St. Mary's Rectory (Aquasco, Maryland) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Saint Mary's Rectory
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Saint Mary's Rectory, October 2012 (post-restoration)
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 Location in Maryland
Location in the United States
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| Location | 16305 Saint Mary's Church Rd., Aquasco, Maryland |
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| Area | 5 acres (2.0 ha) |
| Built | 1849 |
| Architect | Townshend, Jeremiah |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Italianate, Vernacular Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 87001572 |
| Added to NRHP | September 10, 1987 |
The St. Mary's Rectory is an old, beautiful house in Aquasco, Maryland. It was built in 1849 and made bigger in 1856. This special building is important because of its unique design. It also tells us a lot about the history of St. Paul's Parish and the Aquasco community.
The rectory shows off two cool building styles: Greek Revival and Italianate. It looks like homes where successful people lived in the mid-1800s.
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What is the St. Mary's Rectory?
The St. Mary's Rectory is a two-and-a-half-story house. It has a front that looks like a triangle, called a gable. The house was first built in 1849. Just seven years later, in 1856, it was made twice as big.
A Look at Its Design
The house mixes two popular styles from the 1800s. The Greek Revival style makes it look a bit like an ancient Greek temple. You can see this in the front entrance and the fancy trim around the roof. The porch and inside stairs also show this style.
The Italianate style adds different details. Look for the heavy brackets under the roof. These are like decorative supports. There's also a special window with three parts on the north side. This mix of styles makes the rectory very interesting.
History of the Rectory
This house was once the home for the priests of St. Paul's Parish. This is an Episcopal church. It served as a rectory until 1977. After that, it was sold and became a private home.
A Well-Preserved Home
The people who own the rectory now have taken great care of it. They have fixed it up while keeping most of its original parts. This means the house still looks much like it did in the mid-1800s.
The rectory is in Aquasco, Maryland. Aquasco was a busy farming town in the 1800s. Many large, fancy homes from that time are still there. The rectory was built to be stylish, fitting in with the wealthy community.
Restoring a Historic Building
In 2011, the rectory received a special grant. This money came from the Prince George's County Planning Board. It helped pay for important repairs to the outside of the house.
Bringing Back Its Original Look
One of the biggest improvements was removing old asbestos siding. Underneath, they found the original "German siding." This was carefully restored. It helped bring back the house's beautiful, historic appearance.
The St. Mary's Rectory was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. This means it is recognized as an important historical site in the United States.
