Historic church restored in Frederick County

When Father John Williamson arrived as pastor of St. John the Evangelist in Frederick and St. Joseph on Carrollton Manor in Buckeystown five years ago, the roof of St. Joseph’s historic church was leaking and the steeple was “ready to fall off.”

Fast forward to today, and those repairs have been made and the entire building has been refurbished. 

“It has been a three-year process, really a four-year process,” Father Williamson said. “The steeple and the roof were the two big things.”

Built in the 1870s, the historic church needed many substantial repairs. Its air-conditioning system was replaced; protective storm windows were installed over the church’s stained-glass windows and the building’s structure was firmed up.

Once the major issues were addressed, the more “fun” projects were tackled, Father Williamson said. The church was painted, plaster work was done and the church’s floors were stripped down to their original hardwood.

“We went off a picture from 1905,” Father Williamson said, as there are no photos of the church’s interior from the 1870s.

In 1814, Charles Carroll, the only Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence, promised two acres of land to have the church built and the land was officially deeded to the church in 1819. The family later initiated a land swap in 1822 to get the land back, giving the church, instead, the land across the street. The original church building was built in 1822, and the current historic church was built in the 1870s using the walls of the original. The project was overseen by Charles Carroll’s great-granddaughter.

“There’s a lot of history here. It is the spiritual heart of St. Joseph,” Father Williamson said. “It is where it all started.”

The Frederick County faith community long ago outgrew the historic church and dedicated a new, $4.7 million church in 2014 that provides 11,500-square-feet of space. Today, the historic building is used for weddings and baptisms, and a morning Mass is held there once a week. 

Archbishop William E. Lori celebrated the renovations to the historic church with a special Mass Dec. 7

“Our forebears built the original church and the succeeding structure because they realized the importance of being together as a community of faith, and the importance of supporting one another on our journey of faith – walking with one another and helping one another along,” the archbishop said in his homily. “Thus, the venerable church stands as a reminder that the Catholic Church which has come together on this property for more than 200 years, still gathers here as a living, breathing place of faith, worship, and service, a community where the process of divine renovation is continually underway.”

Private donations and fundraisers raised $330,000 to cover the expenses. Several projects are still in planning stages, including adding a bathroom on the main level (currently there are bathrooms in the basement and in the sacristy only) and the construction of an elevator to make it more accessible.

Email Katie V. Jones at kjones@CatholicReview.org

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