St. Philip’s Chronology History

  • August 1876: Walter Fowler and Adam Craig requested through the Chapel of St. Mary’s Aquasco and the Reverend John C. Tennent that the Colored Communicants have a place about the Chapel to bury their dead.
  • April 22, 1879: Subscriptions were started to collect funds for the new Chapel. On August 1, 1979, Reverend Perry paid Eliza Hall $137.45 for the land she agreed to sell.
  • May 1879: A colored deacon by the name of the Reverend Joseph G. Bryant became an assistant at St. Paul’s. He worked diligently with the Colored Communicants and was later rewarded for his efforts by being appointed the first Rector of St. Philip’s.
  • Between April 1879 and July 1880: Actual construction of the Church building took place. The cost for erecting the Chapel was $1,200.00.
  • On Sunday, July 11, 1880, the Reverend William Pinkney confirmed 41 colored candidates at St. Philip’s Chapel with Reverend Bryant in charge.
  • St Philip’s was included within the bounds of the Diocese of Maryland until 1896. When church boundaries were redefined and it became part of the Diocese of Washington.
  • St. Paul’s continued to record baptisms, burials and marriages that took place in St. Philip’s until 1907.
  • 1946: The Chapel became a mission of the Diocese of Washington.
  • Sept. 21, 1952: First Homecoming celebrated and was started by The Reverend Millard Newman. Homecoming has continued annually on the third Sunday in September ever since. It is a highlight event in the life of the parish.
  • Early 1960’s brought architectural change to the small frame Chapel. The congregation worked together to improve the building. Two rooms were added to increase classroom space., indoor plumbing along with central heating and air conditioning were also added.
  • November 22, 1976: The beautiful Chapel was destroyed by fire on Thanksgiving Eve.
    • The Reverend Dr. Pauli Murray, then a seminarian later became St Philip’s first African American Episcopal Priest spoke of the fire in her book “Song in a Weary Throat.”
    • The Right Reverend John T. Walker, Suffragan Bishop of Washington expressed his sentiments about the fire in a letter to St. Philip’s.
  • In 1980, the Diocese of Washington purchased the former social hall property from a nearby Roman Catholic Church to serve as a temporary home for St. Philip’s. The cemetery at the previous Chapel location would be maintained; this site is now a historic landmark.
    • The renovation of the newly acquired property begun in earnest and was transformed into a multi-purpose Chapel. The space was used for worship, classes, meetings and fundraising activities.
    • The renovation to create a multi-purpose center, providing worship space that could be easily changed to accommodate meetings, classes, or a church social began immediately and was completed in 2003.
  • January 2004: The One Hundred Ninth Washington Diocesan Convention recognized and admitted St. Philip’s as a parish in the Diocese of Washington.

Vicars at St. Philip’s Baden

The Late Reverend Melvin Turner
St. Philip’s Aquasco: 1977-1980
St. Philip’s Baden: 1980-1990

The Reverend E. Kent Booth: 1990-1999

The Reverend Dr. Hugh E. Brown: 1999-2003

Rectors at St. Philip’s Baden

The Late Reverend Velma Brock: 2004-2007

The Late Reverend Vaughn Booker: 2007-2013

Rev. Christopher Wilkins: 2016-2020