National Park Service

Cultural Landscapes Inventory

Monocacy National Battlefield

Monocacy National Battlefield

 2003
Table of Contents

Inventory Unit Summary & Site Plan

Concurrence Status

Geographic Information and Location Map

Management Information

National Register Information

Chronology & Physical History

Analysis & Evaluation of Integrity

Condition

Treatment

Bibliography & Supplemental Information
Monocacy National Battlefield

Monocacy National Battlefield

Inventory Unit Summary & Site Plan

The Cultural Landscapes Inventory Overview:

Inventory Summary

CLI General Information:

Purpose and Goals of the CLI

The Cultural Landscapes Inventory (CLI) is an evaluated inventory of all significant landscapes in units 

of the national park system in which the National Park Service has, or plans to acquire any enforceable 

legal interest. Landscapes documented through the CLI are those that individually meet criteria set 

forth in the National Register of Historic Places such as historic sites, historic designed landscapes, and 

historic vernacular landscapes or those that are contributing elements of properties that meet the 

criteria. In addition, landscapes that are managed as cultural resources because of law, policy, or 

decisions reached through the park planning process even though they do not meet the National 

Register criteria, are also included in the CLI. 

The CLI serves three major purposes. First, it provides the means to describe cultural landscapes on 

an individual or collective basis at the park, regional, or service-wide level. Secondly, it provides a 

platform to share information about cultural landscapes across programmatic areas and concerns and to 

integrate related data about these resources into park management. Thirdly, it provides an analytical 

tool to judge accomplishment and accountability.

The legislative, regulatory, and policy direction for conducting the CLI include:

National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (16 USC 470h-2(a)(1)). Each Federal agency shall 

establish...a preservation program for the identification, evaluation, and nomination to the 

National Register of Historic Places...of historic properties...

Executive Order 13287: Preserve America, 2003. Sec. 3(a)...Each agency with real property 

management responsibilities shall prepare an assessment of the current status of its inventory 

of historic properties required by section 110(a)(2) of the NHPA...No later than September 30, 

2004, each covered agency shall complete a report of the assessment and make it available to 

the Chairman of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and the Secretary of the 

Interior... (c) Each agency with real property management responsibilities shall, by September 

30, 2005, and every third year thereafter, prepare a report on its progress in identifying... 

historic properties in its ownership and make the report available to the Council and the 

Secretary... 

The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for Federal Agency Historic 

Preservation Programs Pursuant to the National Historic Preservation Act, 1998. Standard 2: 

An agency provides for the timely identification and evaluation of historic properties under 

agency jurisdiction or control and/or subject to effect by agency actions (Sec. 110 (a)(2)(A) 

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Management Policies 2006. 5.1.3.1 Inventories: The Park Service will (1) maintain and expand 

the following inventories...about cultural resources in units of the national park 

system...Cultural Landscape Inventory of historic designed landscapes, historic vernacular 

landscapes,... and historic sites... 

Cultural Resource Management Guideline, 1997, Release No. 5, page 22 issued pursuant to 

Director’s Order #28. As cultural resources are identified and evaluated, they should also be 

listed in the appropriate Service-wide inventories of cultural resources.

Responding to the Call to Action:

The year 2016 marks the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service. A five-year action plan 

entitled, “A Call to Action: Preparing for a Second Century of Stewardship and Engagement” 

charts a path toward that second century vision by asking Service employees and partners to commit to 

concrete actions that advance the agency’s mission. The heart of the plan includes four broad themes 

supported by specific goals and measurable actions. These themes are: Connecting People to Parks, 

Advancing the NPS Education Mission, Preserving America’s Special Places, and Enhancing 

Professional and Organizational Excellence. The Cultural Landscape Inventory relates to three of these 

themes:

Connect People to Parks. Help communities protect what is special to them, highlight their 

history, and retain or rebuild their economic and environmental sustainability.

Advance the Education Mission. Strengthen the National Park Service’s role as an educational 

force based on core American values, historical and scientific scholarship, and unbiased translation 

of the complexities of the American experience.

Preserve America’s Special Places. Be a leader in extending the benefits of conservation 

across physical, social, political, and international boundaries in partnership with others.

The national CLI effort directly relates to #3, Preserve America’s Special Places, and specifically to 

Action #28, “Park Pulse.” Each CLI documents the existing condition of park resources and identifies 

impacts, threats, and measures to improve condition. This information can be used to improve park 

priority setting and communicate complex park condition information to the public.

Responding to the Cultural Resources Challenge:

The Cultural Resources Challenge (CRC) is a NPS strategic plan that identifies our most critical 

priorities. The primary objective is to “Achieve a standard of excellence for the stewardship of the 

resources that form the historical and cultural foundations of the nation, commit at all levels to a 

common set of goals, and articulate a common vision for the next century.” The CLI contributes 

to the fulfillment of all five goals of the CRC: 

1) Provide leadership support, and advocacy for the stewardship, protection, interpretation, 

and management of the nation’s heritage through scholarly research, science and effective 

management; 

2) Recommit to the spirit and letter of the landmark legislation underpinning the NPS 

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3) Connect all Americans to their heritage resources in a manner that resonates with their 

lives, legacies, and dreams, and tells the stories that make up America’s diverse national 

identity; 

4) Integrate the values of heritage stewardship into major initiatives and issues such as 

renewable energy, climate change, community assistance and revitalization, and 

sustainability, while cultivating excellence in science and technical preservation as a 

foundation for resource protection, management, and rehabilitation; and 

5) Attract, support, and retain a highly skilled and diverse workforce, and support the 

development of leadership and expertise within the National Park Service.

