Christ Episcopal Church Of Kent Island
History
The Christ Episcopal Church of Kent Island is recognized as the state's oldest Christian congregation. It was founded in 1632 by the Reverend Richard James, one year after Kent Island was founded by William Claiborne, and two years before settlers arrived at St. Clement's Island. The parish has used at least six buildings during its history. The church's original location was at Kent Fort. It moved to Broad Creek in 1652, and was rebuilt there in 1712 and again in 1826. The church moved again to Stevensville in 1880 as activity shifted there from Broad Creek, and to its current location in Matapeake in 1995 due to the need for a larger building. Of the six buildings, only the 1880 and 1995 buildings are standing today. The 1880 building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. Today, Christ Church is part of the Episcopal Diocese of Easton and owns and operates Camp Wright, a summer camp in Matapeake, which serves as the diocesan camp. The historic building is now the principal church of the Anglo-Lutheran Catholic Church.
Gallery
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Side view of the church, taken in 2007 before its restoration
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The church, seen in 2007 before its restoration
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Rectory of the church
See also
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ Historical marker near the entrance to Broad Creek Cemetery Archived September 1, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Historic Sites and Landmarks of Queen Annes County". Archived from the original on June 2, 2016. Retrieved May 22, 2011.
- ^ Orlando Ridout V (May 1978). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Christ Church" (PDF). Maryland Historical Trust. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
External links
- Christ Church Parish, Kent Island- Current website of the parish
- Christ Lutheran Church - ALCC - Website of the Lutheran congregation now owning the historic Christ Church building.
- Historic Christ Church, Stevensville - Historic Sites Consortium of Queen Anne's County
- Christ Church, Queen Anne's County, Inventory No.: QA-212, including photo in 1979, at Maryland Historical Trust website