Built in 1929, the Little Church of Fort Lincoln may be small, but its architecture has won outsized praise.

Located on the grounds of the historic 176-acre Fort Lincoln Cemetery just off of Bladensburg Road in Brentwood, the church was designed by architect Horace W. Peaslee, best known for designing Meridian Hill Park in D.C.’s Adams Morgan neighborhood.

In addition to featuring vaulted ceilings and carved wooden benches, it also includes eight stained-glass windows which portray “The Seven Ages of Man” — the “all the world’s a stage” monologue from Shakespeare’s “As You Like It.”

The building received an architectural award from the Washington Board of Trade in 1929, beating out over 400 other buildings. Sitting at the top of the hill just in front of the community mausoleum, the church is home to hundreds of ceremonies each year including weddings, funerals, baptisms, christenings and anniversaries.

The cemetery is more than just a burial site. It features several historical markers, including the iconic 13-foot sculpture of Abraham Lincoln statue and the historic spring house dating back to 1683 that is one of the oldest structures still standing in Maryland.

Lincoln himself once visited the area where the cemetery now is, meeting with troops to discuss strategy under a majestic oak tree. (The tree, believed to be nearly 500 years old, was struck by lightning in 1991, but a new oak was planted on the same location.)

Other markers at Fort Lincoln include a commemoration honoring the famed Battle of Bladensburg.

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