CHURCH HISTORY
The church was founded in 1884 by former slaves, William and Eliza Jordan. William and Eliza were slaves on the plantation of William B. Mathews. During the days of slavery most slaves only had one name but William went by the name of William Tubman. During those hard and brutal days of slavery William and Eliza sang an old spiritual called “Roll Jordan Roll”. When slavery was over, William Tubman changed his name to William Jordan, one because he liked the sound of it and two because he thought of going to heaven to hear “Jordan Roll.”
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Both William and Eliza were trying to put those dreadful days of slavery behind them. On August 28, 1868, three years after William and Eliza Jordan were freed from slavery, they purchased thirty (30) acres of land from George and Virginia Wheeler (white) of Chicamuxen, Maryland for one hundred-sixty dollars.
On part of the thirty acres, William and Eliza built a log house. A lot of the ex-slaves started meeting in this house from time-to-time to hold prayer services. These worship services continued from 1868-1884 -- a period of sixteen years.
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Many of the other Christian members also opened their homes for this service. During the year of 1884, the congregation grew so large they found it impossible to continue worship in the old log house of William and Eliza Jordan so it was then decided that they needed to buy more land adjoining the thirty acres they already had to build a proper church. George and Virginia Wheeler also owned the additional land they desired. Three men of the congregation Frederick Dorsey, James Tyler and Bailey Lemon were selected to go to the owner to buy this land.
George Wheeler agreed to sell one acre of land for ten dollars to the three men to build the church.[1] Thus, Jordan Chapel was built in 1884. In later years, the name was changed to Alexandria.
Mr. William A. Diggs
The late William A. Diggs was born on December 31, 1918, to the late Parker and Rachel Diggs in a two-room log cabin in Chicamuxen built by his grandfather William A. Jordan. William attended Chicamuxen Elementary School, and the first colored church, Jordan Chapel named after his grandfather who supplied the logs for the church/combination schoolhouse. Over the years, the Jordan Chapel was moved and renamed Alexandria Chapel where William remained a member until his death. William began his teaching career at Southwest Community Center in Washington DC as a reading teacher.
During his early years, Diggs felt a need to learn more about African American history because what his grandparents told him and what he read in the schoolbooks were very different. He entered Bowie State Normal School in 1936 and upon graduating, began teaching in Dorchester County Maryland later transferring to Charles County. William taught at Bel Alton High School, Mt. Hope Elementary, and F.B. Gwynn Education Center to name a few. Diggs taught over 50 years as an educator.
In the early 70’s during Integration, the Charles County Public School System as a consultant for African American History hired Diggs.
William Diggs was one of the first Lifetime Members of the Charles County NAACP. In 1974, William Diggs and Veronica Coates co-founded the African American Heritage Society to continue the education of African American’s in Charles County and Southern Maryland during slavery and thereafter. During this time, William toured Charles County and the State of Maryland teaching students, teachers, community groups and organizations about African American History. After his retirement in 1979, William became a consultant in taxidermy for the Smithsonian Institution and taught black history courses at Charles County Community College. In addition to his responsibilities as curator to the local African American Museum, William was also curator at the only African American Museum in Canada, located in Dresden, Ontario. William continued to travel and teach throughout Maryland about African American History until his death on February 12, 1995 at the age of 76.
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In early 2006, William’s name was submitted by the African American Heritage Society to the Charles County Board of Education as the name for the elementary school. William’s legacy will live on in the opening of the William A. Diggs Elementary School at 2615 Davis Road, Waldorf, Maryland in August 2006.
William A. Diggs Elementary School
Mrs. Mary B. Neal
Mary Burgess Neal was a former teacher, counselor, principal, and school administrator who spent her 31-year career with Charles County Public Schools. She started her teaching career in 1944 at Bel Alton School, where she was later named as principal in 1949. She also served as principal of the Port Tobacco School and was appointed as supervisor of elementary schools in 1961. She held that position until she retired in 1975.
A graduate of Mensesa High School in Pennsylvania, she received her bachelor's degree in early education from Bowie State College and her master's degree from New York State University. She was a member of the Eastern Star and Delta Kappa Gamma Society. Ms. Neal worked with the Children's Aid Society in Waldorf and chaired numerous committees within her church. Ms. Neal was born October 21, 1908 and passed away on May 2, 2005.
Mrs. Neal was the “Mother of Alexandria Chapel UMC” from the late 1980’s to 2004 when she experienced limited mobility and was unable to attend Alexandria because of the distance from her home, so her son took her to Metropolitan UMC which was only a few miles from her home where she worshipped faithfully until her homegoing.
In early 2006 when the Charles County Board of Education asked for solicitation of names for the new elementary school in Waldorf, Maryland, Alexandria Chapel submitted Mrs. Neal’s name. Mary’s legacy will live on in the opening of the Mary B. Neal Elementary School at 12105 St. Georges Drive, Waldorf, Maryland in 2008. In 2008, the new Mary B. Neal Elementary School was opened. Mrs. Neal served forty-seven years in the education system and retired as Superintendent of School in 1986.
Mary B. Neal Elementary School
Notable Citations
Below are some of the notable citations received from various organizations recognizing Alexandria Chapel UMC's outstanding contributions.
