| Holy Trinity Parish originated on March 8, 1771
when John Welsh entered into a bond of two hundred pounds,
English Sterling, to convey to Abel Brown, Robert Tivis, Edward
Dorsey and John Elder two acres of land in the town of
Eldersburg to build a "Chapel of Ease." A small stone church was
built and flourished until the time of the American Revolution,
when the mother Church of England no longer had authority to
collect taxes for its support and Holy Trinity began to fall
into decline.
The church's history is entwined with that of the large and
influential Warfield family who settled in this area. The
Warfields were known for their contributions to the American War
for Independence, the creation of Carroll County, and for their
strong support for the Episcopal Church. In 1843, George
Warfield took steps to refurbish Holy Trinity Chapel and
petitioned the Diocesan Convention to grant them permission to
organize an independent parish. Bishop Whittington consecrated
Holy Trinity Church on October 31, 1843.
The Sykesville area had begun its commercial growth with the
arrival of Mr James Sykes in 1825 who bought 1,000 acres of land
including the site of the future town of Sykesville. In short
order he rebuilt a saw mill and a gristmill. About this time,
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad reached the Sykesville area.
In 1844, Susanna Warfield petitioned for a new Chapel of Ease
in Sykesville. The trip from Sykesville to Eldersburg, about
three miles, was considered too inconvenient and discouraged
regular church attendance among the immigrant families and less
privileged who worked in the mills and the nearby cotton
factory.
On June ll, 1850, on the Feast of St.Barnabas, the corner
stone for our present St. Barnabas was laid. The chapel was
completed and consecrated on December 11,1851.
In late June, 1863, the Confederate Cavalry, under the
command of J.E.B. Stuart passed by St.Barnabas to capture
Sykesville. They cut telegraph wires, tore up the tracks of the
B&O R.R. and burned the bridge over the Patapsco River which
separates St. Barnabas from the town. On June 29th they rode
North to Gettysburg.
Holy Trinity Church at Eldersburg continued to flourish until
about 1870. By that time, St. Barnabas Chapel had grown into
prominence and Holy Trinity began to decline. In the early 1900
the Holy Trinity Church fell into disrepair and was closed in
1924. During WWII it was demolished, leaving St. Barnabas the
only Episcopal Church in the Holy Trinity Parish. The graveyard
at Holy Trinity still exists and members of the Parish led by
our former Rector, Jim Purman, lovingly care for this Holy
ground.
St. Barnabas has been in continuous use since 1850, serving
South Carroll and Howard Counties. In 1981, under the guidance
of the vestry and former rector Joe Burroughs, the church was
restored, preserving the original architecture. The stonework,
pews, altar and windows are all original, as well as most of the
woodwork and hardware. |
