Old Trinity Church in Church Creek, Maryland
If a church building could represent the joys, tribulations, accomplishments, vision for the future, and hope for restoration that our nation has endured for over 250 years, it could be Old Trinity Church, 1718 Taylors Island Road, Church Creek, Maryland. This building has stood for over 350 years as a beacon of endurance. Old Trinity Church is the oldest church building still in continuous use in the United States.
Originally known as The Church in Dorchester Parish, the church was built between 1675 and 1690 as part of the Anglican Church movement along the shores of Church Creek. Handmade bricks were used to build the English Bond Style structure, which stands 38 feet by 20 feet. As was typical in the early days of the colonies before the American Revolution, Old Trinity’s church building served not only as a place of worship, but it was also the community center, as well as a court of law. Following the American Revolution, they became associated with the Episcopalians.
In the 1850’s, the church's name was changed to “Trinity.” A huge renovation project was also underway, as the interior was changed to a “gothic style” popular at that time period. However, as time marched on, Trinity’s survival was at stake, as parishioners left and sought employment in larger populated areas. Not only were fewer people attending the church, but the building itself also experienced the ravages of time. One wall in particular needed buttress support to stand. The roof was in dire need of repair, and wood was rotting away inside Old Trinity. In spite of the issues affecting it from within and without, a small group dedicated itself to worship in this structure that most would have torn down. Their decision to stay faithful helped save the 18th-century structure.
“The Old Trinity Church Association” was established in 1928 to help maintain the buildings on the premises. Workers found original floor tiles under wooden flooring installed during the 1850’s restoration. Then, the daughter of car manufacturer Walter Chrysler – Bernice Chrysler Garbish – and her husband, Edgar, made a generous donation to help restore the church to its original state from 1675.
Restoration crews found heart pine in barns in Pennsylvania and Maryland dating to the 17th and 18th centuries and used it to rebuild the pulpit and box pews. Meticulous efforts were made to strengthen the walls of Old Trinity. The Old Trinity Church Association eventually changed its name to “Friends of Old Trinity” in 2018, with the goal of continuing restoration not only at Old Trinity but also at other historic churches in the diocese.
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As the United States entered the new millennium, the congregation at Old Trinity looked to the future while preserving its past. Since 2014, they have undertaken projects to maintain and improve the facility. Members of Old Trinity also formed “The South Dorchester Good Neighbors” to provide community outreach programs such as a weekly “food for learning” program, an Angel Tree program to assist children at Christmas, gift card assistance for families in crisis situations, as well as holiday food boxes for families struggling to get by. They are also involved in a vast array of community partnerships. They’ve participated in the “Trees for Sacred Spaces” program, as well.
All of these outreach programs in which the members of Old Trinity participate are indicative of their mission, which seems simple, yet complex: “a place of restoration.” It’s built upon a threefold spiritual foundation. They seek sacramental restoration – between mankind and God, ecological restoration – preserving and protecting the earth with which God entrusted us, and relational restoration – repairing the breach that separates us as individuals.
Father Dan Dunlap is the current rector of Old Trinity Church, where he has served for more than a decade. The church and its cemetery are open daily from dawn to dusk. Interior tours are available by calling 410-228-2940 or emailing rector@oldtrinity.net. Sunday morning prayer and Holy Communion are held weekly at 11 AM.
The Old Graveyard is the resting place of veterans of every war fought on American soil, including six American Revolutionary soldiers, four from the War of 1812, as well as both Union and Confederate soldiers from the Civil War. It is also the site where Anna Ella Carroll – author, Civil War reporter, and “unofficial member of Abraham Lincoln’s cabinet” lies. Her father, former Maryland governor Thomas Carroll, is also buried in the Carroll Family plot. Nearby, the church allows burials on the property at the cemetery.
