As part of the initiatives marking the 800th anniversary of the transitus of St. Francis, research was undertaken at the request of the General Archivist, Friar Domenico CASTIGLIONE, to reconstruct the history and subsequent whereabouts of the historic altars that once stood in the Crypt of St. Francis in Assisi, Italy. The investigation, entrusted to Friar David Francis BLOWEY, the Assistant General for the Conventual Franciscan Federation (CFF), has made it possible to trace the history of two of these altars, whose surviving sections were later combined to form a single altar now preserved at Carrollton Hall on the grounds of the Shrine of St. Anthony in Ellicott City, Maryland, USA.
On Monday, June 22, 2026, Friar David Francis BLOWEY, accompanied by Friar John VOYTEK, visited Carrollton Hall, where they were given a guided historical tour by Ms. Elizabeth MALLIN, Director of Carrollton Hall and a museum professional. The visit provided an opportunity to learn more about the history of the estate and to gather additional information relevant to the ongoing research.
Carrollton Hall is a neoclassical manor house built in 1832 as the private residence of Emily Caton McTAVISH, on land given to her by her grandfather, Charles CARROLL of Carrollton, the only Catholic signer of the United States Declaration of Independence. The 250th anniversary of that historic signing will be commemorated at Carrollton Hall on August 2, 2026. Over the past several decades, the friars have undertaken the restoration of the residence, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The research focuses on tracing the history and destination of the altars removed from the Crypt of St. Francis when it was transformed from its original Baroque design to its present appearance. At that time, several altars located around the central column and along the walls of the chapel were removed. It has long been known that two of these altars were donated to the American Provinces of St. Anthony and of the Immaculate Conception. The current investigation has made it possible to reconstruct their subsequent history, although it remains uncertain whether additional altars from the Crypt were dispersed elsewhere.
The altar donated to the Province of the Immaculate Conception was installed in the friary on Staten Island, New York, USA, and was later removed when the property was prepared for sale.
The altar donated to the Province of St. Anthony was installed in the chapel of St. Hyacinth Seminary in Granby, Massachusetts, USA. When that property was also sold, the altar was dismantled. During its removal, however, it broke into numerous pieces, which were carefully packed and preserved for several decades.
More recently, apparently at the initiative of Friar James McCURRY, the surviving sections of the two former altars were brought together and assembled into a single altar. Today, it is preserved at Carrollton Hall, where it continues to bear witness to the history of the Crypt of St. Francis and to the longstanding presence of the Conventual Franciscan Friars in the United States.
Friar David F. BLOWEY
