St. Mary Catholic Church - Petersville MD
Posted by: 
Don.Morfe
N 39° 20.898 W 077° 36.996
18S E 274523 N 4358694
The bell is in a brick structure in front of the church. There is wooden bar above the bell that is inscribed St. Mary's Church. In 1873, the church was renovated to the current structure.
Waymark Code: WM158R5
Location: Maryland, United States
Date Posted: 11/09/2021
Views: 2
From the Brunswick MD History website below:
"St. Mary's Catholic Church & Rectory - Petersville
As a part of his will of 1819, Gov. Thomas Sim Lee provided funds for a Catholic church to be named St. Mary at Petersville near his estate, Needwood. He wanted to replace the old log building used as early as 1810 with a permanent brick building where slaves and their masters and free blacks in the area could worship (Archives, Maryland Society of Jesus, Woodstock Letters, Vol. 5, 1876, p.107).
The slaves sat behind their masters in the rear of the church. It was built between 1826-1828 by slaves and free black laborers from the nearby Merrywood and Needwood plantations, who made and carried the bricks for the structure. In 1873, it was renovated to the current structure. Parishioners came from plantations and farms in the area. Among these worshipers were several generations of the Smothers and Holland families.
Associated with the church was also a school for black youngsters started by Father John Gaffney in 1873; in 1874 approximately 100 children attended this school. This may have been the first officially organized school for black children in Maryland. The school was reported in the parish papers until 1912. The building was razed in 1977."
(
visit link)
Visit Instructions:As a suggestion for your visit log, please make every effort to supply a brief-to-detailed note about your experience at the Waymark. If possible also include an image that was taken when you visited the Waymark. Images can be of yourself, a personal Waymarking signature item or just one of general interest that would be of value to others. Sharing your experience helps promote Waymarking and provides a dynamic history of your adventures.