St. Mary Anne's Episcopal Church facts for kids
| St. Mary Anne's Episcopal Church North Elk Parish Established 1706 |
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St. Mary Anne's Episcopal Church, October 1936
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| 39°35′46″N 75°56′33″W / 39.59611°N 75.94250°W | |
| Location | 315 South Main Street North East, Maryland |
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| Country | USA |
| Denomination | Episcopal |
| Website | stmaryanne.org |
Quick facts for kids Architecture |
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| Completed | 1742 |
St. Mary Anne's Episcopal Church is a very old church building located in North East, Maryland. It's a special place with a long history! The church was built in 1742 using red brick. It replaced an even older wooden church that stood on the same spot.
This church is part of a group called North Elk Parish, which later became known as St. Mary Anne's Parish. This parish was started way back in 1706. The church was first named after St. Mary. But then, something interesting happened! In 1714, Anne, Queen of Great Britain passed away. She had left a gift for the church. To show their thanks, the church added "Anne" to its name, making it St. Mary Anne's. A tall bell tower was added to the church in 1904. Today, St. Mary Anne's is still an active church.
Contents
A Look Back: Church History
How the Church Began
The church was started by the governor of Maryland in 1706. It was built near the Elk River. Four acres of land were set aside just for the church building. Between 1709 and 1715, a wooden church was built there. We don't know many details about that first building.
A Swedish Lutheran minister named Jonas Auren preached at this church. He had come to America in the late 1600s. His church group included people from Sweden and Finland, who had lived in a place called New Sweden. English colonists also joined the church. Reverend Auren preached there until he passed away in 1713. During this time, the church was known as St. Mary's Parish.
Queen Anne's Gift
In 1714, Queen Anne of England died. She wanted to help the Anglican Church grow in the colonies. So, she gave a large Bible, a special prayer book, and a silver cup and plate to the church. These items were very important for their services. To show how much they appreciated her gift, St. Mary's church was renamed St. Mary Anne's.
Other Churches Connected to St. Mary Anne's
In 1845, another church called St. Mark's opened in Perryville, Maryland. It was like a smaller, easier-to-reach church for people in St. Mary's Parish. Later, in 1913, St. Mark's became its own separate parish, called Susquehanna Parish.
Cemetery: Resting Place
St. Mary Anne's has a very old cemetery. Many people from the past are buried there. Some important people buried in the cemetery include:
- Thomas Russell (1743–1786), who worked with iron and managed a place called Principio Furnace.
- John Conard (1773–1857), who was a congressman from Pennsylvania.
See also
- List of post 1692 Anglican parishes in the Province of Maryland
Gallery
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A view of the front of the church.
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A look inside the church.
