St. Thomas' Church (Upper Marlboro, Maryland)
Encyclopedia
St. Thomas' Church is a historic brick church in a picturesque rural setting, located at Croom
, Prince George's County, Maryland
. The original church was constructed between 1742 and 1745, and is one of the earliest Episcopal churches in Southern Maryland.
renovations and expansion under the direction of New York City architect, John W. Priest, an associate of Andrew Jackson Downing
. In 1888, the frontal bell tower was erected in memory of Bishop Thomas John Claggett
, first Bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church consecrated in the United States. Recent restoration work, in 1954, was based on the specifications of the original 1740s building contract, but retained Priest's Gothic Revival additions. The church is surrounded on all sides by a cemetery, which contains the graves of many prominent citizens and old county families. A fence and cast iron gate posts with Gothic designs was installed in 1907.
One of the original founders and benefactors of St Thomas's church was Benedict Swingate Calvert
(1730-1788) who was a Maryland
Loyalist
during the American Revolution
. He was the son of Charles Calvert, 5th Baron Baltimore
, the third Proprietor Governor of Maryland
, (1699–1751), and may have been the grandson of King George I
of England
. His mother's identity is not known and, as he was illegitimate, he was not able to inherit his father's title or estates, which passed instead to his half brother Frederick Calvert, 6th Baron Baltimore
(1731–1771). He spent most of his life as a politician and planter in Maryland, though Frederick, by contrast, never visited the colony. Calvert became wealthy through proprietarial patronage and became an important colonial official, but he would lose his offices and his political power, though not his land and wealth, during the American Revolution
. He is buried beneath the chancel of the church.
The church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 2000.
Croom, Maryland
Croom is an unincorporated community in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. It consists of tobacco farms and forests with many narrow, winding roads, although the Marlton housing development is very nearby. St. Thomas Episcopal Church dates to colonial times....
, Prince George's County, Maryland
Prince George's County, Maryland
Prince George's County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland, immediately north, east, and south of Washington, DC. As of 2010, it has a population of 863,420 and is the wealthiest African-American majority county in the nation....
. The original church was constructed between 1742 and 1745, and is one of the earliest Episcopal churches in Southern Maryland.
History
The church was completed on December 25, 1745, and was unofficially known as "Page's Chapel," as the landowner, Daniel Page, had been contracted to erect the structure. During the mid-19th century, St. Thomas' became its own parish and undertook Gothic RevivalGothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
renovations and expansion under the direction of New York City architect, John W. Priest, an associate of Andrew Jackson Downing
Andrew Jackson Downing
Andrew Jackson Downing was an American landscape designer, horticulturalist, and writer, a prominent advocate of the Gothic Revival style in the United States, and editor of The Horticulturist magazine...
. In 1888, the frontal bell tower was erected in memory of Bishop Thomas John Claggett
Thomas John Claggett
Thomas John Claggett was the first bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America to be consecrated on American soil and the first bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland.-Early family life:...
, first Bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church consecrated in the United States. Recent restoration work, in 1954, was based on the specifications of the original 1740s building contract, but retained Priest's Gothic Revival additions. The church is surrounded on all sides by a cemetery, which contains the graves of many prominent citizens and old county families. A fence and cast iron gate posts with Gothic designs was installed in 1907.
One of the original founders and benefactors of St Thomas's church was Benedict Swingate Calvert
Benedict Swingate Calvert
Benedict Swingate Calvert was a Maryland Loyalist during the American Revolution. He was the son of Charles Calvert, 5th Baron Baltimore, the third Proprietor Governor of Maryland , and may have been the grandson of King George I of Great Britain...
(1730-1788) who was a 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...
Loyalist
Loyalist (American Revolution)
Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men. They were opposed by the Patriots, those who supported the revolution...
during the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. He was the son of Charles Calvert, 5th Baron Baltimore
Charles Calvert, 5th Baron Baltimore
Charles Calvert, 5th Baron Baltimore, 3rd Proprietor and 17th Proprietary Governor of Maryland, FRS was a British nobleman and Proprietary Governor of the Province of Maryland...
, the third Proprietor Governor of 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...
, (1699–1751), and may have been the grandson of King George I
George I of Great Britain
George I was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1 August 1714 until his death, and ruler of the Duchy and Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg in the Holy Roman Empire from 1698....
of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. His mother's identity is not known and, as he was illegitimate, he was not able to inherit his father's title or estates, which passed instead to his half brother Frederick Calvert, 6th Baron Baltimore
Frederick Calvert, 6th Baron Baltimore
Frederick Calvert, 6th Baron Baltimore, 4th Proprietor of Maryland was an English nobleman and last in the line of Barons Baltimore...
(1731–1771). He spent most of his life as a politician and planter in Maryland, though Frederick, by contrast, never visited the colony. Calvert became wealthy through proprietarial patronage and became an important colonial official, but he would lose his offices and his political power, though not his land and wealth, during the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. He is buried beneath the chancel of the church.
The 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 2000.
External links
- St. Thomas' Church, Prince George's County, Inventory No.: PG:86A-7, including photo in 2000, at Maryland Historical Trust website
- M-NCPPC Inventory of Historic Sites (Prince George's County); St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church, entry 86A-027-07, p. 181
- St. Thomas' Church, 14300 St. Thomas' Church Road at Croom Road, Croom, Prince George's County, MD: 9 photos and 4 data pages, at Historic American Building Survey
- St. Thomas Parish, Diocese of Washington