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Bostwick is a historic eighteenth-century site located in Bladensburg, Maryland, that consists of an elegant Georgian-style main house, multiple outbuildings, and landscaped grounds.&nbsp; Christopher Lowndes, a locally prominent, English-born merchant constructed Bostwick in 1746, and the house reflects the wealth and aesthetic tastes of Maryland’s colonial elite. &nbsp;Strategically located on the Eastern Branch or Anacostia River, the town of Bladensburg was one of several small, but important, commercial centers in early Prince George’s County.&nbsp; From the import and sale of dry goods, to ship-building and rope making, Lowndes’ various business ventures speak to the diversity of regional economic activity in the eighteenth-century Mid-Atlantic. &nbsp;Christopher Lowndes also owned and traded slaves, and Bostwick represents an important part of the early African American experience in Maryland. Over its 250 plus year history, Bostwick has witnessed many of the events that have marked the region – from the Battle of Bladensburg in 1814 to the arrival of the first railroad lines in the 1830’s. &nbsp;Some of Maryland’s most prominent early families have lived at the house, further contributing to its rich history.&nbsp; Today, this important structure is owned by the Town of Bladensburg; the Maryland Historical Trust holds a protective easement on the property. &nbsp;In 2008, the Town of Bladensburg and the Historic Preservation Program of the University of Maryland College Park signed a Memorandum of Agreement allowing the preservation program to use Bostwick as a learning resource for the study of architectural history, preservation planning, and building conservation; in the process, the program is applying the knowledge and creativity of its faculty and students in developing a preservation plan for this historic property. In spring 2018 HistoriCorps will partner with&nbsp;University of Maryland school of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, the Town of Bladensburg, and the George A. &amp; Carmel D. Aman Memorial Trust to restore the manor house. Visit <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.historicorps.org">www.historicorps.org</a>&nbsp;for more information on how you can support this project.&nbsp;

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Bostwick is a historic eighteenth-century site located in Bladensburg, Maryland, that consists of an elegant Georgian-style main house, multiple outbuildings, and landscaped grounds.  Christopher Lowndes, a locally prominent, English-born merchant constructed Bostwick in 1746, and the house reflects the wealth and aesthetic tastes of Maryland’s colonial elite. In spring 2018 HistoriCorps will be heading to the site to restore the wood porch elements on the facade of the manor house. 

Bostwick House

This short tour begins at the Bostick House and includes several other historic homes from the 18th century as well as the Battle of Bladensburg Visitor's Center. 

The Market Master's House enjoys significance for its connection to the eighteenth-century development of Bladensburg, Maryland, at a time when it served as one of the busiest tobacco-exporting ports in the region.  Tobacco existed as a driving force for Maryland's economy during the eighteenth century, and Bladensburg (founded in 1742) served an integral role in helping that economy grow. A government tobacco inspection system established in 1747 included the designation of Bladensburg as a tobacco inspection and grading port. By 1776, Bladensburg existed as one of Maryland's busiest ports, mainly for exporting tobacco.  The Market Master's House stands one of only four buildings remaining from this significant period of the town's history. Christopher Lowndes purchased the lot for which the house sits in 1760, and constructed the original stone structure in 1765. The original structure stood 25 × 20 and rose 1 ​1⁄2 stories. In 1920, a small two-story west kitchen was added, followed by renovations and additions in 1956. Lowndes worked as an English merchant. Though the home enjoys a reputation as a market house for the bustling tobacco trade, a 2009 archaeological project provided evidence that showed Lowndes most likely used it as a business office, and it also functioned as a post office and stagecoach stop. In the end, regardless of its specific function, Market Master's House stands as a monument to an era when tobacco and the use of enslaved laborers dominated Maryland's economy and culture. The town of Bladensburg functioned as an essential trading port where tobacco was sold and prepared for shipment.

English colonist and merchant Christopher Lowndes constructed the original stone structure that is now known as Market Master's House in 1765. The building is one of the four remaining structures remaining from the original colonial town of Bladensburg, a community that quickly grew to become one of the region's most prolific ports for tobacco exportation. Although many believe that the building was constructed as a market house storing and selling tobacco, a 2009 archaeological survey revealed that it was more likely used as a business office and stagecoach stop. 

