St. James Catholic Church - 121 N. Main St.

St. James Catholic Church, 121 N. Main St: The founding of St. James is unique in that it was sponsored by the Smith family- Dr. Otho J. Smith, his brother Dr. Josiah Smith, and his son Otho B. Smith who bought land on the National Pike and erected a small brick church which was completed in September 1868.

When the church closed in 1898, the Catholic community attended mass at the Dahlgren Chapel and occasionally at the home of Dr. Edgar T. Smith. In 1938, when closing again became imminent, Monsignor Francis J. Leary was empowered to reopen St. James to serve over 200 young men of the Civilian Conservation Corps who were encamped outside of Boonsboro.

The church had to be torn down in 1968 because of structural issues caused by deteriorating scissor truss construction, but through bequests from relatives of Dr. Otho J. Smith, the first Mass in the newly built church was offered June 22, 1969.