Scope of the CLI

CLI data is gathered from existing secondary sources found in park libraries, archives and at NPS 

regional offices and centers, as well as through on-site reconnaissance. The baseline information 

describes the historical development and significance of the landscape, placing it in the context of the 

landscape’s overall significance. Documentation and analysis of the existing landscape identifies 

character-defining characteristics and features, and allows for an evaluation of the landscape’s overall 

integrity and an assessment of the landscape’s overall condition. The CLI also provides an illustrative 

site plan that indicates major features within the inventory unit and generates spatial data for 

Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The CLI also identifies stabilization needs to prevent further 

deterioration of the landscape and provides data for the Facility Management Software System 

Inventory Unit Description:

The Monocacy National Battlefield landscape is approximately 1650 acres in size. It is located about 

three miles south of Frederick, Maryland, in Fredrick County, only thirty miles northwest of Washington, 

D.C and about forty miles from Baltimore. The cultural landscape which comprises the park contains 

historic structures, interpretive/recreational trails, as well as a small museum located in the visitors 

center. Visitor access is generally by automobile via Maryland Route 355 (MD 355).

Located at the western edge of the piedmont, the primarily agricultural landscape includes both riverside 

bottomlands and steep bluffs. It is bisected by Interstate 270, which runs southeast to northwest and 

straddles both the Monocacy River and MD 355. Thick riparian vegetation lines both the river and a 

major tributary, Bush Creek. Fence lines and roads, both modern and historic, are much in evidence. 

The historic route of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (now CSX Railroad) passes through the park 

near its northern boundary, paralleling both the river and Bush Creek. Commercial and residential 

development is to be found just outside much of the park boundary.

The park landscape is defined by its periods of development, which begin in the mid-eighteenth century 

and continue to the present day. In the eighteenth century speculators, frontiersmen, and early settlers 

gave shape to the landscape by mapping and patenting tracts and clearing areas for cultivation. In the 

nineteenth century, the rise of milling, the development of a transportation system of turnpikes and 

railroads, and agricultural innovation led to an extended period of prosperity. This prosperity was only 

slightly affected by the Civil War and the Battle of Monocacy. However, due to this historic event, the 

existing agricultural landscape would acquire a commemorative overlay in the form of monuments and 

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the eventual creation of a national park. The twentieth century then gave rise to an increasingly 

suburban landscape.

The integrity of the landscape to both its periods of significance (1860-1890 and 1890-1934) remains 

very high because Monocacy National Battlefield retains significant landscape elements. These include 

the agricultural landscape of the eighteenth century, the military landscape of the 1864 battle, and the 

early twentieth-century commemorative landscape.

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Site Plan

a: Hemitage; b:Araby Mill (Visitors Center); c:Edgewood (HPTC); d:Clifton; e: Araby; f:Baker 

Farm; g: Hill Farm

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Property Level and CLI Numbers

Inventory Unit Name: Monocacy National Battlefield

Property Level: Landscape

CLI Identification Number: 600201

Parent Landscape: 600201

Park Information

Park Name and Alpha Code: Monocacy National Battlefield -MONO

Park Organization Code: 3130

Park Administrative Unit: Monocacy National Battlefield

CLI Hierarchy Description

Monocacy National Battlefield forms an overall cultural landscape, which represents most of the area 

where, on July 9, 1864 the Civil War “Battle that Saved Washington” took place. In 1934, legislation 

was passed naming the site a national military park, though the land remained in private ownership. 

The National Park Service began to acquire portions of the battlefield in the 1980s. The boundaries of 

the landscape for the purposes of this report largely coincide with the current National Park Service 

boundaries for Monocacy National Battlefield. Included in the overall cultural landscape unit are four 

component landscapes. They are Hermitage, Clifton, Baker Farm and the Araby Community, which 

includes; Hill Farm, Araby Mill, Araby farm, and the Araby rail side community as landscape features. 

These component landscapes are addressed in a general way in this report and will be the subjects of 

individual reports.

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The cultural landscape for Monocacy National Battlefield contains four component landscapes 

defined by individual histories, characteristics and conditions, which contribute to the 

significance and integrity of the park as a whole.

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Concurrence Status

Inventory Status: Complete

Completion Status Explanatory Narrative:

The Cultural Landscape Inventory for Monocacy National Battlefield has been divided into two 

parts: research, and analysis and evaluation. The research involved investigation into the 

historical record and documentation of existing landscape conditions. Both primary and 

secondary sources were used. Among these were special collections at the Library of 

Congress and the University of Maryland. Maps and aerial photos located at the National 

Archives were also examined. Important secondary materials came from both Monocacy 

National Battlefield history, tract, photo and map files, and from relevant files and reports 

located at the National Park Service, National Capital Region. Park reports and surveys, as 

well as GIS coverages were also reviewed. In addition, planning documents and archaeological 

reports pertinent to Monocacy National Battlefield were also examined. Especially important to 

the research portion of this CLI were Paula Reed’s 1999 Historic Resource Study on 

Monocacy National Battlefield, and the Cultural Landscape Report for the Bush Creek Tract 

(EDAW et al 1993). A narrative landscape history, and simple historic and current base maps 

were assembled to reflect changes over time. 

The analysis and evaluation phase of the project involved documenting key landscape 

components and analyzing the evolution of landscape development. Martha Temkin, Judith 

Earley, Perry Wheelock and others conducted the field survey used to document current 

conditions primarily during the summer of 1999. Based on the contextual history of the 

landscape and the evaluation of historic landscape features and patterns, landscape significance 

was determined. Comparative analysis between the existing conditions and the historic maps 

and photographs was then used to define the type and concentration of resources remaining on 

the Monocacy National Battlefield landscape. From this information, cultural landscape 

integrity was determined.