Market Master's House 

The William Hilleary House, constructed in 1742, stands as the only 18th-century stone, gambrel-roofed house in Prince George's County. Several prominent figures resided in the house, including numerous doctors. The home also enjoys a connection, directly or indirectly, to four wars: The Seven Years'Years' War, The Revolutionary War, The War of 1812, and the U.S. Civil War. For more than a century, the house served as the home to an abundance of owners, many of whom enjoyed a unique historical story. 1742 William Hilleary purchased the lot and built the now-historic house, and lived there until 1765 when Richard Henderson purchased the property. Henderson, a prominent merchant and land speculator, served as a County Justice. He also gained fame for his ""paper wars"" with Levi Gantt and Alexander Clagett in newspapers. George Washington's diary, May 9, 1787, states that he dined with Henderson in the Bladensburg home.Henderson sold the property in 1793 to his business partner, Major/Doctor David Ross, Jr., who briefly served as a commander in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. He was also the son of surgeon and merchant Dr. David Ross (who had died in 1778). Ross Sr. was an original inhabitant of Bladensburg, had served as a Town Commissioner, and from 1750 to 1759 had been a Justice of the County Court. Ross Sr. also took the role of ""Agent Victualer"" for the Maryland troops during the Seven Years'Years' War (French &amp; Indian War). Ross, Jr. lived in the home until 1799. For most of the nineteenth century, the home enjoyed many owners, including Howarton Cross, a veteran of the Battle of Bladensburg. Rumor has it that the home served as an ipso facto hospital for fallen British troops during the War of 1812 (The Battle of Bladensburg took place in 1814). Owners or occupants during the 19th century also included several doctors such as Dr. Alexander Mitchell, Leonard M. Deakins, Dr. William Draine and Dr. Benjamin Day. As well, Dr. Archibald Magruder owned the home from 1853 - 1863 and treated Confederate soldiers after hours; Federal authorities later arrested him.The town struggled to remain significant during the first half of the twentieth century as it no longer stood as a port city, the heart of the tobacco trade, or find any real success in the post-industrial world. Also, flooding proved problematic. By the 1950s, a plan existed to demolish the old home, but it was saved and later restored during the 1970s and early 1980s, and subsequently transformed into a professional office building.

The Hilleary-Magruder house stands as the oldest remaining colonial-era structure in Bladensburg, having served as the home to merchants, the military, and numerous doctors from 1742 through the late nineteenth century. One of the residents hosted George Washington for dinner. In later years, during the Civil War, it served as the home to Dr. Archibald Magruder, who was arrested for treating wounded Confederate soldiers in the home. 

William Hilleary House (Hilleary-Magruder House)

In the early 19th century, the young United States once again found itself locked in conflict with Great Britain. Just a few decades after achieving independence in 1783, the United States declared war on Britain again in 1812. The War of 1812 was fought for many reasons, but the United States entered the war with a few clear objectives: defeating Native-Americans and their British allies on the frontier, conquering British-held Canada, and putting an end to British attacks on American shipping. American ambitions outweighed their capabilities. Although Americans were able to defeat Native-Americans in the West, they repeatedly failed in their attempts to conquer Canada. Worse, the British Navy blockaded and raided much of the Atlantic Coast, including the Chesapeake Bay. Despite their inability to make progress, the United States benefited from Great Britain's larger war with Napoleonic France, which kept Britain preoccupied and prevented it from devoting many men or materials to the American conflict. The strategic landscape changed in 1814, when European allies defeated Napoleonic France. No longer at war with France, Great Britain suddenly had spare troops, ships, and materials to send to North America. In the summer of 1814, British reinforcements sailed for Chesapeake Bay. The force included a sizable fleet commanded by Rear Admiral Sir George Cockburn, and a 4,000 man invasion force led by Major General Robert Ross. Though small in number, the British regulars were hardened veterans, having proved themselves on battlefields across Europe. Hoping to strike at American port towns to alleviate pressure on British Canada, the British determined to attack the under-defended United States capital Washington, D.C. In late August, British troops sailed up the Chesapeake Bay and landed along the Patuxent River not far from Washington D.C. The defense of the United States capital rested in the hands of Brigadier General William Winder; unfortunately for the U.S., Winder proved an indecisive and poor commander. Winder's forces were stretched out between Washington and Baltimore, and as the British approached Washingotn, Winder scrambled to compose a force to oppose them. He managed to scrape together 7,000 men. Despite their numbers, however, the majority of the American force was comprised of untrained, untested militia, along with a small force of regulars and sailors. The two forces clashed at Bladensburg, a small village northeast of Washington, D.C. along the East Branch of the Potomac River (and today a suburb). American forces were arrayed in defensive positions on high ground to the west side of the East Branch, opposite the town. Although they enjoyed a strong position, U.S. forces were too spread out to support each other. British forces attacked straight ahead, enduring artillery fire and crossing the lone bridge in Bladensburg. American forces managed to inflict heavy casualties initially, but as British soldiers poured across the river, U.S. forces were overwhelmed and panicked. Their retreat turned into a rout, and as one onlooker noted, "the militia ran like sheep chased by dogs."[3] Commodore Joseph Barney's force of sailors and marines proved tough to crack; as Admiral Cockburn noted, "They have given us the only fighting we have had."[5] The embarrassing American retreat was dubbed the "Bladensburg Races." Recalling the battle, British officer Robert Gleig put it bluntly: "No troops could behave worse than they [the Americans] did. The skirmishers were driven in as soon as attacked, the first line gave way without offering the slightest resistance, and the left of the main body was broken within half an hour after it was seriously engaged."[4] The American forces continued their retreat beyond Washington, D.C. The British advanced on the capital slowly. Along their march, African-American slaves ran to British lines in hopes of finding freedom (there were actually a small number of African-American "Colonial Marines" included among the British forces.) On the evening of August 24, British troops entered the United States capital. They set fire to the President's House, Capitol, Treasury, and other government buildings, but they largely avoided burning private property. Having succeeded in routing the U.S. army and sacking the capital, British forces returned to the safety of their ships. They moved on to strike Baltimore in September but were stymied by Fort McHenry, whose valiant defense gave the United States its national anthem. Today, the growth of D.C.'s suburbs have overrun much of the Bladensburg battlefield. Efforts were made in 2012 during the bicentennial to commemorate the battle. The Bladensburg Waterfront Park, purchased for $75,000, preserves the stretch of East Branch where British soldiers crossed the river under fire. A few miles away at the Bladensburg Balloon Park, a $375,000 memorial crafted by Joanna Blake was unveiled in 2014. The memorial honors the American defenders at Bladensburg and depicts Commodore Joshua Barney and several of his men, including former slave Charles Ball who fought with the marines.

In the early 19th century, the United States and Britain clashed in North America during the War of 1812. Hoping to strike a decisive blow, in 1814 the British landed a 4,000 man force along the Patuxent River in Maryland with the goal of capturing the U.S. capital at Washington, D.C. Opposing the British were approximately 7,000 Americans, mostly untested militiamen. The two armies collided at Bladensburg, Maryland on August 24, 1814. Although the Americans inflicted heavy casualties during the initial British advance, they were quickly routed; the debacle became known as the "Bladensburg Races." As a consequence of U.S. defeat, British forces marched on Washington, D.C. and burned much of the nation's capital. The defeat at Bladensburg and sacking of Washington constituted an embarrassing and dark episode for the United States during the War of 1812.

Battle of Bladensburg

The Peace Cross, erected 1919 to 1925 as a monument to Prince George's County residents who lost their lives serving in the United States Armed Forces in World War I. Also, the cross enjoys architectural significance as an example of the work of John J. Earley (1881-1945), a Washington, DC area artist.In the few years following the First World War, a nationwide trend to erecting community memorials to fallen soldiers arose; The Peace Cross exists as one of those many monuments. In addition to the imposing cross, The Peace Cross includes a bronze tablet inscribed with the names of the forty-nine county citizens from the area who died in the war. It also stands as an example of the work of John J. Earley (1881-1945), a Washington, DC area artist and contractor who innovated a process involving decorative use of concrete aggregates. Beginning in 1916, Earley developed and refined the medium of "concrete mosaic" or exposed aggregate, which transformed the construction trade by allowing for factory fabrication of precast polychrome concrete building panels. Earley's work can be found in numerous buildings in the D.C. area and throughout the country. It's existence on public grounds recently pushed some to seek its removal, as certain groups felt the Christian symbolism violated principals of separating church and state. Indeed, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals did rule in 2017 that the location of The Peace Cross on publicly-funded lands was unconstitutional. However, the case made its way to the Supreme Court, who, in 2019, overrulled the Fourth Circuit Court by stating that The Peace Cross did not violate the U.S. Constitution Establishment Clause.  Note: Portions of this text were taken directly from the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, written by Elizabeth Breiseth and Paul Weishar and located at https://mht.maryland.gov/secure/medusa/PDF/NR_PDFs/NR-1560.pdf.

