St. John's Episcopal Church (Fort Washington, Maryland) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
St. John's Church
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
St John's Church, Fort Washington, MD
Location in Maryland Show map of Maryland Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	9801 Livingston Rd., Fort Washington, Maryland
Area	3 acres (1.2 ha)
Built	1767 (1767)
Architectural style	Gothic Revival
NRHP reference No.	74002202
Added to NRHP	April 8, 1974

St. John's Church, also known as St. John's Episcopal Church or St. John's Episcopal Church, Broad Creek, is a very old and important church. It is located in Fort Washington, Maryland, in Prince George's County, Maryland. The church building is made of brick and has a special bell-shaped roof. Inside, the ceiling looks like a big arch.

A Church with a Long History

This church site is the oldest one in Prince George's County. It was one of the first 30 churches set up in the Maryland colony. In 1692, the government of colonial Maryland created "King George's Parish." A parish is like a church district or area. This parish was also called "Piscataway."

The people in the area chose leaders for the church in 1693. They bought land and hired someone to build the first church. This first church was made of wood and was finished in 1695. It was called the "Broad Creek Church." Over time, new churches were built on the same spot. The current brick building is the fourth one. It was finished in 1767 or 1768. People still go to church services in this building today!

How the Parish Grew

Because the parish was so big, two other smaller churches were built. These were called "Chapels of Ease." They helped people who lived too far from the main church. One was "Addison Chapel" in Seat Pleasant, Maryland, started in 1696. The other was in Accokeek, Maryland, built in 1698.

St. John's Church is seen as a "Mother Church." This means many other Episcopal churches in the area grew from it. This includes churches in Prince George's County, Maryland, Montgomery County, Maryland, and even Washington, D.C..

Important Leaders and Visitors

Many important people were part of St. John's history. Reverend Henry T. Addison was the church's leader from 1743 until the American Revolution. Later, Reverend Thomas Claggett became the leader. In 1793, he became the first bishop (a high-ranking church leader) in the new Episcopal Church in America. He was also the first to confirm young people in the church.

George Washington, who became the first President of the United States, sometimes attended services here. He would come to the Broad Creek church or the Accokeek chapel. This happened when bad weather made it hard to travel to his usual church in Alexandria, Virginia.

The Church Building

St. John's has some interesting features. Outside, there is a tall structure called a "campanile." It holds the church bell. Inside, there was a special opening in the gallery (an upper seating area). This opening was for a collection bag to gather offerings from people sitting there. The front porch of the church was added later, in the 1800s.

One of the church pews (benches) has a silver plate. It says: "In memory of George Washington - - Restored by his Great-Great-Great Grandnephew, George W. Magruder, 1895." This shows the church's connection to American history.

St. John's Church is part of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. This diocese is led by the Bishop of Washington D.C. The church is also part of the larger Episcopal Church, U.S.A. and the worldwide Anglican Communion.

Gallery

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  St. John's Episcopal Church - Broad Creek

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  St John's Episcopal Church Blue Star Memorial, Chapel, and Cemetery

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  St John's Episcopal Church

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  St John's Episcopal Church- Rectory on the left and Chapel to the right

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  St John's Episcopal Church walkway to the Chapel

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  St John's Episcopal Church Youth Services Playground

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  St John's Episcopal Church Chapel Erected in 1767. Weekly Services held here