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St. James Church
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St. James' Parish, March 2010
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| Nearest city: | Bristol, Maryland |
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| Built: | 1763 |
| Architect: | Unknown |
| Architectural style: | No Style Listed |
| Governing body: | Private |
| NRHP Reference#: | 72000565[1] |
| Added to NRHP: | May 7, 1972 |
St. James' Parish is a historic church located in Lothian, Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States.
In 1692, St. James' Parish, Old Herring Creeke, was officially established when the Maryland General Assembly, acting on the orders of Sir Lionel Copley, Royal Governor of Maryland, enacted the Act of Establishment. That Act divided the Province of Maryland into 30 Anglican parishes. There were, however, people worshiping in the area before that time. The exact location of that church is unknown. In 1695, the vestry ordered a church built on the present site in Lothian.
The Reverend Henry Hall was called as the first rector, and remained at St. James' until his death in 1722. When the old church became inadequate for the needs of the parish in 1763, the vestry ordered that a new church be built. It was completed in 1765, and continues to serve the congregation today.
St. James' Parish opened the first parochial lending library of the American parishes of the Church of England in 1698. It was founded by the Rev. Dr. Thomas Bray, who donated 118 books for the library that year.
In 1792, the seventh rector of St. James', the Rev. Dr. Thomas John Claggett, resigned to become the first Bishop of Maryland. He was the first Episcopal bishop to be consecrated on American soil.
The parish founded several chapels: St. Mark's Chapel at Friendship, consecrated in 1850 and sold in 1915; The Chapel of St. James the Less in Owensville in 1853 (now Christ Church, West River); St. James' Chapel in Tracys Landing in 1876; and St. Mark's Chapel built in 1924.
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