St. Barnabas Church is located on a hill in Howard County, Maryland overlooking the South Branch of the Patapsco River and the small, historic town of Sykesville. The history of St. Barnabas and the history of Sykesville are closely intertwined.
St. Barnabas is part of Holy Trinity Parish, which had its start in 1771, when John Elder, among others, built a Chapel of Ease in Eldersburg. (Chapel of Ease simply means a church that is built to make it easier for people to attend.)
In 1825, James Sykes moved to the area. He had emigrated from England with his family as a boy and had fought for the U.S. in the Battle of Baltimore during the War of 1812. Over the next several years, taking advantage of the coming of the B&O railroad, Sykes built a cotton mill and later a cotton factory. These buildings, along with some stores and houses for the workers, were built on the Howard County side of the river, roughly where the skatepark and playground are today.
Sykes needed workers for his cotton enterprises and so brought over other immigrants from England who were knowledgeable of cotton milling. He also used the labor of some enslaved people.
In 1834, the large and influential Warfield family also moved to the Sykesville area. George Warfield took steps to refurbish the Chapel of Ease in Eldersburg and organized its transition to become Holy Trinity Church in 1843.
Sykes’s English immigrant workers had been Anglican in England, and it was expected that they would attend Holy Trinity Church in Eldersburg. However, as the three-mile, uphill trip from Sykesville to Eldersburg in that day was a two-hour coach ride, it was very difficult for the workers to attend church.
For that reason, in 1845, Susanna Warfield, daughter of George Warfield, petitioned Holy Trinity Church to build a Chapel of Ease in Sykesville. The petition was granted, as long as, Holy Trinity said, it not be involved in any “pecuniary responsibilities”!
The Warfields and James Sykes, among others, went ahead with their plans, and on June 11, 1850, on the Feast of St. Barnabas, the cornerstone for St. Barnabas was laid. It was completed and consecrated on December 11, 1851.
In June, 1863, the Confederate Cavalry, under the command of J.E.B. Stuart, passed by St. Barnabas to capture Sykesville. They cut telegraph wires, tore up the tracks of the B&O railroad and burned the bridge over the river. They then rode north to Gettysburg.
Then, in 1868, tragedy struck. A huge flood wiped out the town of Sykesville, which had grown up on the Howard County side of the river. St. Barnabas, up on the hill above the town, was the only building left standing. The town was rebuilt on the other, higher, side of the river.
Holy Trinity Church in Eldersburg continued to flourish until about 1870. By that time, St. Barnabas had grown into prominence, and Holy Trinity started to decline. Over time, it fell into disrepair and was closed in 1924. The old graveyard remains, however, and is cared for by St. Barnabas and an association of friends.
In 1981, St. Barnabas was restored by its congregation, preserving the original architecture. The stonework, pews, altar, and windows are all original, as well as most of the woodwork and hardware. St. Barnabas is listed on the Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties.
But St. Barnabas is far more than an historic property! Ever since its consecration in 1851, St. Barnabas has continued to be a thriving presence of Christ’s love both in its congregation and the community surrounding it.
