West St. Mary's Manor

West St. Mary's Manor is a historic house on West St. Mary's Manor Road in rural St. Mary's County, Maryland. Built in the 1780s according to dendrochronology and with a four-room center-hall plan, and is located on the first recorded English land grant in what is now Maryland.[3] It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1970.[2]

West St. Mary's Manor
West St. Mary's Manor photographed from the northwest circa 1939, before restoration
Nearest cityDrayden, Maryland
Coordinates38°11′10″N 76°26′54″W
Built1780s
Architectural styleCentral-passage house
NRHP reference No.70000854
Significant dates
Added to NRHPApril 15, 1970[1]
Designated NHLApril 15, 1970[2]

Description

West St. Mary's Manor is located across the St. Mary's River from St. Mary's City, Maryland, the first capital of the Province of Maryland. It is a 1-1/2 story brick and frame construction. The gable end walls of the 40-by-31-foot (12.2 by 9.4 m) house are brick with double chimneys, while the front and rear walls are clapboard. A brick "chimney pent" is situated between the projecting chimneys at both ends. The front elevation, facing south, is five bays wide, while the north elevation is three bays.[4]

The interior comprises four rooms about a center hall running through the house. The main rooms are on the south side, with smaller rooms on the north. All of the first floor rooms have wainscoting and fireplaces. The chimney pents serve as closets for the main rooms. The center hall is divided by an arch, with a stair to the rear.[4]

History

West St. Mary's Manor originally included 2,000 acres (810 ha) granted to Captain Henry Fleet in 1634, the earliest grant recorded in Maryland. The house was believed to have been built between 1700 and 1730, possibly by the family of Daniel Bell who was one of 15 leaseholders for the larger property. However, tree ring analysis or dendrochronology established a later date in the 1780s. The house's architecture is typical of the transition from smaller earlier colonial houses, typically just two rooms, to larger homes with a center passage.[4]

The house has been renovated and expanded with historically-sympathetic additions.[5]

See also

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. "West St. Mary's Manor". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Retrieved 2008-06-17.
  3. "Maryland Historical Trust". National Register of Historic Places: Properties in St. Mary's County. Maryland Historical Trust. 2008-06-10.
  4. Snell, Charles; Sheire, James (1978). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination". National Park Service. Retrieved 2009-04-24.
  5. "Renovation". Residential Architect. Hanley Wood. May 1, 2006. Retrieved 2009-04-24.
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