From the Archives – The Hill Family—Two Centuries of Service

When John B. Hill, a “turner” (lathe operator/carpenter), moved to Alexandria and married Eleanor Latham, they began a long connection to Saint Mary Church and Catholic education. Their son, John Thomas Hill (1826-1890), was in the first class to enroll in Saint John’s Academy, the boys’ school begun in 1834 by Father John Smith, S.J., Saint Mary’s pastor, 1830-1837. After the school closed a few years later, Hill was instrumental in helping fellow alumni Richard L. Carne reopen the school, which Carne successfully ran until 1892.

During the Civil War, Hill – an ardent Southern supporter – moved to Richmond, where he aided sick, wounded and destitute soldiers. Hill managed to avoid the Union blockade in order to purchase and smuggle food and other needed supplies for the military hospital in Richmond. After the war, he returned to Alexandria and his building/contracting company. In the 1870s, his firm managed the renovation and expansion of Saint Mary Church. Hill also was elected as the city tax collector, a position he held until shortly before his death in 1890. At his funeral, Father Denis O’Kane (pastor 1872-1891) eulogized him, speaking of Hill’s great charity to the poor.

Hill’s donations enabled countless poor children to attend the parochial school. Richard Carne was a pallbearer. Hill’s daughter, Mary Ellen Hill (1851-1926), followed in her father’s footsteps. Father Carne even thanked her for donating “camp equipage and new arms” for his students’ annual summer bivouacs.

The family support for the parish reached a high point when Miss Ella Hill, John Thomas Hill’s granddaughter, bequeathed her family home at 209 South Lee Street to Saint Mary Church. Father Joseph Wingler, pastor from 1965 to 1981, used the proceeds from the sale of this magnificent house to build the Wingler-Hill gymnasium/ auditorium in Saint Mary School. A most important addition to the school, it continues to serve the school and parish.

— Kitty Guy, Parish Historian

 

In 2020, to commemorate the 225th anniversary of our parish, we started “From the Archives” as a weekly feature online and in our bulletin to spotlight the history of Saint Mary’s. Due to its popularity, we are continuing the series. An archive of the features is located here.