OUR CHURCH: History

St. Paul’s was founded in the reign of Queen Anne, in 1712. The Rector of St John’s, Broad Creek, the Reverend John Frasier was invited to preach on one Sunday in each month in the area which is now Rock Creek Parish. A Vestry for the new parish was formed in May, 1712, and the minutes of that Vestry are still in the parish records.

 

In September, 1719, at a meeting of the Vestry, Colonel John Bradford pledged 100 acres of land to serve as a Glebe for the parish. This glebe - the site of the present churchyard - was described as having “timber for building said chappell and necessary houses for a gleab for the use of present and future ministers....forever”. At the same meeting other members pledged 4,350 pounds of tobacco and 45 pounds sterling for the support of the church. A wooden church was begun immediately, and in 1721 a brick church was started on the site of the present building. Parts of this first church remain in the later 18th century church which we have inherited.

 

Parish status was granted to the church in 1726 by the Colonial Assembly. First called Prince George’s Parish, the title was later transferred to Christ Church, Rockville when the two churches were separated. The later title, Rock Creek Parish, was not officially used until 1856.

 

The parish grew and flourished, and in 1775 the new handsome classical brick church was completed. The first school in what is now the District of Columbia was formed by the parish at that time. In 1776 the rector, the Reverend Alexander Williamson, chose to remain loyal to the king - as did a majority of Anglican clergy - and he returned to England. Succeeding decades marked a low point in the history of the Episcopal Church.

 

In 1810 St Paul’s was largely rebuilt as a result of the efforts of the Rector of St John’s, Georgetown, and of a local lawyer, Frances Scott Key - now celebrated as the author of the American national anthem. At the same time Key was one of the founders of Virginia Theological Seminary.

 

A major change to the aspect of the Glebe began in the 1830s with a decision of the Rector and Vestry to sell off plots of the land to form a cemetery for the relatively new city of Washington, still some distance away in the relatively rural District of Columbia. An act of Congress in 1840 established Rock Creek Cemetery in St Paul’s Churchyard, making it a vital facility for the population of the District.

 

The later 19th century witnessed great growth in the parish. The rectorship of the Reverend Dr James Buck, beginning in 1852, and the longest in the history of the parish, was a time when much was done to extend the work of the parish and the diocese. By the time the diocese of Washington was formed in 1896, St Paul’s was one of its major parishes.

 

The church building has suffered from fire damage several times in its long history. The most severe fire was in 1921. A major restoration took place within the 18th century walls, resulting in the present fine building, with its famed acoustics for music. The present stained glass windows, depicting the history of the Episcopal Church in America, were installed in the years following the restoration.

 

Today, St Paul’s continues to be a vital presence in the local community, as well as in the wider community of the capital city. In 2002 the parish celebrated its 290th anniversary, and initiated a number of major developments which will lead it up to the 300th anniversary in 2012, and which will equip the parish for a further period of expansion and renewed outreach.

 

A major restoration and refurbishment of the historic church began in February, 2004 and was completed at the end of the year. This includes the provision of a fine marble floor, as well as new altar and chancel furnishings designed to harmonize with the eighteenth century period style of the building. The design team included Terry Byrd Eason, liturgical design work; Atelier Architects; Clayton Acoustics group; Dobson Pipe Organ builders.