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CHRIST CHURCH, ACCOKEEK
Our Story
by G. L. Hanssen
September 1998
Christ Church is one of the six
pre-Revolutionary churches built in
 the late 1600's to the early 1700's
by the Church of England.
Conditions in this area were not
conducive to religion. Missionaries
were few, and the temper of the
local population was not oriented
toward normal Christian living.
One missionary assigned to this region
wrote the following to the Archbishop
of Canterbury concerning community life here:
... also the Lord's Day is profaned, religion despised,
& all notorious vices committed as that it has
become a Sodom of uncleanness and a pest house
of iniquity.
Life was not easy for the early settlers. To escape the
harshness of isolation, disease, and the climate, hard drinking
and gambling became the chief forms of entertainment. The
Church of England, under the constant urging of missionaries,
began to intensify its efforts in the area.
EARLY ORGANIZATION
On May 16, 1692, the first articles establishing the Church of
England in the Province of Maryland were drawn up. Among the
established parishes was Piscataway Parish (later named King
George's Parish). A vestry was appointed, and at the first
meeting they agreed to the purchase of approximately 78 acres
of land at Broad Creek. A parish church was built and survives
today as St. John's Church, Broad Creek, Ft. Washington.
Within a very few years of the establishment of Broad Creek,
members living in the southern end of the parish found it
inconvenient to travel the relatively long distance to the Broad
Creek Church and initiated steps to build a Chapel of Ease in the
Accokeek Creek region. It was first referred to in the Vestry
minutes of 1725 as "the Lower Chapell of Kings George's Parish."
The first prayer meetings were thought to be held sometime in
the year 1698 in private homes.
CHURCH CONSTRUCTION
The first formal church structure was built a few years after the
commencement of prayer meetings (1698) on the present site of
Christ Church. No accurate description of the first building is
included in records except notations that the structure was of
frame construction typical of the period. Prince Georges's County
Court Proceedings for 1730-32 mention Accokeek Village, three
miles from the Potomac River, "wherein a house is designated a
place of worship." The Rector of Broad Creek held services here
three times a month. In 1745 the frame church structure was
torn down, and rebuilt with brick. The builder was Stephen
Chandler. An early note indicated that the bricks may have been
brought from England, but most historians agree that they were
made locally, if not on what is now the church grounds.
Close inspection of the bricks will show that many are fused into
glass on the ends, a condition caused by their being too close to
the fire in the old white oak-fired kilns. The walls are solid brick
set in a Flemish bond pattern, twenty-four inches thick, and rest
on clay subsoil. The mortar was made from finely ground/fired
oyster shells, sand and water. There are no footings or
foundations under the walls as are used in modern construction.
Although some alterations were made in following years, the
original brick structure still serves as the current parish church.
It is of interest that Christ Church was constructed on private
land. It remained on private land until December 14, 1843, when
William Henry Lyles and his wife Eliza C. Lyles, deeded the
southern section of their farm, "Cherry Mount," on which the
church stood, to the vestry in consideration of the sum of
seventy-five dollars.
The congregation received recognition as a separate
congregation in 1823, and in 1869 separated from Broad Creek
Parish to form St. John's Parish. Parish boundaries started north
at Piscataway Creek and ran between the course of
Mattawoman Creek and the Potomac River.
In 1745, at the time of the building of the present brick
structure, liturgical theologies were quite different from what
they are today. The dictates of theology at that time permitted
no music during Holy Services, nor stained glass or colored
windows of any description. The pews were of the typical
colonial box type, and the pulpit was located on what is now the
Gospel, or north side of the church, between the second and
third windows. The main entrance was at what is now the
second window on the Epistle or south wall, of the church. The
original floor was brick, and the walls were plastered as they are
today. The interior of the church is beautiful in its simplicity and
symmetry.
Christ Church has seen many turbulent years. The conditions in
which it was started continued for many years. When the
revolutionary fever became strong in the 1770's, the clergy
often found themselves in considerable conflict with their
congregations. One clergyman wrote:
....and for more than six months I preached, and
when I did preach, with a pair of loaded pistols lying
on the cushion.
It was not until after the Revolution that the churches in the
colonies were formally separated from the Church of England.
Clergymen were no longer bound, by conscience and
administration, to loyalty to the Throne of England.
As a congregation of the Protestant Episcopal Church of the
United States, Christ Church survived the presence of troops
during the War of 1812 and later, the occupation by the Union
Army during the period 1861-1865.
