Christ Church Information Page

Located off Route 24
1 Mile East of US Rt. 13
Laurel, De.

Old Christ Church League
P.O. Box 395
Laurel, De 19956
(302) 875-3644
(Weekday Mornings)
Or visit our Facebook Page

Welcome to Old Christ Church. It is with great delight that we welcome our guests to Christ Church, Broad Creek Hundred.
Started in 1771 when this area was still part of Maryland, this building served as an active church until the mid-19th
century when offshoot chapels were established in the nearby towns of Bridgeville, Seaford, Delmar, and Laurel.
Maintained and administered since 1922 by the non-profit Old Christ Church League, it is owned by its successor,
St. Philip's Episcopal Church in Laurel for the Diocese of Delaware.

Said to be one of only about a dozen churches along the Atlantic coast to survive unaltered from America's pre-Revolutionary period,
the church is known for its pristine interior and the fact that it has never been plumbed, heated, electrified, or painted.
The church is open for services during the summer months and available for weddings.
It is also open for special events such as a Lessons and Carols service in December.
Please see our website or email us for further information.
Revised: September 2012

Old Christ Church Is currently under renovations, keeping the natural characteristic of the church.
Many of our parishioner have worshiped at Old Christ Church for years. You can drive by and take a look at the progress.

A 245 Year Old Historic Landmark Still Overlooks Chipman's Pond
by Old Christ Church League
Old Christ Church in Broad Creek Hundred, located southeast of Laurel, Delaware, was
constructed between 1770 and 1772 as a Chapel of Ease of Stepney Parish in Maryland.
Built on land which was originally situated in Maryland, it measures 60 X 40 feet, an
unusually large building for its time. This frame church is designed with adaptations of
Georgian ecclesiastical traditions. The unpainted interior is embellished with its original
heart-of pine plank walls, a tall paneled pulpit with sounding-board with a lower level
clerk's reading desk beneath, high-backed enclosed box-paneled pews with doors, a 45°
angled kneeling bench, a communion rail with turned balusters, and an unusual barrel-vaulted
wooden ceiling.
The church, constructed along the banks of Chipman's Mill Pond before the American
Revolution, was supported by a congregation which traveled to services by foot, boat,
wagon, carriage, or horseback. The 1788 will of Robert Houston, a resident of Sussex
County, identifies him as the builder of Old Christ Church. Documents indicate that Mr.
Houston received £510 from Stepney Parish as payment for its construction.
Records indicate that the church was incorporated in the year 1808 under the name of
"Trustees of Christ Church in Broad Creek Hundred". Regular worship services were
conducted at the church until 1850, when St. Philip's Protestant Episcopal Church was
constructed in the town of Laurel. In the year 1912, church trustees called a public
meeting of the corporation and resolved to change the name of the corporation to "The
Rector, Wardens and Vestry of St. Philip's Protestant Episcopal Church of Laurel."
The architectural significance of Old Christ Church prompted its listing in the National
Register of Historic Places in 1972. The National Register of Historic Places is the
official list of the nation's historic places deemed worthy of preservation. Authorized by
the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service's National
Register of Historic Places now contains more than 90,000 historic properties; 700 of
which are in the State of Delaware.
Special services and concerts are held at Old Christ Church throughout the year. Old
Christ Church League, a private non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, established to oversee
the preservation of this historic church welcomes donations to assist with preservation
activities. The League recently replaced the roof with wood shingles in 2013 and is
now seeking funds to help preserve its exterior. Since the year 2016 is a special year
celebrating the 50th anniversary of the National Historic Preservation Act, please consider
making a donation to Old Christ Church League at P.O. Box 395 Laurel, Delaware
19956.