St. Francis Xavier Church (Warwick, Maryland)
Encyclopedia
St. Francis Xavier Church, or Old Bohemia, is a historic Roman Catholic church
located at Warwick
, Cecil County
, Maryland
, United States
. It consists of a late-18th-century brick church and an early-19th-century brick rectory
connected by a one-story hyphen
. The church consists of a four-bay
-deep by three-bay-wide brick structure with a 3-story brick tower added on the southwest facade of the church subsequent to its original building in 1792. The rectory is a five-bay-long, -story brick building with a two-bay-long hyphen on one end and a two-bay-long kitchen on the other. Also on the property is a public graveyard. Beginning in 1704 the Society of Jesus
initiated missionary
activities on the site, thereby establishing a second mission in Maryland half a century after the foundation of the Newtown Manor
mission in St. Mary's County, Maryland. A fire gutted the interior in 1912, but the church was rebuilt within the old wall. Regular services discontinued in the 1920s. The Old Bohemia Historical Society now maintains the property.
The St. Francis Xavier Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1975.
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
located at Warwick
Warwick, Cecil County, Maryland
Warwick is an unincorporated community in Cecil County, Maryland, United States. St. Francis Xavier Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975....
, Cecil County
Cecil County, Maryland
Cecil County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. It is part of the Delaware Valley. It was named for Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore , who was the first Proprietary Governor of the colony of Maryland from 1632 until his death in 1675. The county seat is Elkton. The newspaper...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It consists of a late-18th-century brick church and an early-19th-century brick rectory
Rectory
A rectory is the residence, or former residence, of a rector, most often a Christian cleric, but in some cases an academic rector or other person with that title...
connected by a one-story hyphen
Hyphen (architecture)
In architecture, a hyphen is a connecting link between two larger building elements. It is typically found in Georgian style architecture, where the hyphens form connections between a large central house and end pavilions in the Georgian five-part house, which was in turn derived from Palladian...
. The church consists of a four-bay
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
-deep by three-bay-wide brick structure with a 3-story brick tower added on the southwest facade of the church subsequent to its original building in 1792. The rectory is a five-bay-long, -story brick building with a two-bay-long hyphen on one end and a two-bay-long kitchen on the other. Also on the property is a public graveyard. Beginning in 1704 the Society of Jesus
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
initiated missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
activities on the site, thereby establishing a second mission in Maryland half a century after the foundation of the Newtown Manor
St. Francis Xavier Church and Newtown Manor House Historic District
St. Francis Xavier Church and Newtown Manor House Historic District is a national historic district in Compton, St. Mary's County, Maryland. The church was built about 1766, and is a frame, rectangular building with two octagonally shaped brick additions, located on a neck of land for...
mission in St. Mary's County, Maryland. A fire gutted the interior in 1912, but the church was rebuilt within the old wall. Regular services discontinued in the 1920s. The Old Bohemia Historical Society now maintains the property.
The St. Francis Xavier Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1975.
External links
- St. Francis Xavier Church and Rectory, Cecil County, including undated photo, at Maryland Historical Trust
- History of St. Francis Xavier Shrine, Old Bohemia, 1704–2004, by Rev. Thomas J. Peterman; St. Dennis Church website