Saint Mary’s Church, Emmorton, was founded in 1848 by the Rev Dr. William F Brand, who served the congregation as its first rector for fifty-six years. The current church building, in its Gothic Revival style, was erected in 1851. No specific architect is recorded, but the building’s plans seem to have been modeled after a thirteenth-century church in England.
The most notable feature of the building is its collection of stained-glass windows designed by William Butterfield, an English architect; they are the only complete set of Butterfield windows in America. The chancel windows depict the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the church’s namesake, while the windows in the nave illustrate scenes from Jesus’ life, ending with a dramatic tableau of the Crucifixion in the west wall’s large window. Additionally, a series of paintings by Johannes Oertel, who befriended Saint Mary’s as an associate rector, adorn the chancel area. Oertel is also responsible for the wood-carved lectern, pulpit and the carved marble of the altar.
While Saint Mary’s boasts these artistic histories, the church has also been a place of worship for several notable historical figures. These include Herman Stump, the nation’s second Commissioner of Immigration, and Brigadier General John Gross Barnard, the tenth Superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy, whose first wife was Dr. Brand’s sister Jane. More recently, Saint Mary’s church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 as a site which is significant for its architecture and decorative arts.