Christ Church and Rectory

Christ Church and Rectory

The oldest church on Kent Island, Christ Church, built in 1880, is a superb example of the Queen Anne style of ecclesiastical architecture and is on the National Register of Historic Places. It is believed to be the fourth church of the Christ Church parish founded in 1631 and the oldest continuous Episcopal congregation in the United States. Previous church buildings were at nearby Broad Creek, one of the first established towns in Maryland. The Vestry of Christ Church purchased this portion of the Stevens Adventure tract in 1866 for $2,800 from Charles and Mary Stevens.

In 1865 Charles Stevens was “elected to make the necessary arrangements for a parsonage” for the new church. This building, however, predates the church. In 1866 it housed the Chesapeake Female Institution, a boarding and day school for young ladies.