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Concurrence Status:

Park Superintendent Concurrence: Yes

Park Superintendent Date of Concurrence: 09/30/2013

National Register Concurrence: Eligible -- SHPO Consensus Determination

Date of Concurrence Determination: 05/13/2004

The State Historic Preservation Officer for the State of Maryland concurred with the findings of 

the Monocacy National Battlefield CLI on 5/13/04, in accordance with Section 110 of the 

National Historic Preservation Act. It should be noted that the Date of Eligibility Determination 

refers to this Section 110 Concurrence and not the date of National Register Eligibility, since that 

is not the purview of the Cultural Landscapes Inventory.

National Register Concurrence Narrative:

Concurrence Graphic Information:

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Monocacy National Battlefield Superintendent Condition Reassessment Statement of 

Concurrence signed on 9/30/2013

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Concurrence memo for FY2004 signed by the DC SHPO on 5/13/2004.

Revisions Impacting Change in Concurrence: Change in Condition

Revision Date: 09/26/2007

For this CLI record to remain "complete, accurate, and reliable," the condition of this cultural 

landscape was reassessed, as it must be every six years. It remains in "good" condition, as it 

was in 2001 when first reported.

Revision Narrative:

Revision Date: 09/30/2013

For this CLI record to remain "complete, accurate, and reliable," the condition of this cultural 

landscape was reassessed, as it must be every six years. It remains in "good" condition, as it 

was in 2007.

Revision Narrative:

Geographic Information & Location Map

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Monocacy National Battlefield

Inventory Unit Boundary Description:

The boundary of the inventory unit is the same as the current park boundary for Monocacy National 

Battlefield. It is defined primarily by the historic boundaries of the farm and mill properties that were in 

existence at the time of the 1864 battle and by the extent of the battle itself. The park is bisected on a 

north-south axis by Interstate 270 and east-west by the Monocacy River and intersected by MD 355 on 

a north-south axis and the CSX Railroad on an east-west axis. The current park boundaries have 

changed little since they were first proposed in 1979 (GMP 1979).

State and County:

State: MD

County: Frederick County

Size (Acres): 1,647.00

Boundary Coordinates:

UTM Zone: 18

UTM Easting: 305,852

UTM Northing: 4,375,257

Source: USGS Map 1:24,000

Type of Point: Point

Latitude: -77.4993540474

Longitude: 39.2474336820

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Location Map:

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Monocacy National Battlefield

Regional Context:

Type of Context: Cultural

Description:

The cultural landscape of the Monocacy National Battlefield area has been primarily 

agricultural since the arrival of European settlers in the mid-eighteenth century. In this same 

period, a forge and a glass works were also established. This industrial aspect of the landscape 

changed slightly in the early decades of the nineteenth century, when milling became the 

prominent local industry. By the mid-nineteenth century, the area had developed into a 

crossroads community where roads, railroad and river came together. This feature of the 

landscape has been key to its development and to its place in history. The 1864 Civil War 

battle and the twentieth- century commemorative layer also came about due to the crossroads 

element of the area. Today, residential and commercial development has occurred on much of 

the property adjacent to the park, but Monocacy National Battlefield continues to be a largely 

agricultural crossroads community. Managed by the National Park Service, it serves both local 

and tourist populations as an historical and recreational destination.

Type of Context: Physiographic

Description:

The 1,650-acre, Monocacy National Battlefield is located on the western edge of the piedmont 

and includes the floodplain of the Monocacy River and Bush Creek, a large tributary stream, as 

well as smaller unnamed tributaries. It is a gently rolling upland of generally moderate relief, 

the exception being the high bluffs located along the west bank of river. It is delineated by two 

prominent ridges, one of which is known as Brooks Hill.

Type of Context: Political

Description:

Monocacy National Battlefield was created by legislation enacted by Congress in 1934 and 

opened to the public in 1993. It is owned by the federal government and administered by the 

National Park Service. The park is located in southern Frederick County, Maryland.

Tract Numbers: 101-01 through 101-44

Management Information

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General Management Information

Management Category: Must be Preserved and Maintained

Management Category Date: 10/02/2002

The Management Category Date is the date the CLI was first approved by the park superintendent.

Management Category Explanatory Narrative:

Agreements, Legal Interest, and Access

Management Agreement:

Type of Agreement: Memorandum Of Agreement

Expiration Date: UK

Management Agreement Explanatory Narrative:

Memorandums of Agreement for agricultural leasing are in existance on Hermitage, Clifton, 

Baker Farm, and Araby Community (total of four).

Type of Agreement: Other Agreement

Other Agreement: Life Estate

Expiration Date: UK

Management Agreement Explanatory Narrative:

A Life Estate exists for the main house and 25 acres on the Baker Farm.

NPS Legal Interest:

Type of Interest: Fee Simple

Type of Interest: Fee Simple Reservation

Type of Interest: Less than Fee Simple

Public Access:

Type of Access: Other Restrictions

Adjacent Lands Information

Do Adjacent Lands Contribute? Yes

Adjacent Lands Description:

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Adjacent lands contribute to the significance and integrity of the Monocacy National Battlefield 

landscape where they preserve the historic rural character of the site. Araby farm, which is currently 

in private ownership, is located within the park boundaries and appears to have high integrity in terms 

of land use, spatial organization, circulation, vegetation, cluster arrangement and views and vistas. The 

small semi-suburban development that has taken place in the triangular area between MD 355 and 

Araby Church Road (the original route of the Georgetown Pike) does not currently severely impact the 

historic significance and integrity of the site, however, further development could turn it into a 

non-contributing area. The CSX Railroad (formerly the B&O), a portion of MD 355 (historically the 

Georgetown Pike), Araby Church Road and Baker Valley Road also contribute to the integrity and 

significance of the park as they remain in their historic alignments. Other adjacent lands located 

outside the park boundary do not contribute as they either have given way to development or are 

wooded to provide a scenic buffer.

