D-253 St. John's Episcopal Chapel, Great Choptank Parish Architectural Survey File This is the architectural survey file for this MIHP record. The survey file is organized reverse- chronological (that is, with the latest material on top). It contains all MIHP inventory forms, National Register nomination forms, determinations of eligibility (DOE) forms, and accompanying documentation such as photographs and maps. Users should be aware that additional undigitized material about this property may be found in on-site architectural reports, copies of HABS/HAER or other documentation, drawings, and the “vertical files” at the MHT Library in Crownsville. The vertical files may include newspaper clippings, field notes, draft versions of forms and architectural reports, photographs, maps, and drawings. Researchers who need a thorough understanding of this property should plan to visit the MHT Library as part of their research project; look at the MHT web site (mht.maryland.gov) for details about how to make an appointment. All material is property of the Maryland Historical Trust. Last Updated: 07-21-2003 D-253 ® St. ]ohn's Chapel Comersville 1853,1939 and later Public worship St. ]ohn's Chapel is one of the oldest and best preserved frame relialous buildings in Dorchester County. Built in 1852-53 for the Great Choptank Parish, the rectangular Gothic Revival inspired structure is distinctive for the late use of exposed and decorated framing members; including principal posts, rafters and pulins finished with chamfered edges and tapered stops. A pair of scissors trusses, decorated with chamfered edges terminating with tapefed stops, supports the center of the roof frame. The sanctuary interior is also distinguished by two blocks of mid-19th century slip pews featuring flat, pointed arch panels in each pew end. A two-panel door into the church office is also enhanced with flat panels. The exterior features pointed arch window and door openings; oririnal features to the mid-19th century building. St. ]ohn's Chapel is one of the eadiest extant exanples of a Gothic Revival inspired design on the lowef Eastern Shore. An asymmetrical bell tower, built with similar pointed arch features, was added to the northeast comer of the church in 1939. Other modifications were made to the church during the mid-to-late 20th century as well as building a separate vestry house southwest of the cburch in 1966. Constniction of St. John's Chapel is well documented in the archives of the Episcopal Church. Under the leadership of Reverend Theodofe P. Barber, the Episcopalian congregation in the Neck District was revived during the mid-19th century. An eadier structure erected near the head of Chapel Creek functioned during ® the late 18th and eady 19th centuries until services were discontinued. In a lettef to the 1 ® Bishop of Maryland, the RIcht Reverend W. 8. Whittingham, Reverend Barber wrote in Septembef 1851 : Pchaps I meM[honed to you in the Ice visitation ay long cl]eri§bed bape Of reuledngthe cburcb §eredces in the Neck Districira tbichb/ Settled neig/bborbood near Castle Haven. There uns, at least si>Q/ year ago a chapel iri that edchdyra rowgib avooderi sf"cture-in mihicb Bisbap Kemfi mi„istered and I hi¢ow not bow may Of bi§ firedecessors in the Rectorshi¢ Of this parish. But vitbin the haf a o/years or so wince the time of Dr. Keap no seri}ices bane been bead there, the chapel has bng since disapfieand; are can oridy estabEsb its locaEty ky the g/raves. Noni the experiment has I)eon fjarlially tried to rengstchlisbing our wunbi¢. I apoirited a service in the Scbool house some six weeha ag/o. The cong]regation uns so larg/e that we adlf ouned to the unods. The Same results folbwed at ay secorid and tbind qppointmeuts. On lad Sandy it rdiried i}ey/ capiousdy, Jet twerty §eun uiorsl]¢fiers were firesent. It is ng/ bape, vitb God's Ble§5ing to erut a ay/ wimple chapel Of wood, in wbicb to hold sendces for a forlriigibt. .Ibe obstacle uilJich are eununter is the difficudy in estabbshing the old Sile. More than foro/year§hers passed strmce tine grourrdtrasbeen ericlosed iu the fledgibboringfield, only the q)ace in the rear ocapied ky graves in lJeid Saand. The Statute Of Emitations ill the apinion Of our lay/e`rs Oudgie Goklsborngib irichded) ffectuady har5 all chin. Reverend Barber proceeded to estabhsh a revived Episcopal congregation near the head of Chapel Creek with the purchase of one acre of ground known as "Mitchell's Garden" for $25 in December 1851. The property was conveyed from ]oh]i Wesley and Mary Mitcheu to Reverend Barber, James Dixon, Bdce I. Goldsborough, James Blake, Joseph E. Muse, jr., Samuel W. Lecompte, Alexander H. Bayly, R. Tilg]iman Goldsborough, and Daniel M. Henry, vestryman of Great Choptank Parish. Within the fonowing months, probably beSnning in the flew construction season of 