History

On January 1st, 1909, by the Episcopal Bishop of Washington Right Reverend Alfred Harding, a sanctuary building was duly dedicated and consecrated on a small site on Washington DC’s Capitol Hill. Named the Chapel of the Nativity, after the chapel of the same name in Bethlehem and site of the birth of Christ according to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, the building hosted a small congregation led by Reverend E. M. Thompson.

The building grew along with its congregation in 1930 with the addition of the Annunciation Chapel and adjacent parish hall. Soon outgrowing even this new addition, the congregation moved to Camp Springs, Maryland and on September 20th, 1959 and the congregation of St. Monica’s Episcopal Church began holding its services with the Right Reverend Angus Dun, then Bishop of Washington, in attendance. The new congregation was named after St. Monica of Hippo (A.D. 331–387), who was the mother of Augustine (now St. Augustine).

On June 10th, 2009, the congregations of St. Monica’s and St. James merged on Capitol Hill. Without a full time congregation, the property was deconsecrated by John Bryson Chane, Bishop of Washington beginning a new chapter in this property’s storied history.

Honoring this legacy and charting a new path for the next 100 years is The Residences at St. Monica’s.