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National Register Information

Existing National Register Status

National Register Landscape Documentation:

Entered Inadequately Documented

National Register Explanatory Narrative:

An update to the 1975 National Register Nomination is pending and is based on the 1999 Historic 

Resource Report. Neither nomination adequately or completely documents all contributing cultural 

landscape features. Further documentation is required to establish a historic landscape context and an 

adequate understanding of the significant cultural landscape features found at Monocacy National 

Battlefield.

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Existing NRIS Information:

Name in National Register: Monocacy National Battlefield

NRIS Number: 66000908

Other Names: See Also:Gambrill House

Primary Certification: Listed In The National Register

Primary Certification Date: 10/15/1966

Other Certifications and Date: Designated National Landmark - 6/21/1934

Name in National Register: Monocacy National Battlefield

NRIS Number: 66000908

Other Names: See Also:Gambrill House

Primary Certification: Listed In The National Register

Primary Certification Date: 10/15/1966

Designated Unit Of The National Park Service - 

10/21/1976

Name in National Register: Monocacy National Battlefield

NRIS Number: 66000908

Other Names: See Also:Gambrill House

Primary Certification: Listed In The National Register

Primary Certification Date: 10/15/1966

National Landmark Boundary Approved - 11/8/1973

Name in National Register: Gambrill House

NRIS Number: 85002902

Other Names: Boscobel House;See Also:Monocacy National Battlefield

Primary Certification: Listed In The National Register

Primary Certification Date: 11/18/1985

National Register Eligibility

National Register Concurrence: Eligible -- SHPO Consensus Determination

Contributing/Individual: Individual

Site National Register Classification:

National Significance Level:

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A - Associated with events significant to broad 

patterns of our history

Significance Criteria: 

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Period of Significance:

Time Period: CE 1860 - 1890

Historic Context Theme: Creating Social Institutions and Movements

Subtheme: Ways of Life

Facet: Farming Communities

Other Facet: None

Time Period: CE 1860 - 1890

Historic Context Theme: Developing the American Economy

Subtheme: Agriculture

Facet: Farming For Local Markets (Dairying, Fruits, And 

Vegetables)

Other Facet: None

Time Period: CE 1860 - 1890

Historic Context Theme: Expressing Cultural Values

Subtheme: Landscape Architecture

Facet: Development Of Transportation And Land Tenure Systems

Other Facet: None

Time Period: CE 1860 - 1890

Historic Context Theme: Expressing Cultural Values

Subtheme: Landscape Architecture

Facet: Impacts Of Railroads On The American Landscape

Other Facet: None

Time Period: CE 1860 - 1890

Historic Context Theme: Shaping the Political Landscape

Subtheme: The Civil War

Facet: Battles In The North And South

Other Facet: None

Time Period: CE 1890 - 1934

Historic Context Theme: Creating Social Institutions and Movements

Subtheme: Ways of Life

Facet: Farming Communities

Other Facet: None

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Area of Significance:

Area of Significance Category: Agriculture

Area of Significance Subcategory: None

Area of Significance Category: Military

Area of Significance Subcategory: None

Area of Significance Category: Archeology

Area of Significance Subcategory: Historic-Aboriginal

Area of Significance Category: Archeology

Area of Significance Subcategory: Historic-Non-Aboriginal

Area of Significance Category: Archeology

Area of Significance Subcategory: Prehistoric

Area of Significance Category: Transportation

Area of Significance Subcategory: None

Statement of Significance:

The Monocacy National Battlefield properties form a significant cultural resource that reflects three 

centuries of occupation and development around the historic crossroads located along the Monocacy 

River in Frederick County, Maryland. The area set aside for the battlefield park is associated with 

events that have made a significant contribution to the broad pattern of history (criterion A). The park 

also includes individual resources that embody the distinctive characteristics of a type, period or method 

of construction (criterion C). Collectively, these resources represent a significant and distinguishable 

landscape entity.

The fertile soils and the available waterpower of the place drew individual investors and families from 

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tidewater Maryland, French refugees, Scots and a large number of African-American slaves. These 

groups blended, interacted and thus developed the four component landscapes that make up the mostly 

agricultural Monocacy National Battlefield. On this rural, vernacular landscape, the dramatic events of 

the Civil War unfolded over three successive summers in 1862, 1863 and climaxing with the Battle of 

Monocacy in July 1864. The importance of the Monocacy rail crossing and junction and the turnpike 

bridge in the Civil War is underscored by the protection accorded to the area by Union troops stationed 

there between 1861 and 1865 and by the fighting that occurred there during the battle. Congress 

recognized the significance of its Civil War association in 1934 when it established a “national battlefield 

at the battlefield of Monocacy.” 

In addition, veterans groups and other organizations have memorialized and commemorated the site 

throughout the twentieth century. Their monuments and memorials have also become a significant part 

of the cultural landscape. The two periods of significance for the Monocacy National Battlefield 

landscape span the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The first period is 1860 to 1890, when the 

highly developed agricultural and mill-related properties achieved their historic appearance, set the 

scene for the events of the Civil War and survived the aftermath. The second period of significance 

falls within the years 1890 and 1934, which mark the period of memorialization and commemoration. 

The National Register listing for Monocacy National Battlefield has been recently updated (July 2000) 

to include the cultural landscape of this historic district. While the additional information addresses the 

physical history and the patterns of development that occurred, it does not describe or analyze all the 

characteristics that contribute to the significance of the battlefield’s cultural landscape. The Cultural 

Landscape Inventory for Monocacy National Battlefield expands upon the information contained in this 

recent update.

Chronology & Physical History

Cultural Landscape Type and Use

Cultural Landscape Type: Historic Site

Vernacular

Current and Historic Use/Function:

Primary Historic Function: Battle Site

Primary Current Use: Interpretive Landscape

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Other Use/Function Other Type of Use or Function

Agricultural Field Both Current And Historic

Barn Both Current And Historic

Commerce/Trade-Other Historic

Domestic (Residential)-Other Both Current And Historic

Industrial/Processing/Extraction-Other Historic

Leisure-Passive (Park) Current

Monument (Marker, Plaque) Both Current And Historic

Outdoor Recreation-Other Current

Road Bridge Both Current And Historic

Road-Related-Other Both Current And Historic

RR Bridge Both Current And Historic

RR Trackage Both Current And Historic

Scenic Landscape-Other Both Current And Historic

Current and Historic Names:

Name Type of Name

Monocacy National Battlefield Both Current And Historic

Ethnographic Study Conducted: No Survey Conducted

Chronology:

Year Event Annotation

CE 1729 Platted "Wett Work" tract patented.

 John Abbington

Settled Urbana and the surrounding area was settled about this 

time.

CE 1730

CE 1740 Platted "Locust Level" tract patented.

 Daniel Dulaney

Established Middle Ford and ferry crossing were established near 

where the Georgetown Pike crosses the Monocacy River.

CE 1740 - 1770

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CE 1745 Established The town of Frederick was established.

Purchased/Sold James Marshall purchased portions of the "Wett Work" 

tract. He constructed various outbuildings on his property, 

including a sawmill and ferry house.

CE 1759 - 1798

Built During this period the secondary structure (stone and log) 

on Hermitage farm was constructed, possibly by 

Dulaney's tenants.

CE 1770

Established The Johnson family established the Bush Creek forge 

around this time.

CE 1774

Established The Amelung Glass works was established a few miles 

south of the current park boundary.

CE 1775

Built James Marshall built the main house on Araby farm 

around this time.

CE 1780 - 1790

CE 1790 Platted "Altogether" tract patented.

Platted "Arcadia" tract patented.

CE 1790 - 1792 Built The main house on Hermitage was built about this time.

CE 1792 - 1794 Built Victoire Vincendiere built the stone barn at Hermitage

Expanded Victoire Vincendiere constructed additions to the main 

house and the secondary house on Hermitage.

CE 1794 - 1795 Abandoned The Amelung Glass works were closed.

Established The Johnson family established the Aetna Glass works just 

north of their forge on Bush Creek, with equipment 

purchased form the Amelung Glass works. It did not 

operate for long and by 1808 was noted on a map as an 

"Old Glass Works."

CE 1795

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Purchased/Sold Victoire Vincendiere purchased 457 acres of "Locust 

Level" from Daniel Dulaney.

Purchased/Sold Victoire Vincendiere purchased 291 acres of "Arcadia" 

from John Marshall. This, combined with the 457 acres 

purchased from Dulaney, became L'Hermitage.

CE 1798

Built The wooden covered bridge that carried the Georgetown 

Pike over the river was built in the first half of the 

nineteenth century.

CE 1800 - 1850

Built The Georgetown Pike was chartered by the state of 

Maryland.

CE 1808

Purchased/Sold John McPherson, Sr. purchased portions of the "Wett 

Work" tract and the "Altogether" tract. His son, John 

McPherson, Jr. had the family property resurveyed after 

his father's death and called the now 1,100 acre tract 

"Araby".

CE 1812 - 1832

CE 1827 Purchased/Sold John Brien purchased Hermitage.

Built The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was built. Monocacy 

Junction opened in 1831. The first railroad bridge over the 

Monocacy River was a wooden one, designed by Lewis 

Wernwag.

CE 1830 - 1831

Established John McPherson, Jr. established the mill complex at Araby 

Mills. The mill, miller's house, and associated outbuildings 

were constructed during this period.

CE 1830 - 1835

CE 1835 Purchased/Sold John E. McElfresh purchased Hermitage.

Purchased/Sold "Araby", the 1,100 acre McPherson family property was 

sub-divided and sold, creating the properties Araby 

(Mansion House Farm), Araby Mills, and Hill Farm.

CE 1840

Developed Griffin Taylor created Clifton from portions of three 

separate properties, Arcadia, Araby and Altogether.

CE 1847 - 1851

CE 1848 Paved The Georgetown Pike was macadamized.

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Purchased/Sold Daniel and Edward Baker purchased a portion of "Wett 

Work" from Griffin Taylor. In the same year, they divided 

their purchase and Daniel Baker's section became known 

as the Baker Farm.

CE 1849

Abandoned Middle Ford ferry goes out of use, sometime after the 

construction of the covered turnpike bridge.

CE 1850

Built A forebay barn, log smokehouse and wooden wagon 

shed/corn crib were built on Hermitage.

Built The farmhouse at Hill Farm was built about this time.

CE 1850 - 1852 Built Griffin Taylor built the brick farmhouse at Clifton.

Built The wooden railroad bridge was replaced by the B&O 

with an iron Bollman bridge, but remained on the same 

alignment.

CE 1850 - 1858

Built The riverside road connecting Clifton to the Georgetown 

Pike was built.

CE 1850 - 1860

CE 1850 - 1899 Built The forebay barn at Hill Farm was built.

Farmed/Harvested The Best family began what was to be two generations of 

tenanting on Hermitage.