1852, the rectangular timber frame cbapel was assembled on the south side of the road leading down the center of the Neck District. The chapel was coflsecrated the fonowing spring on April 16, 1853. n Reverend Barber shapherded this congregation for over forty years until 1892. The church was dormant intermittently during the mid to late 1890s as well as pedods 2 during the eady 20th century. It reopened in 1936 and three years later, the congregation financed the construction of the comer bell towel, dedicating it to Reverend Barber in 1939. The tower was erected with a sensitive eye to the original design of the frame chapel with a pointed arch window opening and pointed arch openings in the belfry. Other changes to the building have been made to either side o the apse; all of which bave been creatively conceived and executed according to the oriSnal design of the 1852 budding. ® 3 Maryland Historical Trust Inventory No. D-253 Maryland Inventory of ® Historic properties Form 1. Name of Pro indicate referred name historic St. ]ohn's chapel other St. ]ohn's P. E. Church 2. Location street and number 1211 Hudson Road not for publication city, town Comersville x vi ci nity county Dorchester 3. Owner of propert`/ (give names and mailing addresses of all owners) name Trustees of st. john's chapel of the protestant Episcopal church street and number 1213 Hudson Road telephone city. town Cambrid state ro iDcode 21613 4. Location of Le al Descri a courthouse, registryofdeeds,etc. Dorchestercountyclerkofcout liber 515 folio 138 city,town Cambridge texmap 18 taxparcel 4 taxlDnumber o8-183988 5. Primary Location of Additional Data Contributing Resouroe in National Register District Contributing Resouroe in Local Histon.c District Determined Eligible for the National Register/Maryland Register Determined Ineligible for the National Registen/Maryland Register Recorded by HABS/HAER Historic Structure F2eport or Research Report at MHT Other: 6. Classification Category O`Arnersh i p CuITent Function Resource Count d i stn.ct _p ublic _agriculture _landscape Co ntri buting Noncontributing jLbu ild in g (s) jLprivate commerce/trade _recreation/culture buildings structu re both defense X_religion sites site domestic social structures _Object _education _transportation Objects _funerary _work in progress Total _government unknown health care vacant/not in use Number of Contributing Resources 0 industry other: previously listed in the Inventory 7. Description Inventory No. D-253 Condition JL excellent deten.orated _ good ruins _ fair altered Prepare both a one paragraph summary and a comprehensive description of the resource and its various elements as it exists today. DESCRIPTION SUMMARY St. ]ohn's Chapel is a sinale-story, Gothic Revival inspired frame church that stands on the west end of the community of Comersvme in the Neck District of Dofchester County. Designated with an address of 1211 Hudson Road, the rectangular, gable-roofed main block, reportedly built in 1852-53, is supported on a low brick foundation and it is sbeathed with plain weatherboards. The church faces noch with the steeply pitched gable roof oriented on north/south axis. The noch elevation contains the main entrance which is sheltered by a single-story, gable roofed vestibule. Attached to the northeast comer of the main block in ;::9££t:rtfj]:vifi;=:=ittooT::ec238ecdenbi;;s#fatb:Ofharsfe;n:%:ioeufpsgb:edeEfno±€esacchn¥sr;?hfise interior survives with exposed wall posts finished with chamfered edges and tapered stops and a scissors- truss roof frame, Pulins are mordsed and tenoned into the exposed rafters. Two cased tie rods connect the side walls in the same location as the exposed chamfered edge wall posts. The interior wall surfaces of the sanctuary are finished with vertical beaded board wainscoting that rises to the level of the window sins; above the window sills the walls are plastered. The sanctuary is fitted with two blocks of shp pews divided ® by a center aisle. The end boards of each pew have a simple pointed arcb inset panel. Joining the church on the property is a sinde-story gable roofed frame vestry house erected to the west of the church in 1966. Located to the south of the church is a cemetery containing several score of marked and unmarked burials. GENEARL DESCRIPTION The St. ]obn's Chapel is located on the western edge of the community of Comefsville in the Neck District of Dorchester County. Identified with an address of 1211 Hudson Road, the sinde-story gable-front frame church, reportediy built in 1852-53, is supported on a low brick foundation and the exterior is sheathed with plain weatherboard siding. The steeply pitched gable roof is covered with asphalt shindes. The north (main) elevation is an asymmetrical fapade with a sinde-story gable-front vestibule sheltering the double door entrance to the sanctuary.