Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-05


will think his time well spent.
just for a brief sojourn within the
walls of some ancient house of worship
Especially will he feel himself repaid II he
can but visit them a.one-wnen all is silent
within, save perhaps the sound OF his own
hollow voice Maybe to stand there in pen
sive thought and dream of the things that
have tranSpired within its vals-the oap-
tis1ns the weddings and the funerals that have
taken place there. and in which 1t has played
its silent but nevertheless important part
perchance to sit in the seat whe.e some great
American has sat and worshiped and prayed
for divine forgiveness for his sins or for help
to throw of the yoke OF oppression.
Indeed, the attraction will be intensified II
the church is situated in \ spot remote from
a large settlement and where everything IS
st6ll rural and about as it was q century or
more ago. and where one without forcing his
imagination can almost feel he sees the grand
equipages of the rich planters Of our own
Southland lined up III the churchyard, being
carefully looked after by the faithful servants
of their owners, while the more humble. teams
of the poor are securely tied TO some nearby
tree.
Maybe he will see the rows Of sheds which
were sometimes provided for the teams Of
horses or oxen, erected to protect them from
the elements in bad weather or from the sun
and heat during the Summer months, for the
real Christian in days gone by-as he is today
and always will be-was kind and merciful TO
his beasts of burden and to all other dumb
animals over which he had control
No less attractive will the thoughtful visitor
find the little Gods acre outside the church,
as he reads the tombstone inscriptions, hoping
perhaps to find there recorded the name of
some distinguished citizen who may have rem
dered lasting service to his community or to
bis country and whose name might be some
where recorded on Americas roll Of honor by
public acclaim.
names have for the historian peculiar fasci-
nation for here he Is sometimes rewarded IN
being able to restore some missing line to q
noted family tree, to bring to light the
last resting place Of some mortal who in life
was worthy of place in history These,
indeed, are only some of the things which
may induce the deliver into the past TO visit
old churches and tombs, in search OF infoFma-
ton which may prove of the greatest value IN
linking the past with the present.
1T was In this frame of mind that the writer
! o short while ago drove down to Christ
Church, Accokeek, Md For months ago he
had promised Mrs. Patrick Henry Bealle one
of the church's devout members, who lives
nearby, that he would do And, like all
such pilgrimages he makes, he came away
feeling well repaid for the visit and the trip.
It was a good road nearly all the way from
Washington, except that as you approach Ac-
cokeek it is crowned too much for fast driving
in wet weather. It is-or seems to be-the
same old road that we used to ride over on
our way to Marshall Hall in the good old days
of bicycling except Of course that 1t Is ever
so much better than 1t was then.
The old church is not far from the main
road. which is reached by way Of Anacoetia
and straight ahead over Asylum Hill to near
Piscataway which is due east Of Fort WASH
ington. Here the road from Clinton to Chica-
muxen is tapped. and Christ Protestant Epis-
copal Church, Accokeek, Is not far distant.
IL Is In Prince Georges County and about
half q mile west of the State road. There Il
some conflict regarding the date Of its con-
stTuctlon, but the writer believes the most
authentic date to be 1745, and the builder to
have been Stephen Chandler. However, it was
not consecrated until April rs, 1881. when
that ceremony was performed by Bishop Stone,
Rev. Matthias Harris at that time being Its
rector.
On December %, 1885, this old church was
partly destroyed by fire, but it was rebuilt IN
1857, the old walls being used, only q few
courses Of new brickvork being added toward
the roof. It was again consecrated June 10,
1857, by Bishop Nottingham.
Though erected l85 years ago, yet the walls
Of Christ Church seem to be IS sound as