Lecture Explores Interior Of Reconstructed 17th-Century Brick Chapel At St. Mary’s City

ST. MARY’S CITY, Md. — A public lecture examining the interior reconstruction of a 17th-century Jesuit chapel at Historic St. Mary’s City was held Jan. 29, 2026, as part of the St. Mary’s County Historic Preservation Commission’s historical lecture series.

The lecture, titled “The Brick Chapel at St. Mary’s City: The Interior of the Reconstructed 17th-Century Chapel,” was presented by Ruth Mitchell, manager of archaeological services at Historic St. Mary’s City. The program focused on the archaeological research, historical analysis, and design decisions that shaped the chapel’s completed interior exhibits, finalized in September 2025.

Mitchell explained that the original brick chapel was constructed in the 1660s on land historically known as Chapel Land, within the boundaries of the colonial town of St. Mary’s City. The building reflected Maryland’s early founding principles of religious tolerance during a period of intense political and religious conflict in Europe.

The chapel was dismantled in the early 18th century after Catholic worship was outlawed under royal rule, and its remains were gradually lost beneath farmland. Portions of the foundation were rediscovered in the 1930s by architectural historian Henry Chandlee Forman, with systematic archaeological excavations resuming in 1988 through long-term field schools and research programs.

Excavations ultimately revealed the full brick foundation of the chapel, measuring approximately 57 feet wide and 54 feet deep, with five-foot-deep foundations and three-foot-thick walls. Analysis of brick styles, window glass fragments, and construction techniques helped researchers determine the building’s height, layout, and architectural details.

Archaeological investigations also documented an extensive burial ground associated with the chapel, with several hundred burials estimated across the site. Sixty-four burials were excavated during the project, including burials beneath the chapel floor. Among the most notable were lead coffins containing Philip Calvert, his wife Anne Wosely Calvert, and an infant child, whose family relationships were later confirmed through DNA analysis.

The reconstructed chapel, completed in 2008, was built directly atop the original foundation. Mitchell said the final phase of the project centered on completing the interior exhibits, including a below-ground crypt with viewing panels for the lead coffins, exposed sections of the original brick foundation, and a reproduction altar and tabernacle based on extensive historical research and material analysis.

Mitchell noted that the building now functions as an interpretive exhibit rather than a consecrated church, offering visitors insight into colonial Maryland’s religious life, architecture, and burial practices.

The lecture concluded with discussion of the collaborative effort behind the project, which relied on archaeological field schools, private donations, grants, and in-house expertise, and highlighted the potential for future research to further expand understanding of the site’s history.

Watch the full lecture below: