LANSDOWNE, Md. — Family history and American history shake hands at Lansdowne Christian Church.
"This church meant a lot to my parents," noted Brent Neilson. His mom and dad met there, raising Brent and his siblings within the congregation and its traditions.
Decades before that, at the turn of the 20th century, an Ohio real estate man named Charles W. Hull gave land for the church, with a caveat: Each May, honor Union veterans of the Civil War.
Civil War iconography, including photos of Lincoln and Union flags, are found all over the building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Though it has been in the Lansdowne community since 1905, due to declining attendance, the church has not held regular Sunday service in months.
“It was determined by the board back in January," Neilson explained to WMAR-2 News, "that due to attrition within the congregation, it just didn’t make sense for us to put the effort into keeping the church open on a weekly basis.”
This Sunday, May 24 could be the final time the church honors Union soldiers with the service.
“It hurts a little bit to see that it’s going away, but it’s my motivation to ensure that the name of the church and what we stood for will go on. In what capacity, I don’t know," said Neilson, who is also the church's board chairman.
Neilson has engaged local leaders on what to do next; potentially, he said, a monument or mural which does not require weekly attentiveness.
“It’s a terrible thing to see history go away," he said. "This is a fantastic place, it’s got a great story to tell. And I hope it’s here for generations in the future, that they understand exactly what took place in our history.”
This Sunday's service begins at 10 a.m. and is open to the public.
