Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church (Rock Creek Church)
Established in the early-18th century, this church served then-Prince George's Parish and is the earliest in DC.
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Although the walls of the present church date from 1775, the church has undergone a number of changes throughout its history. The first church on the site was a frame structure erected in 1719. This church was replaced with a brick structure in 1775.
Until 1868, when the north wall was torn down and the church remodeled, the church was rectangular in shape, with two large doors on the west side and a gallery on the interior. Reconstruction drawings, prior to 1868, show the west elevation as three bays wide with three round-headed windows on the second floor (probably to light the gallery), and a small square window in the center of the first story flanked on each side by a rectangular, two-leaf door and a rectangular fanlight.
The present church, which was rebuilt after it was damaged by a fire in 1921, is Georgian in style and character, with a hipped roof and Flemish bond red brick walls. St. Paul's is located in Rock Creek Cemetery, the oldest burial ground in the District of Columbia, established in 1719.
The history of the church can be traced back to 1712 when services were first held on the site; the first church was built in 1719. St. Paul's originally served Prince George's Parish, which, at that time, included the area between the Potomac and the Patuxent rivers, and the northeast fork of the Eastern Branch. From there, the area extended westward indefinitely. It is the earliest church in the District of Columbia.
Built: 1775
Remodeled: 1864
Burned & restored: 1921
DC Inventory: November 8, 1964 (Joint Committee on Landmarks)
National Register: March 16, 1972
