The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1893-04-01
HISTORIC HOUSES.
Notable Buildings I'm Montgomery
County Belonging 10 Old Families.

A letter to the Baltimore Sun, from
Brighton, Nd, under date of March ~,
says:
The funeral service of Miss Mary Gar
trell, sister of VIM. Caleb Gartrell, near
Brighton, Montgomery county, was held
at the residence of the latter on Sunday
afternoon, Rev. VIM. II. Laird, of st.
Luke's Chapel, Brighton, officiating. Miss
GartreIl was nearly seventy-six years of
aged and died while sitting in her chair.
The house in which she died was built
in 175O-iust lab years ago. 1t is upon
a tract of land surveyed in 1928, which
came into possession of the present owners
about 1740. 1t lies upon the Patuxent,
from which many farms in Howard county
may be seen. In the village Of Brighton
is the site of the Oldest church of Mont
gomery county except one chapel at Rock
vile. It was very near the present site OF
st. Luke's Chapel and the new Grange
Hall
In the records Of that parish | find the
following petition of many progenitors Of
families still residing here. 1t is addressed
to "Governor Sharp, and is headed Prince
George and Frederick parish, Rawlings
River Chapel. 1t reads: "This petition,
therefore, most humbly prayeth that his
Excellency and the honorable the Upper
and Lower House of Assembly would be
graciously pleased to pass an act to en-
mower the commissioners of Frederick and
Prince George parish to levy such sum of
money as to their honors it may appear
sufficient for erecting new chapel-called
Chapel of Ease-to be located upon or near
the branch of the Patuxent, commonly
called Rawlings river, and to his Excel
leucy and their honors the petitioners
shall as in duty bound ever pray"
(sigued.) William Waters, Thomas
Riggs, Elisha Riggs, Robert Owen, Thos.
Davis, Benz. Gather, Stephen Gatherill,
Aaron Galherill, Richard Clarke, Henry
Luke, Jr., ancestors of the large Brown
family, Josiah Holland, John Holland and
MANY others whose descendants cannot now
be traced.
This chapel is now only one wing of the
large circuit, including two large churches,
St. Johns and St. Bartholomew, under
Rev. Mr.. Laird's pastoral charge.
Within eight miles Of Brighton is another
historic place, upon which rests the re-
mains of Major Greene, of revolutionary
service. whose tombstone dates back some
eighty wears or more. Becoming after
ward the property of two bachelor brothers,
Thomas and Nicolas Worthington, by will
it was inherited by Nicholas Clarke, of
Howard county, brother Of the late John
R. Clarke, who died in the Confederate
service, after which it became the property
of Mrs. Renehan, of Baltimore. She has
lust completed its recent sale to Samuel
and Joseph Janney, relatives Of Johns
Hopkins aud grandsons of MIR. Elisha j.
Hail. long principal of Brookeville Acad-
emy Mrs. Renehan still resides there.
One more historic house is in sight. 1t
is the property of james Thomas Holland,
descendant of John Holland, one of the
signers of the above petition, but who, be-
coming dissatisfied, offered his large dwell
ing for organizing the first Methodist de-
nomination which worshiped here, in 1883,
and from which delegates were sent to the
first Methodist convention of Maryland,
which met in Baltimore in 1884. Mr..
Clinton Dorsey, having recently bought
the old homestead of the Misses Holland,
adjoining, and also portion of the Rene
han property, has greatly improved the
same by remodeliug and painting the
dwelling and other buildings.