Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-03

calls were made by some travelling priests.
among whom was Rev John Carroll, who
afterward was the first bishop of Baltimore
This house was burned in the days of the
revolution.
A short time thereafter a conventional
chapel was built by the Queens near the
location Of the little edifce now being
erected. and in this regular service was
held for forty years or more by Revs. John
carroll, Plunkett and Goring of George
town College. A.. Caffray and VIM. Mat
thews of st. Patricks and others.
In the records of the church II bore the
name of st. Mary's Chapel but to the
public its name was Queens Chapel as ii
has ever been known.
During the invasion by the British in Au-
gust, 1914, this chapel was destroyed 1t
was small frame structure near the
southwest corner of the Enclosure, and over
the entrance was a choir gallery and organ
The chapel was rebuilt a short time a ter
the war OF 1872. and for fifty years with
out one or two intervals was used ex-
clusively for worship. About 1885, how
ever, when the residence of Chas. l. Queen
about three hundred yards south. was de.
stroyed by fire and the family was home-
less, 1t became their domicile until a new
cational facilities in the neighborhood
prompted the use of the building as q
school house on week days for a few years.
This use did not however. interfere with
a priest came out.
In the early part Of the civil war many
soldiers were encamped In the vicinity.
Though several of the Queen family were
In the Union service, some holding high
rank rumor that the family sympathized
with the south. had owned slaves, and that
some friends Of the family were in the con-
federate service was credited by some SOL
diers. These vented their spleen by carry
ing of the seats for firewood and applying
the torch to the building, which In little
time was mass of ashes. Infinitely worse
was the wanton destruction of some of the
tombstoneS In the graveyard which Is said
to have taken place after the war. Num-
bers were missing and others broken. A.
fine marble figure of a kneeling child was
among those carried off destroyed.
About 1860 some of the descendants of
Richard Queen cleared up the graveyard,
at the time so covered with wild growth as
to completely hide the tombstones remain
ing, and the following were exposed to
view: Ann Carroll, 1905; Catherine Bar
rett, 1886; Thos. Newman 1885; T. III. Bar
rett, 1887; Hannah A. Queen, 1887; Lizzie
Queen. 1872; Caroline Smalwood 1852; ii.
NJ Young. 1855. and T. J. Barrett 1862.
The article published by The Star in 1901
was brought to the attention of the car
dinal, and when Father Southgate took
charge of the parish in 1903 measures were
taken to preserve so historically interesting
a spot by the erection of a permanent
church edifice Aside from this stand
point there was a good reason for the loca-
ton of the church on the site, for within q
short radius there Is a sufficient number Of
Catholic families to fill the structure.
From a sparsely settled community forty
years ago there has grown up the prosper
Gus suburb of Langdon, with residences,
factories and a school house adjoining the
church site. 1t is safe to say that, with
electric and steam railroad facilities, as
we'll as good country roads, many hundred
descendants of the early worshipers Will
often attend services here.