In 1911, Bishop Stephen Softer Ortynsky purchased 700 acres of land in the Chesapeake City area, encouraging Ukrainians to settle and farm the land. The order of St. Basil was headquartered in Philadelphia. He also planned to establish a convent and orphanage and Chesapeake City.
These hard-working pioneers established homesteads, imported their traditions and built St. Basil’s Ukrainian Catholic Church around 1912/1920.\
For years, priests visited from other parishes, but in 1930 Father Stephan Chehansky was appointed to reside in the parish. In addition to working their parcels, many men worked for the Corps of Engineers on the C&D Canal expansion in the 1920s. St. Basil’s Ukrainian Catholic Church continues to serve as the spiritual and cultural center for this Ukrainian community in Cecil County. We visited this historic spot on a snowy Monday, Feb. 11, 2019
For photos see the Ukrainian Community at Chesapeake City
Notes:
Source: The Ukrainians of Maryland; Stephen Basaraba, Paul Frederick, & Others (1986) *