Prior to the American Revolution, when religion was still an issue, an Act of Parliament passed a law establishing “30 Anglican churches in the colony of Maryland” – some like All Hallows Parish in Annapolis, have records going back to the 1680’s, so while they might have been considered part of the original 30 established, some were present and accounted for prior to 1692. St. James in Lothian is another one (my DeVer ancestors were buried by that parish) that was very active prior to 1692.
Old St. Paul’s in Baltimore was established as the church for the Patapsco Parish. Originally located in the vicinity of present-day Highlandtown and Canton, the parish moved to it’s current location in 1739 after “Baltimoretown” was established. Lot 19 was used for a small brick church, a rectory and a cemetery. This parish church was razed in 1812-1814 and a neo-classical structure was built, only to burn in 1854. The 4th and current structure was built in 1856 by Richard Upjohn and is based on the Basilica of San Giorgio in Rome. Very Catholic for a Anglican Church.
The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or just “The Basilica” to locals, was the first Roman Catholic Cathedral built in the U.S and the first major religious construction conducted after the revolution. It was built by Benjamin LaTrobe – the same guy that designed the US Capitol. It was begun in 1806 and finished in 1821. The onion towers were added later but, other than restoration work, completed in 2006, the building stands as it was on Cathedral Hill – or rather as it was intended. The undercroft, full of sand from the church’s original construction, was finally cleared and a chapel was put in. This had been the dream of LaTrobe and Bishop Carroll, unrealized until 2006. The Basilica’s crypt is now open to the public and is the burial place for 8 of Baltimore’s Archbishops. James Gibbons, the 9th Archbishop, was created a Cardinal in 1886.
Old Otterbein Church, on Conway Street, now near Raven’s stadium, was built in 1784 and still stands were it was erected by a local carpenter, Joseph Small, Sr. It is the only 18th century church still standing in the city and the only church still in continuous use today. Original built for a group of Germans who had left the Lutheran church and had formed the United Brethren in Christ, the church is now a United Methodist Church, because of a merge between the United Brethren and the Methodists – the congregation itself has not moved. The 1811 parsonage is still nearby and the church’s founder Phillip Whilhelm Otterbein is buried on the grounds. It’s bells, which were cast in Germany and installed in 1789, are still used today. The original chapel was built in 1771 and Lovely Lane Chapel, which would become the first Methodist church in the U.S., was organized on the grounds in 1772.
Thanks to Lovely Lane, Baltimore can also claim the first Methodist Bishop. He was ordained in the original meeting house on Redwood Street which was abandoned in 1786. The congregation moved to another meeting house on Light Street – it original site now occupied by Baltimore International College. In 1884 a large church was built in the Romanesque style and still sits on St. Paul Street, in the vicinity of Charles Village and the BMA.
The Jewish faith had it beginnings in Baltimore as well. In 1842, Har Sinai was founded, and was the first Reformed Jewish congregation in the U.S. Moses Hutzler’s (the founder of the department store’s father) home on Exeter and Eastern Avenue’s (Little Italy now) was where the first services were held. The first temple was built at 148 N. High Street, the congregation having moved a few times due to space. By the 1870’s the temple was at 652 W. Lexington Street, then re- located at 1672 Bolton Street in historic Bolton Hill. The site of the Bolton Street temple is now a park. By the 1960’s it was located at 6300 Park Heights Avenue and has since relocated in Owings Mills.
Baltimore Through My Eyes 