Christ Church

Christ Church Mispillion was the second parish in Delaware established by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts. The Rev. Thomas Crawford first held services of the Church of England in lower Kent County in 1704. The previous church was located at Church Hill about three miles west of Milford. The Rev. Sydenham Thorne, the first resident rector, was instrumental in the relocation of the church to the new town of Milford. Construction of the church in Milford was started in 1791 but was interrupted by Thorne’s death in 1793. The Rev. Corry Chambers is credited with completing the structure, which was consecrated on January 26, 1836. The colonial-style church was remodeled and enlarged in the present Gothic-style between 1863 and 1865. The bell tower was added in 1895. Interned in the churchyard are Joseph Oliver, the founder of Milford, and two of Delaware’s Governors: William Tharp and Dr. William Burton. Christ Episcopal Church was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.