History of Dayspring

In 1953 the land now known as “Dayspring” in Germantown, Maryland, was purchased by The Church of the Saviour. Elizabeth O’Connor tells the story of Dayspring’s beginnings in Call to Commitment (1963):

In the fall of 1952 the Council of the church appointed three young women to look for a place. …Throughout the fall and winter Carolyn Johnson, Jessie Henderson, and Sally Jumper searched…. In May we found that place. Our committee had looked at fifty farms. The last real estate office they visited called Gordon Cosby and said, “We have three girls here, who have indicated that your church is in the market for a farm. If you will send a responsible person, we will be glad to talk to him and show you what we have.” Gordon told the gentleman that we had no one more responsible than those girls and that if he would like to deal with us he would have to deal with them.

They looked at three farms that day. The third was on the road to Damascus – a sign, had they been seeking one. It was approached from a tree-lined dirt road. When it came into view there was a long, panoramic sweep that included a house in reasonably good condition, barns, pasture land, woods, and a stream that could be dammed to make a pond. Each of us who went out to look at it knew with certainty that it belonged to us and we belonged to it. The members agreed unanimously on the purchase.

The Fifties
1953 
The land purchased by The Church of the Saviour (CofS) included several buildings. The Farmhouse, the first building on the main entrance drive, was built around 1920 by Zachariah Thomas Briggs. It is located on the former site of the original farmhouse belonging to Horace Waters, an early settler in the Germantown vicinity. A set of reports for the Montgomery County Historic Preservation Commission prepared in the 1980's describes the Farmhouse as American Foursquare in style. “A porch supported by large rounded columns resting on concrete pedestals runs the length of the façade. ... It is somewhat unusual to find a house of this style in a rural rather than an urban setting.”

1954
The Lodge of the Carpenter was built over a two-year period by church members.  The Lodge windows open onto the woods and meadows. A large fireplace is the focal point for the Yoke Room, where those on silent retreat gather. Several pieces of original art are displayed, including a bas relief in the entry foyer depicting moments in Jesus’ life and a charcoal drawing of Christ by Robert Natkin.

In Call to Commitment, early CofS member Elizabeth O’Connor tells us about the dedication service for The Lodge: 
In silence we left the Lodge and retreat area…Here in this portion of Dayspring solitude and silence can be found. Here a person’s aloneness with God is respected and protected….On [this] day we began our instruction in the nature of retreat. Some of our teachers were John Casteel, through his writings, and Douglas Steere, through his book Time to Spare.

More than 200 trees were planted – both shade and fruit-bearing – following a design planned by the chief arborist of the National Arboretum. Trails were cleared through 78 acres of woodland and along the creek that borders the property.

Named for long-time church member and Dayspring resident Alice Fenn, Alice's Pond was built at the back of The Farmhouse, down the hillside.

1956
The chief stonemason of the Iona Christian Community in Scotland, Ian Cramb, visited Dayspring for a time.  He built an arching stone bridge over the small brook flowing into Alice’s Pond.

1957
On Memorial Day, a simple ground-breaking ceremony was held on the wooded hillside behind the Farmhouse in preparation for building an amphitheater. A large stage platform was built, with rows of wood benches in front, up the hillside. The brick and stone skirt in front of the stage was inspired by stonemason Ian Cramb’s work. The first event in the amphitheater was a “Festival of Faith” at the end of that summer.  Since then, the amphitheater has been the site of weddings, dramatic presentations, seminars, and in June 2012, a gathering of all the sister faith communities in an “Earth Celebration.”

A camp area was developed on the road to The Lodge, just after entering the woods past the Farmhouse. Tent platforms, a picnic pavilion with a kitchen, and a bathhouse still provide a place to host family events as well as camps for children from CofS urban ministries. The Pavilion is used for Sunday worship services in the summer.

The Sixties
Two residences were built as housing for the farm managers working on the property. Members of the Dayspring congregation still occupy these homes.

Two irrigation ponds were constructed to support agricultural activities as well as to enhance the environment for retreat visitors and wildlife. “The Lake of the Saints” is the largest and can be seen toward the east from the Farmhouse. The second is down the hill from The Lodge: “Merton Pond,” named after the well-known monk and mystic Thomas Merton.

1961

Construction was started on a red brick building near The Lodge to provide overnight accommodations for retreatants. Two wings – Matthew and Mark – house 18 small rooms with bed, desk, chair and sink. The Gatehouse, a residence, was built near the upper entrance to Dayspring.

1962
By this time, other churches in the Washington area were using The Lodge of the Carpenter – this year 49 of them.

The Seventies
1973 

A cottage was added off the side of The Farmhouse as a residence for the Dayspring host.

A 19^th century barn near the Farmhouse burned that December. The stone foundation remains.