One small brick church on the Eastern Shore was built around 1675, more than a century before anyone signed the Declaration of Independence. People still gather there for Sunday services today.
That detail stopped me cold. It means families have been walking through the same doorway for roughly 350 years.
Kings changed, flags changed, and the bricks stayed put.
Maryland turns out to be full of survivors like this. There’s a Quaker meetinghouse raised in the 1680s and a riverside chapel enlarged in 1766.
Several of these buildings sit along quiet country roads, an easy weekend drive from Baltimore or the DC suburbs.
I love that you can visit living history without a museum ticket. These seven churches are still active congregations, not roped-off exhibits.
So which one will you add to your next Saturday road trip?
1. Old Trinity Episcopal Church
Around 1675, someone in Dorchester County laid the first bricks of a church that still welcomes worshipers. That makes it older than the Liberty Bell by a long stretch.
Old Trinity sits along Taylors Island Road near Church Creek, surrounded by the flat, watery beauty of the lower Eastern Shore. It’s recognized as one of the oldest churches in continuous use in America.
Let that sink in for a second. Generations of Marylanders have prayed here since before Baltimore was even founded.
The building you see today is a restored colonial brick church. Careful restoration brought it back close to its early appearance, so the history feels real instead of reconstructed.
Kids tend to grasp history better when they can stand inside it. A quick lesson here beats a textbook chapter, and the surrounding countryside makes the drive part of the fun.
Weekly Sunday services still take place, so plan visits respectfully. Check the parish website before you go, since visiting arrangements may vary.
Pair the trip with a slow drive through Dorchester County’s marshlands. It’s an easy way to fill a quiet Saturday with something meaningful.
Address: 1716 Taylors Island Rd, Woolford, MD 21677
2. Third Haven Friends Meeting
Quakers built the Old Meetinghouse in Easton between 1682 and 1684. Few religious buildings anywhere in the nation have survived that long.
Forget soaring steeples and stained glass. Quaker meetinghouses were built for simplicity, and that plainness is part of the charm.
Third Haven Friends Meeting is still an active religious community today. That means the historic site isn’t frozen in time, even if its oldest building feels that way.
Here’s a fun fact to share with your kids on the drive. When this meetinghouse went up, William Penn had only just founded Pennsylvania.
The location makes things easy for families. It sits on South Washington Street in Easton, a charming Talbot County town with plenty to explore afterward.
Restrooms are available on site, which any parent will appreciate. Still, call or check the meeting’s website first, since access to the historic building may depend on the day.
Quaker worship is traditionally quiet and reflective. Remind little ones to use their softest voices, and you’ll fit right in.
Visiting feels like a calm pause in a busy weekend. Sometimes the simplest buildings tell the biggest stories.
Address: 405 S Washington St, Easton, MD 21601
3. St. Francis Xavier Church
Settlers arrived on Newtowne Neck in 1640, just a few years after Maryland itself began. The brick church standing there now dates to 1731.
Workers enlarged the building in 1766, still a full decade before independence. So even its addition is older than the country.
The setting adds a lot to the experience. Newtowne Neck is a peninsula in St. Mary’s County, the region where Maryland’s colonial story got its start.
Good news for spontaneous planners: the church lists daily hours from 7 AM to 5 PM. Hours can change, so a quick check before you leave is smart.
Want a peaceful visit? Wednesday mornings and Friday afternoons tend to be the quietest times.
Saturday afternoons usually draw the biggest crowds. If you’re coming on a weekend, an early start may give you more breathing room.
Restrooms are available, which helps when you’re traveling with kids. The drive from the DC suburbs makes it a reasonable day trip into Southern Maryland.
History buffs will love connecting this site to Maryland’s earliest Catholic roots. Everyone else will simply enjoy a beautiful old church in a gorgeous spot.
