from the Service booklet honoring the 250th anniversary of the founding of St. Mary's Parish, November, 1952

     St. Mary's Parish is blessed with an abundance of history, landmark buildings and grounds. 

     Founded in 1702 as the first mission of the Society for the Propagation for the Gospel in Foreign Parts (SPG), the missionary body of Church of England.   The Old Church, still standing on the corner of Wood and West Broad Streets, was built in 1703 and served the parish as its principal place of worship until 1854, when New St. Mary's was completed.  The interior of New St. Mary's was destroyed by disastrous fire during Holy Week 1976 but was restored and re-consecrated in 1979.   

     The churchyard or burying ground dates back to 1695 when the lot was purchased by several individuals "for the Conveniency of a burying place themselves and also free for all other Christian people".    The oldest legible headstones date back to 1706.  Over the years, many prominent persons have been laid to rest there.