Journey back to a time of colonies and kings as we stand before All Hallows Episcopal Church. All Hallows Episcopal Church holds stories within its walls. It is a testament to faith and community. The Church of England established All Hallows Parish in 1692. King William and Queen Mary chartered it. But All Hallows’ earliest parish records date back to March 1, 1669.
All Hallows has a long line of rectors. Mason Locke Weems was one of them. He invented the story of George Washington and the cherry tree. In October 1729, the General Assembly of Maryland taxed 20000 pounds of tobacco. It was to build “The Brick Church”. The interior changed a lot during the 19th century. It changed to meet the needs and tastes of the time. A fire in 1940 left only the walls standing. Rebuilding efforts restored The Brick Church to its original Georgian style.
In 1855, All Hallows Parish bought a small 18th-century house. It was on the western side of the Parish in Davidsonville. It would serve as the rectory. In 1859, the house was expanded with a large two-story addition.
Parishioners lived on the western side of the Parish. To lessen their travel distance, construction of a chapel-of-ease began in Davidsonville in 1860. Delayed by the Civil War, it was completed in 1865.
In 1960, All Hallows added a Sunday school. It was built adjacent to The Brick Church. Today it houses parish offices and classrooms. It also houses the kitchen, food bank, and choir rehearsal room. All Hallows also has a Queen Anne Communion Set. Queen Anne furnished this 18th-century sterling silver set. It is used on special occasions and always on the Feast of Pentecost. The Lancaster Cross was a gift from The Reverend John Miles Evans. He was the XXXIXth Rector of All Hallows Parish. The cross is a copy of the processional cross. Queen Elizabeth II commissioned it for the Chapel of the Savoy in London.
All Hallows’ Church is a low rectangular brick structure. It has a hipped roof. Large brick quoins enhance the corners of the building. The interior was gutted by fire in 1727 and again in 1940. Subsequent research permitted a 1940 reconstruction to become a c. 1710 restoration. It included precedent for the present 18th-century reconstructed barrel-arched ceiling.
The ancient cemetery surrounds All Hallows Episcopal Church. It is shaded by a grove of oak trees. The bell in the rustic tower bears the date 1727. All Hallows’ records go back to 1682. This indicates it existed prior to the Act of Establishment in 1692. The Diocese of Maryland Journal lists All Hallows’ Church as a standing building in 1690. The present building dates to c. 1710.
All architectural features reflect the integral part this parish played in Maryland’s early history. All Hallows Episcopal Church is more than just bricks and mortar. It is a community. It is a place where people connect with something old in new and exciting ways. It is a place to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is a community that seeks to know God and to love the world.