Address: 21370 Newtowne Neck Rd, Leonardtown, MD 20650
4. All Hallows Episcopal Church
Thank the Maryland Act of 1692 for this one. That law created official parishes across the colony, and All Hallows was among them.
The brick sanctuary you can see today was completed around 1727. That’s nearly fifty years before the Declaration of Independence.
Just south of Annapolis, the church sits right along Solomons Island Road in Edgewater. You’ve maybe driven past it without realizing how old it is.
That’s the fun part of a stop like this. A building most commuters zip by turns out to be a colonial treasure.
All Hallows still hosts an active congregation. Visitors should keep service times in mind and check the parish website for current information.
For families, the location couldn’t be easier. It’s a short hop from Annapolis, so you can pair it with a harbor stroll or a crab lunch nearby.
Encourage kids to count backward from today to 1727. Watching them realize how many birthdays that is never gets old.
For Anne Arundel County locals, it’s a point of hometown pride. For everyone else, it’s a reminder that history often sits right beside the highway.
Address: 3600 Solomons Island Rd, Edgewater, MD 21037
5. St Luke’s Episcopal Parish
A town named Church Hill had better deliver a great church, and it does. St Luke’s has stood on Main Street since 1732.
Look up when you arrive. The building features rare hipped gambrel roofs, a design you won’t spot on many colonial churches.
Architecture fans get excited about details like that. Kids might just think the roof looks like a barn got fancy, and honestly, that’s a fair description.
Church Hill is a small town in Queen Anne’s County on the Eastern Shore. It makes a relaxed stop after crossing the Bay Bridge.
The parish remains an active community church. Because services and events come first, check the website before planning a visit.
Built more than four decades before the Revolution, these walls predate George Washington’s career as a general. That’s a fun conversation starter for the ride home.
I like how naturally the church fits into town life. It isn’t hidden away behind gates, just sitting where it’s always been.
Combine your stop with a scenic Eastern Shore drive through farm country. It’s an easy, low-cost way to spend a Saturday.
Address: 403 Main St, Church Hill, MD 21623
6. St. James’ Episcopal Parish
Builders spent five years, from 1760 to 1765, raising this brick church in southern Anne Arundel County. Patience clearly paid off.
The building has now outlasted more than a dozen generations. It was already over a decade old when the United States declared independence.
Lothian feels far quieter than the busy corridors around Annapolis. The countryside setting gives the church a peaceful backdrop worth slowing down for.
Open grounds surround the building, giving you room to stroll. Just remember these grounds belong to an active church, so treat them with care.
Restrooms are available on site. That small detail makes a big difference on a family road trip.
St. James’ sits right on Solomons Island Road, the same route as All Hallows. You could easily visit both colonial churches in a single afternoon.
Now that’s a clever weekend plan. Two pre-Revolution churches, one road, and zero admission tickets required.
Services and events may affect visiting times, so check the parish website first. A little planning keeps the day smooth.
Address: 5757 Solomons Island Rd, Lothian, MD 20711
7. All Faith Episcopal Church
Talk about cutting it close. Workers finished All Faith around 1769, only seven years before the colonies broke from Britain.
Construction started in 1766, and the result is a classic Georgian brick church. Symmetry, balance, and sturdy brick were the height of style back then.
The church stands in Mechanicsville, in the rural northern stretch of St. Mary’s County. Country roads lead you there through classic Southern Maryland scenery.
As the youngest building on this list, it still beat the nation by several years. Not bad for the baby of the group.
All Faith maintains regular parish operations today. Look at the church website for current schedules before heading out.
Restrooms are on site, a welcome perk after a long drive. From the DC suburbs, it’s a manageable trip for a weekend outing.
Think of this stop as the finale of a Southern Maryland history loop. Pair it with St. Francis Xavier for a day full of colonial stories.
Ask the kids which church they liked best on the way home. Their answers might surprise you, and that’s half the fun.
Address: 38885 New Market Turner Rd, Mechanicsville, MD 20659
