Stone used in the construction of this building came from Robert Owings's "Mass House," which stood approximately one-half mile directly north on a 500-acre tract granted to him in 1732 by Lord Baltimore. Archeological and architectural studies concluded that the house was built in the 1750s and served as a Mass House from 1785 to 1787 while the church was under construction. The parish acquired the house and farmland in 1956. After an arsonist destroyed the structure on August 25, 1995, the stones were preserved for future use, and the farmland was sold to help pay for this building.