MODIFICATIONS TO THE CHURCH BUILDING AND LITURGY
On Christmas Eve 1856, Christ Church burned. The fire was
accidental, and caused by a wood burning heating stove. After
the fire only the thick brick walls were left intact. The
congregation responded immediately, and in 1857 the church
was rebuilt. The old walls were used, with a few courses of brick
added toward the roof. At the time of rebuilding, however,
radical alterations in design were introduced, resulting in the
present structure. The Tractarian or Oxford movement
originating in England had greatly altered the theological
atmosphere in this country. Consequently, liturgical theologies
had changed from the old puritan-oriented expression to a more
ornate expression of the Holy Service. The church entrance was
changed to the present location.
At this time, the present chancel was added at the east end of
the building. Stained glass windows were introduced at both the
east and west ends of the church in ensuing years. The Rose
Window on the west end of the building was a memorial to the
memory of The Rev. Charles Curtis, a former Rector, and his wife
Margaret. It was installed in 1925. Conventional pews, all facing
east, were installed rather than colonial pew boxes. A bell tower
was added, and by this time music had become an integral part
of the liturgy. The rebuilt church was consecrated on 18 June,
1857.
With the exception of routine maintenance and minor
preservation efforts, the only alterations from the reconstruction
work of 1857 to 1968 were the installation of a central heating
system and new organs. An extensive preservation effort was
undertaken in 1968. At that time it was decided not to restore
the church to its colonial appearance, but essentially to the
style established during the 1857 reconstruction. During the
preservation work, new pews and a wide center isle were added,
pipes/wiring hidden, the existing wood floor removed and a
hexagonal brick floor laid down, balcony stairs replaced with a
circular stairway, the belfry replaced, as well as many lesser
improvements. Although records indicate that the original floor in
1745 was brick, no evidence of that floor was found beneath the
deteriorating wood floor during the restoration. A Moeller pipe
organ was installed in 1993. The current church is a pleasant
blend of colonial and early Victorian styles.
The first rectory, a frame building, was built about 1845, and
was destroyed by fire on November 29, 1929. It was rebuilt in
1933 at the approximate site of the first structure, and
continues to serve as the Rector's home.
CEMETERY
 The historic burial grounds surrounding Christ Church
have been in use since the Revolutionary War. The
oldest burials are William R. Webster (1775), John
Webster (1783) and Joanna Cox (1797).
Their stones are located immediately to the right of
the present entrance, although they are thought to
have been buried elsewhere on the grounds and moved
to their present location for security reasons.
John Webster signed the Oath of Fidelity as a
Revolutionary War Patriot, and is recognized by the
DAR. Many other notable local residents and past
Rectors are interred here, including Patrick Henry Bealle (1889-1966)
who was the great, great grandson of Patrick Henry of Virginia.
Records of those buried in the older sections of the cemetery were
lost when the first rectory burned. The large oak tree near the end
of the wall is more than 300 years old.
EPILOGUE
Mr. Henry Williams (1862-1937), an early Accokeek resident
wrote some prophetic words in 1931:
In regard to that dear old church, where I have
spent many happy moments under the shade of
those spreading oaks at convocations and picnics---
there is feeling of love and attachment coming over
me that is almost indescribable after being
associated with the church for so many years, and
for which I cherish the fondest recollections. Now in
regard to Accokeek and surroundings, I think it has
quite a bright future before it--good roads, good
schools, and a dear old church.
_________________________
Sermon delivered at Christ Church Accokeek in connection with
the 300th celebration (1998)
PERSONAL REFLECTIONS
ON SAINT JOHN'S PARISH
The Rev. Roland Manning Jones Rector,
Saint John's Parish 1958 - l967
My first memory of Christ Church, Accokeek occurred in 1935
when at the age of three I was driven by my grandfather from
the family farm to the church to see the construction of the new
rectory. Twenty three years later I moved into this same home
with my wife and a three year old daughter. As a new
twenty-six year old graduate of Virginia Seminary, I was
saturated with idealism for the parish which was somewhat
compromised by my instructions from the Bishop. The parish had
been directly or indirectly financially supported by the Diocese
since the Civil War and the Bishop was eager to cease this drain
on the diocesan finances. My instructions were to make a
judgment on the closing of both Christ Church and Saint John's
Pomonkey or to make arrangements to link Saint John's with
another parish. But this was the parish of my ancestors who in
one form or another had been associated with the parish since
its beginnings in 1698. In my mind this was not an ordinary poor
Episcopal parish. Through many generations of my ancestors it
had become the "Holy of Holies " of our family and the idea of
closing the parish was unthinkable.
