St. Anne's Church, Annapolis (must see)

St. Anne’s Church is an Episcopal parish founded in 1692 during the colonial period of Maryland. At that time the Church of England was the official church of the colony, and the parish served both religious and community needs. Early church buildings stood near the center of the colonial town and were used by residents, government officials, and merchants. Over time the church became an important gathering place for both daily life and public events.

The building seen today was completed in 1859 after a fire on Valentine’s Day in 1858 destroyed the earlier church. It was designed by architect C. Harrison Condit of Newark, New Jersey, in the Romanesque Revival style, which was popular for churches in the mid-nineteenth century. The red brick structure features rounded arches, tall windows, and a high steeple above the entrance.

Inside the church are several historic artworks and memorials connected with the parish’s long past. One of the best-known features is a stained-glass window created by Tiffany Studios of New York in the late nineteenth century. The window shows St. Anne teaching the young Virgin Mary. When sunlight passes through the colored glass, it fills the interior with changing patterns of light. Visitors can also see carved wooden furnishings, plaques, and memorial tablets honoring people connected with the church community.

The churchyard contains graves from the colonial period and later years. Among those buried there are Sir Robert Eden, the last colonial governor of Maryland, and Nicholas Greenberry, an earlier provincial governor. Today the church continues to hold regular services, concerts, and community events, and visitors often stop to explore the historic building and its churchyard.