CE 1850 - 1900

Land Transfer After McElfresh's death, his heirs divided Hermitage into 

two sections, North Hermitage and South Hermitage. The 

new owners of South Hermitage (now known as 

Hermitage within the park) were his daughter Ariana and 

her husband Charles E. Trail.

CE 1852

Purchased/Sold Griffin Taylor purchased Araby farm.

Purchased/Sold James H.Gambrill purchased the 68-acre Araby Mills 

complex.

CE 1855

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Purchased/Sold John F. Wheatley and Turner A. Ball purchased Araby 

farm and Clifton. They formed a partnership with James 

Gambrill to start up a distillery, for which they would 

supply grain. The busines failed in 1860.

CE 1856

Built Gambrill built the brick distillery/ware house near the 

railroad junction. It was served by a private railroad 

siding.

CE 1857

CE 1860 Purchased/Sold John T. Worthington purchased Clifton.

Built The 14th NJ Regiment built a winter camp near the 

railroad junction and just north of Araby Mills in order to 

protect the new Bollman-designed B&O railroad bridge. 

It was called Camp Hooker.

CE 1862

Destroyed Confederate troops burned the covered turnpike bridge. It 

was rebuilt on the same stone piers.

Destroyed Confederate troops severely damaged the B&O railroad 

bridge. The B&O replaced the bridge with a permanent 

iron super structure in 1863.

Purchased/Sold C.K. Thomas purchased Araby farm.

Built Two blockhouses were built by the Union army to guard 

the railroad and turnpike bridge crossings of the Monocacy 

River.

CE 1862 - 1863

Destroyed The covered turnpike bridge was burned by Union troops 

during the Battle of Monocacy.

CE 1864

Destroyed The forebay barn at Hermitage was burned during the 

Battle of Monocacy.

Destroyed Both blockhouses were destroyed by Confederate troops 

during the Battle of Monocacy. One was rebuilt and then 

was purchased and dismantled by Gambrill after the war.

CE 1864 - 1865

CE 1864 - 1870 Built The covered bridge is rebuilt again on the same aligment.

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Expanded Gambrill purchased additonal acreage and expanded the 

Araby Mills property. As part of this expansion he built a 

smokehouse, forebay barn, stable and servants quarter.

CE 1864 - 1877

CE 1865 Abandoned Camp Hooker was dismantled after the war.

CE 1870 Built The forebay barn at Hermitage was rebuilt by 1870.

CE 1873 Built Gambrill built Edgewood.

CE 1900 Abandoned Araby Mills ceased to function as a milling operation.

Purchased/Sold The Araby Mill property was purchased by the 

McGruders. They used Edgewood as a country retreat.

CE 1901

CE 1907 Built The New Jersey Monument was built.

CE 1908 Built The Pennsylvania Monument was built.

CE 1913 Altered The Bush Creek ford road was abandoned by this date.

CE 1914 Built The Confederate Monument was built

Purchased/Sold The Geisberts purchased the Baker Farm.

Altered The Georgetown Pike was realigned in this period. A new 

section was built beginning at the intersection of Ball Road 

and the turnpike. The section that turned west and ran in 

front of Araby farm was renamed Araby Church Road.

CE 1920 - 1923

Developed A community of single-family houses developed in the 

triangle created by the new and old alignments of the 

Georgetown Pike.

CE 1920 - 1970

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Purchased/Sold The Smiths purchased Araby Mills. They ran the property 

as a dairy farm and constructed appropriate buildings. 

They also converted the mill into a residence and removed 

the upper floor.

CE 1922

Established Monocacy National Battlefield was established by an act 

of Congress.

CE 1934

Demolished The Monocacy Junction house and other buildings in the 

Y-shaped junction were demolished by the B&O Railroad.

CE 1937 - 1952

CE 1945 Purchased/Sold Hill Farm was purchased by the Geisberts.

CE 1950 - 1952 Built Interstate 270 was constructed.

CE 1953 Purchased/Sold Jenkins Brothers, Inc. purchased Clifton.

CE 1954 Purchased/Sold The Clapps purchased Araby Farm.

CE 1961 Purchased/Sold The Vivinos purchased Araby Mills.

CE 1964 Built The Maryland Monument was built.

Purchased/Sold The National Park Service purchased Araby Mills and the 

Araby rail side community.

CE 1981 - 1984

CE 1982 Purchased/Sold The National Park Service purchased Clifton.

Purchased/Sold The National Park Service purchased Hill Farm and Baker 

Farm.

CE 1989

Established Visitor center and small museum established in the former 

mill building on Araby Mills.

CE 1991

CE 1993 Purchased/Sold The National Park Service purchased Hermitage.

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Physical History:

1715 and Before

Native Americans have had a presence in the Monocacy River drainage and Monocacy 

National Battlefield area since the earliest human occupation of North America (Little 

1995:83). The archaeological evidence for the Paleo-Indian period (9500-8000 BC) is limited to 

isolated diagnostic projectile points found along the forested edge of the river. The nearest 

documented settlement site to Monocacy NB, of this period, is located in the Shenandoah 

Valley (Kavanaugh 1982:44-45, cited in EDAW 1993:3-1). Thus, the earliest human land use 

of the Monocacy area probably focused on foraging in associated riverine habitats and the 

exploitation of lithic resources found in the river valley (EDAW 1993:3-1). 

Paleo-environmental studies of the Shenandoah Valley suggest that the environmental setting of 

this period is one of microhabitats, which included deciduous forests near rivers, mixed 

coniferous-deciduous forest and grasslands on valley floors, and coniferous forest and alpine 

tundra on high ridges and in the mountains. A trend towards a reduction in open grasslands 

characterized the beginning of the next prehistoric cultural period, the Archaic (Kavanaugh 

1982:8 in Goodwin 1996:11-12). 

