The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1892-12-23
Saint Mary'S Church, Emmorton, Hartford County, Md

give to our readerS-What many OF
them will recognize with pleasure-a
picture of the chancel of st. Mary's
and with it description of the church
and a sketch of its history.
In 1S4S, because of family considera-
tions, it was proposed to the then rec
| tor of All Hallows, Anne Arundel
county, that if he would make his
home in Hartford county a church
should be built for him. The offer
was submitted to the Bishop, and
having received his ready approval it
| was accepted. Steps were at once
| though months stretched into years
before it was attained. First, condi-
tional pledges of contributions for the
building were solicited. The sub
scription paper, still preserved, shows
how little the community cared to
have new place of worship. Out
side Of the family connection but for
ty dollars were pledged; twenty-five
dollars were given by one man three
others gave, each, five. OF these four
men no one was even, in any way,
connected with the congregation.
The future rector, whose connection
with his old parish was not to be sew
cred until the end of the year, invited
all interested to meet in Abingdon on
| the 4th October to organize as a con-
gregation. Four men attended,
These adopted an Act of Incorpora-
ton accordant with the Form recon-
menGed by the Convention of the
Diocese. The first vestrymen then
chosen and named in the Act were the
electors present, Thos. w. Hall, DR..
John c. Polk, Barnet McComas and
VIM. B. Bond, together with George
VIM. Hall and James Moores.
In March of the following year Mr..
Thos w. Hall and the quasi-rector
were appointed by the vestry to be
Building Committee, with full powers.
1t is needless to say what hindered
their prompt action. Two acres of
land were procured from Miss Rachel
Wilson, one as a gift, the other by
purchase. Not until the spring of
1851 was the building in condition
to be used as place of worship. On
the 25th of March of that year, the
Annunication of the Blessed Virgin
Mary, called in our Mother Church of
England Lady Day, by the Rt. Rev.
VIM. Robinson Nottingham, Bishop
of Maryland, the rough building was
consecrated to the service of Almighty
God by the name of ST. Mary Church.
In the act of incorporation the congre-
CATION is styled st. Mary's Church,
Hartford County, Before the cOnse-
Grafton service the vestry met and
formally elected the Rev. William f.
Brand Rector, and also signed paper
| which was presented to the Bishop
and read during the service protest
ing that it is the desire and intent of
those by whose offerings the building
has been erected that lin this house,
to be set apart as the Lore $, no man
shall acquire Il right of property by
lease or purchase, or by long posses
sion in any pew or part OF Il pew; but
that all seats shall be forever free to
all worshipers.n
| At the next meeting OF the Conven-
ton the Bishop, having spoken in his
annual address of the conservation of
two churches with established congre-
grations. said: In Hartford county
new ground has been broken in Il diff
ferent way. At q spot about equi-
distant from the Spesutie and the
Rock Spring Churches a
substantial stone edifice, in true
church-like style, pure in a, chitecture,
and so far as finished neat and correct
in execution, has been built and paid
for BY IL very few individuals, and in
a large measure by one whom God has
blessed with riches and Il heart to use
them for noble purposes. Usually a
congregation, first gathered, leads to
the erection of a church ; but i'll this
case the church has been built in order
collect the congregation"
Without doubt st. Mary's has had
its influence, through what the Bishop
designates as it's true church-like
style, pure in architecture. Atleast
it inaugurated a better state of things.
At that time there was in Bel Air but
one place of worship, that of the Meth
odists, which was on the first floor of
theMasonic Lodge. When MIR. Keech-
who during forty years was the faith
full rector of The Rock Spring Church"
preached in the village, it was
usually in the Court House. Now, be-
sides Emmanuel, there are three
churches-two Methodist and Pres
byterian, the last of stone with bell
tower-all church-like. Four congre
cations in town that might well
support one. Immediately after
the erection of ST. Mary's, the con
was stirred up to pull down and build
a new and better. The old plain
Christ Church has given place to a
building in every sense better. ST.
Johns, in whose parish limits St.
Mary's stands-as does Emmanuel
Church-was when first known to the
writer hardly suggestive of a house OF
God, although consecratcd as such
having undergone several improve
ments it is soon to be rebuilt; in
Churchville there is an early Gothic
building of stone-Holy Trinity-that
replaces one of timber destroyed by
fire while near Darlington Grace Me-
mortal deserves the admiration that
is given it. Besides these there are
three smaller churches with congre-
cations formed since 1851.
St Mary's is a small country church,
seating not more than 200, but in this
respect meeting the wants of the con
gregation. 1t has solid walls of rough
quarried stone, 4 sharp open roof, a
! deep char eel, vestry room, and a
South porch. Its ''church-like char
actern is marked by an observation
made by one of the congregation on
the Gay OF the conservation: "Ths a
new church! Why it looks as if it were
thou and years old. AT that time
while there was stone altar and a
| stone font near the door, a pulpit and
the necessary chancel furniture of