Brooklandwood

Originally built in ca.1793, Brooklandwood is a historic mansion that was the home of four prominent figures in the Maryland's history: Charles Carroll (1737-1832), Richard Caton (1763-1845), George Brown (1787-1859), and Isaac Emerson (1859-1931). It is now the centerpiece of the St. Paul's Schools campus, which includes three private Episcopal schools. The 2.5-story tall house is also notable for its architecture, which includes Palladian windows, porches, tall chimneys, and two brick wings. The grounds also include two houses on either side of the entrance to the campus, which also features pillars on either side of the road. Brooklandwood was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. It has been part of the campus since 1952.

Charles Carroll (1737-1832)

The property on which the house now stands was owned by a man named John Cockey, who sold it to Charles Carroll in 1788. In the coming years Carroll bought additional land and by 1803 the property grew to 691 acres. It appears that Carroll built the original part of the house in the early 1790s. Often named Charles Carroll of Carrollton, he is perhaps the most notable resident of the house and for good reason. He was a delegate to the Continental Congress, a signer of the Declaration of Independence (and, therefore, one of the "Founding Fathers" of the country), and Maryland's first U.S. Senator.

He was born on September 19, 1737 in Annapolis, Maryland, to wealthy parents. They had him educated him in Jesuit schools first in Cecil County, Maryland and then in France beginning when he was 11. He returned to Annapolis very well educated and fluent in five languages. He inherited his father's estate and acquired other properties. Carroll eventually became one of the wealthiest landowners in the colonies. He was also one of the largest slave owners of the period even though he opposed it. In his later years he played a role in establishing the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. He died on November 14, 1832.

Richard Caton (1763-1845)

Born in Lancashire, England in 1763, Richard Caton arrived in Baltimore in 1785 where he became a successful merchant, cotton goods manufacturer, and real estate developer. He married one of Carroll's children, Mary (1770-1846), in 1787 and they moved into house Carroll built for them Castle Thunder, which no longer exists. Carroll owned the estate around the house and asked Caton to develop it, which he did. It is now the suburb of Catonsville. It appears he and Mary moved into Brooklandwood when it was completed. They had four daughters all of whom married into prominent British families. Mary inherited the house after Carroll died in 1832. She died in 1846, a year after Caton died, and the house was sold to George Brown.

George Brown (1787-1859)

George Brown was a prominent banker in Baltimore. His father, Alexander (1764-1834), established the first investment banking firm in the country in 1800. Brown joined the bank in 1810 and later became its second director. He, through the bank, also helped establish the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad and became its first treasurer. He also became involved in various philanthropic activities in Baltimore. The Brown family owned the house until 1916 when they sold it to Isaac Emerson. The bank still exists today.

Isaac Emerson (1859-1931)

Isaac Emerson was born in Chatham County, North Carolina and moved with his family to Chapel Hill in 1868. As a young man attended the University of North Carolina, where he studied chemistry and graduated in 1879. The next year, he settled in Baltimore and opened a drug store. At this time he invented a headache medicine that he named Bromo-Seltzer and patented it. Over the next several years he advertised it and then eventually founded the Emerson Drug Company, which advertised the Bromo-Seltzer and other products, such as the Emerson's Ginger-Mint Julep drink, around the world. Ads could be found in magazines, newspapers, store ads, and even a radio program in the 1930s. Emerson became a very wealthy man thanks to the medicine he created.

He also got involved in other business ventures including building the Emeron Hotel (it was torn down in 1971), serving as president of the Citro Chemical Works of America which was located in New Jersey, serving as chair of the American Bromine Company, and a serving on boards of several banks. He also built the Bromo-Seltzer Tower, which is one of Baltimore's most recognizable landmarks. Emerson died on January 23, 1931. It is unclear whether the family continued to own the house until St. Pauls School acquired it in 1952.

Erskine Lewis, Robert. "Brooklandwood, Baltimore County," Maryland Historical Magazine, Vol. 48, No. 4, pp. 280-293. hhttps://msa.maryland.gov/megafile/msa/speccol/sc5800/sc5881/000001/000000/000172/pdf/msa_sc_5881_1_172.pdf.

"History of Alex Brown." Alex Brown. Accessed August 11, 2022. https://www.alexbrown.com.

"History of Catonsville, Maryland." US History. Accessed August 11, 2022. https://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h2789.html.

"Isaac E. Emerson Papers, 1894-1947." University of North Carolina, Wilson Special Collection Library. Accessed August 11, 2022. https://finding-aids.lib.unc.edu/04744.

Parish, Mrs. Preston. "Brooklandwood." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. February 11, 1972. https://mht.maryland.gov/secure/medusa/PDF/NR_PDFs/NR-68.pdf.