Queens Chapel Manor

What secrets does a manor whispered to be disguised as a smokehouse hold? We stand before Queens Chapel Manor, a neighborhood echoing the name of a remarkable chapel. This isn’t just a collection of houses. It’s a living testament to a family’s faith, resilience, and the tangled history of religious freedom in America. Queens Chapel Manor takes its name from Queens Chapel, the first Catholic parish in Washington D.C. The original chapel, built by Marsham Queen around 1722, stood near present-day 20th and Evarts Streets NE. It served as a vital spiritual hub for Catholic families in the region, including prominent families like the Brents, Carrolls, and Diggesses. Marsham Queen, inheriting a vast estate known as “The Inclosure,” incorporated the chapel into his mansion. This practice reflected the era’s customs, but for the Queens, it also served a crucial purpose. Catholicism faced persecution in early 18th-century Maryland. Public practice was forbidden, and Catholics couldn’t even vote. The chapel within the Queen mansion offered a clandestine space for worship. As the congregation grew, the chapel moved outdoors, disguised as a smokehouse. This clever facade protected the worshippers while a bell, ostensibly for calling in slaves from the fields, secretly signaled the arrival of a priest for Mass. Queens Chapel’s story is one of repeated destruction and rebirth. The chapel burned down, likely accidentally, during the Revolutionary War. Richard Queen, Marsham’s son, rebuilt it, bequeathing the land to Bishop John Carroll in his 1793 will. The British torched it again in 1814 during the War of 1812. Rebuilt once more, it met its final fiery end during the Civil War, set ablaze by Union soldiers who believed the Queens were Confederate sympathizers. The Queens Chapel name lives on, not only in this neighborhood but also in Queens Chapel Road, a thoroughfare that once stretched from Hyattsville to Bladensburg Road. Though the original chapel is gone, its legacy endures in St. Francis de Sales Church, the direct successor to Queens Chapel. This church, initially rebuilt on the chapel’s ruins in 1908, later moved to its current location on Rhode Island Avenue. As you stroll through Queens Chapel Manor today, remember the hidden chapel, the secret Masses, and the unwavering faith that defied persecution. This neighborhood isn’t just a place to live. It’s a piece of American religious history, whispering stories of resilience and devotion.