In his book “Rethinking Home: A Case for Writing Local History” Joseph Amato makes the case that people of every place and time deserve a history. Since 1916, the Sudlersville Betterment Club has worked to collect, preserve, and maintain the history of the town of Sudlersville. “We want people to learn the history of Upper Queen Anne’s County,” said club member Sharon Andrews.
On Saturday, April 27, beginning at 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., the Sudlersville Betterment Club will sponsor a Tour of the Historic Churches of the Dixon Tavern District No. 1.
While church and tavern may seem an unlikely pairing, the District’s origin can be traced to 1827, when the Maryland State Legislature established the Dixon Tavern District as one of the four voting/taxing districts in Queen Anne’s County. All that remains today is a county road bearing the name.
Saturday’s tour is a 36-mile round-trip self-driving tour of the pre-1900 Dixon Tavern District churches still standing. Eight of the 11 churches are still in use. All but three sites will be open for viewing; others are available only by exterior viewing.
Among the 11 houses of worship on the tour is Dudley’s Chapel, the oldest church in the County and listed as one of Maryland’s National Properties by the Maryland Historical Trust. Constructed in 1783, the church is the oldest in Queen Anne’s County. It grew from a time when Methodists were prohibited from preaching. A grove of trees near the land that is Dudley’s cemetery was the early site of worship service. Methodists Thomas Coke, Francis Asbury, and Richard Wolhcoat preached from Dudley’s Chapel. Freeborn Garretson, who also ministered at Dudley’s was a pacifist, anti-slavery activist, and a circuit rider who carried the gospel from North Carolina to Nova Scotia, earning him the title of the Paul Revere of Methodism.
At Duhamel Corner, Price Chapel was built on land purchased in 1824 by James Price, a free Black man. The church was described as a “very neat little church, (colored), 20x30 feet near the present site of their worship.” Ancestors of the Price and Sudler families are buried on the church grounds.
What is now the Sudlersville Memorial Library began as the Asbury Methodist Church. Built in 1878 the church’s congregation merged with Calvary Methodist Episcopal Church in 1942. The building remained vacant until 1945 when it was sold to the town for $1 and became the town library. On Memorial Day in 1947, it was renamed the Sudlersville Memorial Library in memory of those who gave their lives in defense of the country.
“It’s important to realize that some of these churches are literally off the beaten path, especially those like Price’s Chapel that don’t have a sign or marker,” Andrews said. “Unless you know where to go you’ll never find them. This was the inspiration for our tour, to get the word out that this history is right here at home.”
The Club’s ongoing projects include the Sudlersville Train Station Museum, The Jimmie Foxx Memorial Statue lot, and memorialization of the Veterans buried at the Sudlersville Cemetery on significant holidays.
The Betterment Club is always looking for new members to participate in serving the community. Contact them on Facebook at Sudlersville Community Betterment Club. Visit the website at sudlesvillemuseum.org or contact them at Sudlersvillemusem@gmail.com.
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