The Bladensburg World War I Memorial, better known as The Peace Cross, arose in the aftermath of World War I  to pay homage to fallen heroes from the local area. Designed by local artist, John Earley, its attachment to The Great War only describes a portion of its significance; it also speaks to evolving attitudes regarding church and state as many have recently challenged the legality of Christian symbolism on public lands. 

The Peace Cross (Bladensburg World War I Memorial)

The George Washington House gained its reputation through an assumption that George Washington once spent the night there. While that may not be true, he likely visited the tavern. Moreover, the structure stands as a reminder of the significance of taverns, ordinaries, and public houses during Washington's time. Furthermore, owners and occupants of the home have included niece of the town's namesake, a British officer during the War of 1812 (he commandeered it during the war), the populist leader Jacob Coxey during his 1894 march on Washington and pioneering hot-air balloonist, Peter Carnes. Washington often toured parts of the nation and regularly relied on the network of public houses and taverns as a source of overnight lodging, most of which left him unimpressed. Washington's displeasure came even though many towns decided to forgo placing the President in their established taverns; they instead transformed private homes into inns to better acquaint the President. Washington's experience led him to push for federal funding and planning centered on developing hotels (as we now refer to them) so that visiting dignitaries and government officials could stay comfortably (or more). On one of his travels, he commented in his journal about the ineptitude of most of the lodging. And then he mentioned: "At Bladensburgh nine miles beyond a good house is kept by one Ross (sign of the Indian Queen)." The note exists as the only evidence that attaches Washington to the Indian Queen Tavern (then owned by Richard Ross). Of course, had the first President slept at the tavern, it would have been in the building next door as the remaining structure was not used as a tavern at the time. Still, in the 1870s, as the nation celebrated its centennial, the journal entry provided enough evidence for it to become known as the "George Washington Hotel."Legends aside, the association with Washington's travels serves as a reminder as to the economic and societal significance of public houses and taverns in early America. Indeed, communities often felt it necessary to provide liquor licenses before developing churches, schools, or formal governments. Taverns existed as political halls (formally and informally), hotels, marketplaces, and of course, drinking and eating establishments. But, the home also enjoys a more tangible history, as well. Between 1774 and 1783, Peter Carnes managed the George Washington House and associated complex. Carnes conducted the first authenticated balloon ascent in the United States in Baltimore on June 24, 1784. In front of a crowd, he sent his home-made balloon aloft in with a thirteen-year-old boy aboard. The structure also stands as a monument to its creator, Jacob Wirt and his soon William. Jacob built the home and associated lots in Bladensburg during the early 1760's. After his passing, the home was sold (1792) by the Maryland Assembly with funds going to Jacob's son, William. The younger Wirt studied law and went on to become a U.S. Attorney General. Meanwhile, In 1812, a British officer commandeered the building during the war with the U.S. And then in 1894, a different army of sorts took possession of it; "Coxey's Army" stayed on its grounds. Coxey represented a group of protesters who marched from Ohio to Washington, D.C., to implore the government to solve the nation's nearly 20% unemployment rate. All told, the home has served the town for more than two centuries. Today, it's home to the Anacostia Watershed Society.

The structure, which was constructed in 1752 by Jacob Wirt, was first rented to a tobacco trading firm and later served as a tavern. Legend has it that George Washington stopped here numerous times, and possibly stayed the night; however, there is much disagreement about that fact. Nonetheless, Washington referenced the location as part of his journeys that took him to many taverns and public houses as a source of lodging in the era before hotels and motels. The house also served as the location for a hot air balloon pioneer, British soldier during the War of 1812, a progressive leader and has a tie to a U.S. Attorney General. 

Bladensburg Walking Tour

Bostwick House

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Additional Information