The Archaic period (8000-500 BC) begins with a continuation of riverine occupation within the 

Monocacy Valley. As the period progressed however, human occupation moved into the valley 

floors, foothills and piedmont uplands as evidenced by archaeological sites. This pattern of land 

use continued, with sites increasingly found in the foothills and lower order streams and 

decreasingly along the river (EDAW 1993:3-2). The environmental setting of this period was 

one of change, as the climate became warmer and drier. This led to a resurgence of grasslands, 

the expansion of hickory-oak forests in the valley floors and on hillsides and was the beginning 

of our modern geological era, the Holocene (Goodwin 1996:14). The archaeological evidence 

suggests that Native Americans were exploiting a broader range of resources, with a stronger 

focus on seasonal shifts in site location. These conditions resulted in a wider diversity of site 

locations (Kavanaugh 1982:57 in EDAW 1993:3-2). Towards the end of the Archaic other 

changes occurred and are reflected in the archaeological record. Throughout the Monocacy 

River Valley, riverside sites once again increased in number. Steatite bowls and ceramic 

sherds have been found, in addition to diagnostic lithic artifacts from this period. These first two 

artifacts types point to either an increase in the sedentary nature of their producers and/or 

transportation of these heavy vessels by canoe rather than by foot (Kavanaugh 1982:57-60 in 

EDAW 1993:3-2). Changes in the types of lithic resources exploited also suggest an increase 

in territoriality (Little 1995:141). 

During the Woodland Period (500 BC- AD 1600) the Native American population increased as 

evidenced by the number of sites found dating to this period. The size of individual settlements 

increased as well as settlement size (EDAW 1993:3-3). This period is also characterized by 

increasing sociopolitical complexity, large village sites, the emergence of agriculture with the 

cultivation of maize, beans and squash, and evidence of stockading (EDAW 1993:3-3). In 

addition, populations may have shifted and social structures changed due to the migration of 

Algonquian groups from the Great Lakes area (Little 1995:143; Goodwin 1996:17). 

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Descriptions of early eighteenth-century Native American settlements in Frederick County 

suggest that they were set into clearings of several acres. Houses would have been inside 

palisades, with fields outside dedicated to raising crops. The landscape would have been 

heavily timbered in the immediate vicinity outside the clearing (Scharf 1882:54-55). One of 

these settlements was located near the confluence of the Monocacy and the Potomac and was 

noted by Baron Cristopph von Graffenried on his map of 1712. Von Graffenried was a Swiss 

businessman interested in establishing a “New World” colony of settlers from the Lower 

Palatinate area, as well as exploiting the mineral resources of the region (Thibault 1994:7-8).

In the Monocacy National Battlefield area, native groups probably left the piedmont region in 

the 1630s, but returned and/or new groups migrated in towards the end of the seventeenth 

century (Little 1995:143). There were likely no permanent native villages in the piedmont at the 

time of European settlement (EDAW 1993:3-3). However, one of the first Europeans to lay a 

claim to lands along the Monocacy, purchased a "Lycence to take up his tract of land in ye 

Fork of the Patowmeck and Monockkesey" from Native Americans residing there (Tracy and 

in Reed 1999:4). This site may be the same settlement marked on von Graffenried’s map. The 

presence of the Shawnee, the Tuscarora, the Delaware, the Catawba, and the Cherokee in 

Western Maryland has also been noted by historians, which may indicate the instability of the 

Native American groups in the general area of Monocacy (Goodwin 1996:17). However, by 

the 1730s only small numbers of Native American groups remained in the Monocacy region, 

and their presence did not strongly affect the early European settlement of the area (Kessel 

1981). 

The prehistoric sites found within the park boundary include short-term occupation sites and 

lithic scatters. They range temporally from the Early Archaic to the late Woodland periods 

(Goodwin 1996:9). Based on a 1982 study of prehistoric site distribution in the Maryland 

piedmont, it is likely that many more prehistoric sites are located in the park (Kavanagh 1982). 

Native Americans in the Monocacy area influenced the European settlement of the Monocacy 

area through their network of trails. These trails became the primary north-south overland 

routes used by Europeans in the Monocacy valley region. One route, referred to as the 

Monocacy Road or Trail, started near Philadelphia and eventually led into Maryland's Great 

Valley, across the mountains and into the Shenandoah Valley (Schildt 1991:12). The Germans 

and Scotch-Irish used this road as they established settlements in North Carolina, Virginia and 

Maryland in the eighteenth century. The road had two branches: one crossed the Monocacy 

River near Creagerstown, north of present day Frederick, and continued west towards Turners 

and Crampton's Gaps. The other crossed the river further south, near Frederick and continued 

south along an alignment similar to that of the old Buckeystown Pike (Reed 1999:14). A part of 

the historic Georgetown, or Washington Pike, which is now referred to as Maryland Route 355 

or the Urbana Pike, is thought to be a segment of one of the north-south routes established by 

the Seneca Indians. This route became known as "the Great Road" (McGuckian 1995:1).

The prehistoric period in the area of Monocacy National Battlefield covers over 10,000 years 

and several geological eras. It was a time of great change in climate and vegetation. Geologic 

features have remained constant, however, as revealed in the spatial relationships of the river, 

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ridge and valley. The river especially shaped where humans lived, foraged and traveled. 

Between 1978 and 1980 the Maryland Geological Society conducted an extensive 

archaeological survey of the Monocacy Valley. Over 90% of the sites located were within a 

range of 15 to 200 feet above the waterline of the river (Kavanaugh 1982 in EDAW 1993:3-1). 

