St.
Stephen’s Church has continuously operated since its charter in 1692 and
currently enjoys a vibrant, though moderately sized, congregation. The Church
site has had multiple structures, the current building constructed 1870-74
timeframe in the Gothic Revival style, which was popular in America in the
1870s and 1880s, but typically not found in rural settings. St. Stephen’s is
surrounded by its 300-acre farm and the setting of the church has not and is
not likely to change. St. Stephen’s is proudly associated with famous Baltimore
architect Thomas Dixon, who provided St. Stephen’s design. St. Stephen’s Church
is the only documented example of Dixon ecclesiastical designs located outside
a major urban center. The altar window, original to the 1870 building, is an
integral focal point structure.
St. Stephen’s Church is the site of the ordination of Reverend William Douglas, the first African American to receive ordination from the Anglican Church south of the Mason Dixon line. St. Stephen’s has close historic ties to another historic register property, Mount Harmon. The MD Historical Trust Roadside Marker denotes owners of Mt. Harmon as “patriots, Vetstrymen of St. Stephen’s Church, and contributors, 1702, to the original endowment of Washington College, Chestertown, Maryland.”
St. Stephen’s Church is the site of the ordination of Reverend William Douglas, the first African American to receive ordination from the Anglican Church south of the Mason Dixon line. St. Stephen’s has close historic ties to another historic register property, Mount Harmon. The MD Historical Trust Roadside Marker denotes owners of Mt. Harmon as “patriots, Vetstrymen of St. Stephen’s Church, and contributors, 1702, to the original endowment of Washington College, Chestertown, Maryland.”