Evening star., 1914-04-19


brother came from England, settled at
Bladensburg and engaged in the mer-
chant trade. Christopher building the
great house. which he named after the
Lowndes' family home at Chelsea. which
is now a part of London. Last Sunday
the Rambler visited the graves and monu-
ments of Christopher Lowndes and
large number of the members Of the
l.owndes family. Going to Chesapeake
Junction. and walking through the
streets OF the settlement of Seat Pleas
ant. Md, and then following country
road. making inquiries along the way.
the Rambler came in sight of small
brick chapellike building on a low hill,
that was grown over with oaks and ce-
dars and dotted with tombstones- That
was Addison Chapel. chapel created by
the congregation of Broad Creek Church,
a very old Episcopal church on the an
Client post road between Washington anu
Piscataway. about ten miles south of the
Eastern branch and a place about which
the Rambler has several times written.
The Rambler once wrote that Broad
Greek Church began the founding OF mis-
sIons at about the time that Prince
Georges county was created out OF the
northern parts of Charles and calvert
called Addison Chapel was erected not
far from a place now called Chesapeake
Junction "A section which was then Gait
ed New Scotland Hundred. The land ana
the chapel building were given by Sol.
John Addison a member OF the nrsl
vestry of Broad Creek Church The To-
cality of the new chapel was called New
Scotland Hundred because of the number
of Scotch settlers in that neighoorhood-
The Scotch very early appreciated the
Mt advantages
Potomac valley, and it has been written
that Scotch traders were the hrst whites
to settle in what is now the District OF
Columbia.
From the main road which is called
Chapel road, leading out from Seat Pleas
ant you turn through gate in the fence
that incloses the burial acres of Addison
Chapel. The road is not heavily worn
way. 1t is used by the members of the
congregation who come to service in
their buggies and carriages, This little
old road leads up grade under oaks of
great age and among hundreds of graves,
many of which are marked only by large
pieces Of ironstone, a red-brown sand
stone impregnated with iron which
abounds in most of the country around
Washington Some of the graves have
them make interesting and melancholy
reading.
You arrive at the south side of the lit
tie church. The west end, for ii is after
noon. is lighted with sunshine and the
east end. or the front, is in cold
gloom, and over the front clings a mat
nf old dark ivy. planted there more than
:, quarter OF century ago by woman
), Ioin the Rambler met in the church
yard the widow of a man who had served
as sexton of that little church for twenty
lise or thirty years.
one cannot help being impressed with
the aged aspect. of the little church. You
also realize that it is not so prosperous
q many newer churches. When neigh
borhood fills up with people they build q
church which is more convenient for them
to attend and they desert the house of
worship of their fathers. They will not
Inconvenience themselves for a matter of
sentiment If they attend church 1t must
not be far away and the road must be
good one. This is generally but not uni
versalIy-.true At Addison Chapel Sun
days you will meet people that have