In 1958 the annual parish budget was approximately four
thousand dollars which barely covered the utility bills for both
church buildings and the parish hall. My salary of three thousand
six hundred dollars was to be paid by the diocese until a decision
could be made on the future of the parish. Although the grounds
at both churches had recently been somewhat restored, both
church buildings were in great need of repairs and modification.
Old space heaters provided inadequate heat in both churches;
and the parish hall at Christ Church was still heated by several
wood stoves. The bell tower on Christ Church was rotten and
needed to be replaced. The paint was peeling off the windows
and the exterior wood trim. The floors at Christ Church were
infested with termites and both churches housed large numbers
of wasps. During one Sunday morning service a wasp stung me
on my lower lip during the sermon hymn which momentarily
caused me to speculate that the Holy Spirit was objecting to my
theology. I had already learned that one of the basic
requirements of being the parish rector was to maintain a lively
sense of humor. Large black snakes also frequently invaded both
parish churches and on one occasion a five-foot long specimen
draped itself across the altar hangings at Christ Church during a
wedding just as the bride walked into the church.
On the day Marcia, our daughter Kathy and I moved into the
rectory, the brush and trash were so thick at the rear of the
rectory we could not open the back door. So I began to clean
up the rectory yard in the early morning hours reserving the
afternoons for parish calls and administrative duties. Within a
very few weeks parish members noticed my activities and rapidly
began to volunteer to begin a program of restoration for both
parish grounds and buildings. I would like to mention the names
of all that participated but it was almost every family in the
congregation and I am terrified that after forty years I might
forget someone and that would be an unforgivable omission.
In rapid succession, a central heating system was installed in
Christ Church and later in Saint John's. Wood work was scrapped
and painted. The sagging roof at Christ Church was reinforced
with steel braces. Trees were removed and new trees planted.
New side walks were constructed and a central heating system
was installed in the parish hall. Saint John's received a new coat
of paint and the roof was repaired. The rectory well was found
to be contaminated and one day the septic tank literally
exploded. But each was a challenge to be met and the
congregation responded with eagerness and a great sense of
mission for the future of the parish.
As the intensity of all the activity increased, new parish
members began to appear at the doors of both churches and I
must admit there is no greater stimulus to the mind of a new
clergy person than to see the pews filled on Sunday mornings.
The new members also began to assist with the restoration
projects in addition to dramatically increasing the parish budget.
Although it happened forty years ago, I can still remember every
word of the telephone conversation later the next year when the
bishop’s office called and asked me how much money the
diocese would have to supply the following year or should the
parish be closed. I can still feel my excitement when I informed
the bishop's office that we did not need their money. After
ninety-eight years of being a “welfare child" of the diocese we
were a self supporting parish with a new spirit, a new mission
and a wonderful mixture of old and new members.
Within a short time the growing congregation required a new
parish hall and so with enormous labors from parish members, the
new parish hall was constructed and the Canterbury School was
organized. The school caused considerable controversy and in
subsequent years had its moments of trials. But the parish and
the school survived. I am very gratified that the parish hall has
served many years of Sunday School students, a variety of
parish activities and the annual parish suppers. Canterbury has
given many students an excellent education and sent them on to
the best universities in the nation.
In the nine years in which I was the parish rector, I am sure
there were sad moments, but I have forgotten them. I do
remember the Sunday morning worship services which at times
impressed me as reaching into the very essence of the Christian
Faith. I also remember the baptisms, weddings and parish
suppers which had their moments of sublime joy. I could write a
hundred pages of antidotes, mostly humorous, of our nine years
as a parish family in the rectory. I still have copies of many of
the sermons I preached in those days and when I read them
today I become extremely embarrassed that I inflicted such
tomes on the forbearance of the congregation. But somehow the
parish members tolerated my foolishness for nine years and I
remain eternally grateful for my tenure as the parish Rector.
Several years ago, Marcia and I were able to take our children,
their, spouses and our grandchildren to visit Christ Church and
Saint John's. As my grandchildren ran through the church yards
sometimes playing hide and seek behind the headstones, I was
able to point to various markers and say "this is the stone for
one of your great great grandparents. Over there is a great
great-uncle and over there are your great grandparents,” just as
my grandfather did for me sixty three years ago. Christ Church,
Accokeek, and Saint John's Pomonkey, remain the mystical holy
of holies for our family. May the parish endure for another three
hundred years.
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