A Norman-Gothic church of green metabasalt and brownstone, completed in 1872 near the Washington Monument on the site where Francis Scott Key died.
At a glance
Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church and Asbury House is a historic United Methodist church complex at 2-10 Mount Vernon Place in Baltimore, Maryland. The church sanctuary seats 900. Its rose window is modeled after the one in Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. The church is among the most photographed buildings in the city.
History
The church was completed in 1872 on the site where Francis Scott Key, author of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” died in 1843. Baltimore architects Niernsee & Neilson designed the adjacent Asbury House, built around 1850. In 1893, Asbury House became the home of George von Lingen, the German consul in Baltimore, who renovated its second-floor library with ceiling painting and intricate carvings done by German workers.
The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. It is a contributing building in the Mount Vernon Place Historic District, a National Historic Landmark District designated the same year.
In 2020, Baltimore’s Planning Commission approved a subdivision of the church and house properties. The split was criticized as threatening the preservation of the church and was overturned by Baltimore Circuit Judge Jeannie Hong, the third reversal of a Planning Commission decision in 18 months. In July 2025, the nonprofit organization UNITE Mount Vernon acquired the church, envisioning a multifunctional site with an emphasis on public event space and commercial uses. Elizabeth Bonner, a local preservationist, acquired Asbury House.
What you see
The church is Norman-Gothic in style, designed by Baltimore architect Thomas Dixon. It is built of blocks of a unique metabasalt, a green-toned Maryland fieldstone, with brownstone ornamentation. Three spires rise above the building.
The sanctuary holds 900 people. Its rose window derives from the great example at Notre-Dame in Paris.
Cultural significance
Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church should not be confused with another church of the same name in Washington, D.C., which served as the national representative congregation for the Methodist Episcopal Church, South from 1850 to 1939.
Key facts
- Country: United States
- City: Baltimore
- Coordinates: 39.2981, -76.6153
- National Register of Historic Places: 1971
Practical information & getting there
The church is located at 2-10 Mount Vernon Place in the Mount Vernon neighborhood of Baltimore. Check locally for current opening hours and public access details.
Sources & resources
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