Alexandria Chapel United Methodist Church 1.35

A small community/family based church located in a Southern MD in a small community called Chicamuxen. 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.” 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. 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.