The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1895-04-12
Rock Creek church.

/ Stretch along the Allallli' Stap'"i" ii
! Maine to Florida would be an interesting
cpitomc of the early history of our country
Side by side IN every colony with the nome
rose these simple cditiccS dedicated to the
services of God-Puritan, Lutheran, Quaker
Catholic. Anglican and Huguenot. rs the
creed of the particular settlement might
be
In the national capital and it, immediate
vicinity are several of these churches, ful
of interest to the traveller, historian and
antiquarian. and around them fingers still
the flavor of the colonial days and the
first BEGINNINGS of the beautiful city on
the Potomac. On the height of land just
north of the city of W aShnTt on-lleasant
Hills, as it was called in the early days
the Mount Pleasant of today looking of
over the fertile rolling country OF Mary
land with its rich farms and pleasant home
SteadS, stands st. Pauls or Rock Creek
Church, rs it is more Familiarity known
Originally Chapel of Ease of King George
Parish Marvland. it was built when the
colonial Anglican Church was under the
jurisdiction of the See of Canterbury, and
when the bounds and metcS of the District
of Columbia existed not in the most dar-
ing ina gination.
In i,l9 Reverend John Frazier, Rector
of st. Barnabas. Prince Georges parish,
afterwards known us st. John parish, one
e., int, (which Nnr,-1nnl
originally divided, called Il meeting to de-
eide upon building a chapel-of-ease, OF
mission chapel, as it would be styled now
adays. The project was received with
The most generous gift was 100 acres of
land, in Rock Creek Hundred, and 1000
pounds of tobacco from John Bradford, a
rich landed proprietor of Southern Mary
land, and soon after wooden building
was erected where st. Paul's now stands
In 1126 it became the parish church OF
Prince Georges parish. In colonial times
the provinces of Maryland and Virginia
were divided into hundreds, or districts
and given the name of the nearest stream
as Rock Creek Hundred, Broad Greek
Hundred Fifty years later in l16s, this
building had fallen into such decay that a
new one was projected by order of the
providence of Maryland, and the founda-
tions laid, but in 11,3 only the walls were
built, and during the stormy days Of the
Revolution all work was stopped. In the
early part of the present century it was
consi Tered by the vestry as too spacious
for the congregation, and its size was re-
duced by dividing it into two rooms-the
larger one for church purposes, the smaller
for a chapel or lecture room-and cover
ing it with ceiling not more than dozen
feet high. The space thus left between
the low flat ceiling and the highpitched
roof above it became the home of bats and
owls. About 1850 it was restored to its
intervals it has undergone changes which
have transformed its interior with its
nigh decker pulpit and old-fashioned pews
into the present handsome one. The
lltlHoi iul NlItlo"S VI StdllCu SldSS ulC
very fine, one in the western wall it said
to be the most expensive window of its
in the country. 1t was made by Tiffany
at cost of $500 and is considered by
him the finest specimen of his work. In
the vestry room | was shown the first
parish Bible, a large folio bound in leather
with MDCCNNNII upon the title page
The dark, glossy leaves of ivy. which
grows to such perfection in the Washing
ton climate completely hides the outer
walls of brick brought from the Mother
Country The little churchyard now
covers half hundred acres, and is one oil
the several beautiful resting places of the
dead In the Capital City. The rectory
surrounded by the remaining 80 acres OF
the original glebe, is approached by the
visitor along an avenue bordered with
magnificent fir trees planted by the pres
cnt Rector, who has minStcred at st
Pauls' for over 40 years
Daniel Webster often attended the
| church when visiting his friend John Agg
who had a country place not far away
and one set of the communion plate was
the gift of the great statesman. For many
years Il large cherry tree near the Ags
house was called Webster's tree and ii
was his custom durin" his visits to clint
it for a season of meditation. Cherry
trees make a fine showing in American
history. \ monument to the memory OF
John Agg, born at Evesham, England
stands near the church, which, with its
ivied walls an / secluded air, might readi.
lv have called to mind the parish churcl
of the old historic town of his native
land. After life's titful fever he sleep:
well. SO well that the only record O
John Bradford, the largest benefactor o
St. Pauls in his name on the deed o
gift in the town register of Marlborough
Maryland, and no clue can be obtained a
to where he lived or where he is buried
| Recently the congre cation have erected ;
| beautiful Runic cross of marble to hi
| memory and on the circle are the word
To the Glory of Cod and on the bas
ITO the Memory of John Bradford Gen
tleman, Prince George County, Md
V. B."