St. Mary's Rectory is a unique example of a house displaying two prominent styles of the period: the Queen Anne and the Romanesque Revival. The form of the house draws from the Queen Anne style, which was popular throughout the country from about 1880 to about 1910. The rectory has the irregular shape with the dominant cross gable and corner tower associated with the style. However, the typical exuberance of the style is restrained through the use of brick and heavy sandstone, and the lack of a full width decorative front porch. These latter elements and the treatment of the entry porch are more closely tied to elements of the Richardsonian Romanesque Revival.

The Rev. Dr. Stephen Leinfelder, a circuit Catholic priest, was assigned to St. Mary's parish in Cumberland and several mission parishes in 1897. He was not satisfied with the small house then serving as the rectory and received permission to sell it and proceed with plans to build a new one. The new rectory was constructed on a gentle rise on the main street of Cumberland, and is one of the most prominent and recognized homes in the city. It was completed in 1904 and the Rev. Leinfelder's family may have financed the construction.

The rectory remained church property until 1985 when it was sold and used as a boarding house. New owners acquired the former rectory in 1991 and opened a bed and breakfast, appropriately named "The Rectory." The house is now a private residence. Please respect the rights and privacy of the owners.