HISTORY OF ST. PHILIP’S

In August 1876, the Rev. John C. Tennant, rector at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, laid before the vestry a request he had received from the Black communicants at St. Mary’s Chapel in Woodville. They wanted a place on the grounds of the chapel for burial of their dead. The request for burial grounds led to the birth of St. Philip’s.

In October of that same year, Rev. Tennant was succeeded by Rev. Josiah B. Perry, who also saw the need for religious freedom in the area and continued the quest that would allow Blacks control over their spiritual lives.

By February 1877, a committee had been appointed to locate and purchase a lot for burial and a chapel for the black members. Walter Fowler and Adam Craig, representatives for the Black communicants, reported that an acre of land could be purchased from Mrs. Eliza Hall for fifty dollars. It seems that after hearing of the location and the plan, some citizens of the village objected to using the grounds surrounding the proposed chapel for burial grounds. One citizen, M. Scott offered to give an acre of land about a half mile from the village for burying purposes. Encouraged by Rev. Perry, the committee representing the Black members rejected the offer. The original location selected was purchased from Mrs. Hall on April 1, 1878 for $137.45. There is no explanation for the increase in price.

While the chapel was under construction, the future members were granted occasional use of St. Mary’s Chapel. They used the facility to hold several fundraisers to help finance their new chapel.

The Rev. Joseph G. Bryant (a Black Deacon) came as an assistant to St. Paul’s Parish in May 1879. He worked very diligently with the Black communicants and was later rewarded for his efforts when he was appointed the first Rector of St. Philip’s.

The first mention of the chapel being used was Sunday, July 11, 1880 when the Rt. Rev. William Pinkney confirmed 41 members.

The accounts for building St. Philip’s Church were audited and proved satisfactory in August 1880. The cost for erecting the chapel was $1,200.

The record goes on to show that the newly erected chapel was regularly filled with an attentive congregation and that it was the first all Black Episcopal Church in Maryland outside the city of Baltimore.

The original church was a plain frame structure and had remained basically unchanged until the early 1960s. Indoor plumbing, central heat, and two multi-purpose rooms were added at that time. In the early 1970s, the electrical system was updated and the sacristy remodeled.

In November 1976, the beautiful structure that the congregation had worked so hard to improve and maintain was destroyed by fire. Even though the building had been destroyed, the zeal of the congregation was very much alive. They began immediately to locate worship space. A lease arrangement with St. Paul’s and St. Mary’s allowed an alternate hour of worship schedule at St. Mary’s for the next three years. In 1980, the Diocese of Washington purchased the former social hall property from St. Michael's Catholic Church. This site then became St. Philip’s, Baden. The previous church location is maintained as the church cemetery.

The renovation of the newly acquired structure began immediately. Work was done while the building was in use to create a multi-purpose center, providing worship space that could be easily changed to accommodate such things as meetings, musical events, classes, or a church social.