Our History

History of the Province

Cumberland Memories

(Part 7) - As Pilgrims and Strangers

One would be perfectly justified in asking how the friars in Cumberland can speak of themselves as poor men, when they apparently own five-eights of a city block.

The answer may be a surprise even to many Capuchins. The Capuchins do not own any ground in Cumberland. Both the friary and the large garden to the north are the property of the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

What should be more of a surprise, however, is the fact that the Capuchins bought the property for over $28,000 and turned it over to the Archbishop and his successors for the nominal consideration of $10. Since then they have invested even more than that in buildings erected on the Archdiocese's land.

By the lime the first Capuchins arrived, Plum Alley had been vacated by the City of Cumberland, and the Archdiocese owned lot 146 on which the Church and the west half of the monastery stood, and the Carmelites owned the vacated alley, as well as lot 145 on which the parish school stood, lot 147 on which the other half of the monastery stood and lots 150 and 151 which were directly behind the church and the parish school. The two lots which side on Smallwood Street were still in private hands; and the lot on the corner of Cumberland and Johnson Streets, even though being used by the Carmelites as part of their garden, was still owned by the Cumberland Consolidation Coal Company.

On July 17, 1875, Fr. Anton purchased lots 145, 147, 150 and 151, and the vacated alley from Fr. Cyril and the Carmelite order, for $21,000. (Deed Book 45: 211). He immediately mortgaged the entire property to the Carmelites for $22,000, redeemable through an annual series of $2,000 notes. (Deed Book 45: 214). The following year, probably after paying the first note, Anton signed the entire property over to Archbishop Bayley and his successors for $10 "subject however to the occupation of the aforementioned premises by 'The Order of Capuchin Monks of Cumberland, Allegany County, Maryland,' A body corporate duly incorporated under the laws of the State of Maryland and their assigns, for the term of ninety-nine years renewable forever, as a Monastery or House of the Order." (Ibid. 47: 594).

The Capuchins eventually managed to pay the debt off with funds sent from Germany, as well as salaries as pastor and assistants, their Mass stipends, occasional gifts, and what little they made by conducting parish missions in various places in the eastern United States.

Finding the friary garden rather wild and overgrown, the first Capuchin lay brothers in Cumberland worked hard to make it both attractive and useful. One of the friars, moreover, possibly Anton who was skilled as an architect, drew up a very detailed map of the entire compound, showing where every vegetable patch, tree, and vine was located", and sent a copy to the provincial minister in Dieburg.

During the years of the Westphalian commissariate, many repairs were made on the 20-year-old monastery so as to adapt it for Capuchin life. In addition the sacristy and friary were connected by a covered walk running alongside the church. The friars also set up a small brewery and renovated the old storage cellar built by the Redemptorists. (Annals 1,2,24).

The chapel which now sits on the corner of Fayette and Johnson Streets had not yet been built in 1875. Rather the friars said their Office and other daily prayers in a partitioned off section of the choir loft of the church.

By June of 1883 this chapel became too small for the friars, and three rooms on the top floor of the friary were joined together to form a chapel. But again even this was outgrown; and in 1888, the Capuchins decided to build the present chapel, or choir as they call it. The corner-stone of the choir was laid Sept. 1, 1888, and the completed building, costing $8,000, was blessed by the minister, Fr. Franz Wolff, on Aug. 15, 1889 (Epp 1888 n. 12).

That same year the parish brought a lot across Fayette St. from the church, with the purpose of building a parish hall thereon. The Capuchins gave $1,000 towards the purchase, as Fr. Hyazinth Epp later wrote, "partly as an acknowledgement to the parish which has been good to us, and partly because this purchase on the part of the parish will prevent the building of houses right opposite our monastery." (Epp 1889 n. 12).

The next move was made on Apr. 13, 1895, the friars purchased Lot 152 from Doctor Porter for $5,000, thus extending the garden and assuring the privacy of the friary garden would be assured. (Deed Book 76) Mrs. Mathilda Hein, a generous benefactress of the friary, left $6,000 in her will to pay for this property, with the express provision that, even if technically this property should belong to SS. Peter and Paul's Church, it must be for the use of the Capuchins. Again the Capuchins saw to it that the deed was later made out to the Archbishop of Baltimore. (Epp 1895 n. 2)

Finally on Dec. 7, 1901, the friary purchased Lot 149 from the Cumberland Consolidation Coal Company and a New York mortgagee for $1,200. Heretofore the friars had the use of this property for the nominal rent of one dollar yearly, but since it was now up for sale and there was the prospect that houses would be built there, they felt they had no other choice but to buy the lot. Again, however, the property was immediately turned over to James Cardinal Gibbons and his successors. (Epp 1901 n. 28).

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