important historic places in the United States.
See also
- List of Jesuit sites