This riverine environment provided fish and game, clear spring water, clay for ceramics, and 

fertile soil for crops. The river itself provided a route from the upper Susquehanna River valley 

to the upper and middle Potomac River valleys and ultimately into the Ohio River valley (Haller 

1932:8). It also helped to determine the routes of the Native American trails discussed above. 

The geography of the river plays a continuous and important role in the history of Monocacy 

National Battlefield.

1715-1790

European explorers and traders were the first to arrive in the western backcountry of 

Maryland. Initial contact came as early as 1715 (Scharf 1882:58), and this type of activity 

continued into the 1720s. Early settlement of the backcountry may have been delayed by the 

impression of barrenness due to the number of open and tree-less areas, boundary disputes 

between Maryland and Pennsylvania, and concerns about hostile Native American groups 

(Reed 1999:8; Bruegger 1988:68). In spite of these reasons, tidewater planters soon learned 

that ownership of land in western Maryland could be a profitable investment (Tracy and Dern 

1987:23). In 1732, Lord Baltimore released land in the Maryland "backwater" for settlement, 

which further encouraged land speculation (Reed 1999:8). Our understanding of the 

development of the physical history of the Monocacy area from the colonial period through to 

the present is in great part derived from Paula Stone Reed’s Historic Resource Study of 

Monocacy National Battlefield (1999) and the Cultural Landscape Report for the Bush Creek 

Tract (EDAW 1993). This area includes the town of Frederick, south to Urbana and west to 

Buckeystown.

To patent land, the prospective owner began by making a claim and obtaining a warrant. The 

claimant then proceeded to survey and map the land, after which, a “patent” was issued and 

the claimant granted ownership. Land speculators from the tidewater generally surveyed and 

patented large tracts, hoping to make a profit on leasing or selling subdivided portions to settlers. 

Germans migrating into the Monocacy Valley from Pennsylvania (Reed 1999:6,10) generally 

patented smaller acreage. The early surveys, patents and land grants of the English tidewater 

elite were located primarily along the Monocacy River in the Frederick Valley, where water 

and fertile bottomlands were plentiful and access to roads and waterways was relatively easy. 

Daniel Dulaney, one of these early landowners and a speculator, described the area in a letter 

to Lord Baltimore in 1744. " I have not been long returned from a journey into the backwoods, 

...where I had the pleasure of seeing a most delightful country, a Country my Lord, that Equals 

(if it does not exceed) and in America for natural advantages, such as rich and fertile soil, well 

furnished with timber of all sorts, abounding with limestone, and stone fit for building, good 

slates and some Marble, and to Crown all, very healthy (Kessel 1981:21)." This patenting of 

large acreage may have also had an affect of delaying actual settlement, at least in the early 

decades of the eighteenth century. The early landowners effectively “usurped” the choicest 

parcels in the region (Tracey and Dern 1987:23). Settlers anxious to obtain land, tended to 

migrate through Maryland and settle further south in Virginia in order to avoid already claimed 

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areas and the potential conflict of occupying this land (Reed 1999:11).

The earliest surveys in Frederick Country were made in the 1720s. One of the largest was 

“Carrollton,” surveyed in 1723 for Charles Carroll, signer of the Declaration of Independence. 

Located west of the Monocacy River and south of Frederick, this vast 10,000-acre tract 

extended from Buckeystown south to the Potomac River. Carrollton Manor lay across the 

Monocacy River opposite a 1,400-acre tract called “Wett Work.” The Wett Work tract, first 

surveyed in 1729 for land speculator John Abbington, contained what is now much of the land 

area included in Monocacy National Battlefield. It extended southward from a bend in the river 

near the present railroad crossing, along the east side of the river to a place approximately 

opposite Buckeystown (Reed 1999:6, 71). Another early patent (1740) that figures prominently 

in the physical history of the park was Daniel Dulaney’s “Locust Level” (Reed 1999:57). This 

property located on the west side of the Monocacy River, extended from the meeting point of 

the current Buckeystown Pike and Maryland Route 355 south toward Ballenger Creek (Reed 

1999:57). Of the six major properties included in the Monocacy National Battlefield boundaries, 

five of them represent portions of “Wett Work” and/or “Locust Level.” Other significant 

parcels, which were patented later in the 1790s, and would eventually be incorporated into the 

park properties, included “Arcadia” and “Altogether”.

The earliest Monocacy settlers were generally tenants or squatters living on small farms. 

Many were German farmers from Pennsylvania or English farmers from eastern Maryland. 

While there are no descriptions of the settlements located within the Monocacy NB boundaries 

for this period, a 1767 descriptive inventory of tenant housing on Lord Baltimore’s 

Conococheague Manor describes the typical improvements on a farmstead in western 

Maryland. Conococheague Manor was located near what is now the town of Williamsport in 

Washington County. The inventory describes simple “Dwelling Houses” constructed of mostly 

logs, with dimensions varying from 10 to 30 feet, and having stone or brick chimneys, or ones 

with no chimneys at all. It also lists individual outbuildings such as barns, stables, blacksmith 

shops, and kitchens. The inventory indicates that the seventeenth-century barns were smaller 

than the forebay barns that later characterize Frederick County farms in the eighteenth and 

nineteenth centuries. The Conococheague farms averaged between 100 and 200 acres, with 

generally fewer than 50 acres under cultivation and the remainder kept as meadow, woods 

and/or orchard. Crops grown on Lord Baltimore's manor included, wheat, rye and corn (Reed 

1999:15-18). 

In 1778 Daniel Dulaney leased 150 acres of “Locust Level,” requiring the tenant to maintain a 

pre-existing barn and build and maintain a dwelling house. While this lease may not have been 

for property that is now part of the park, the notation of a pre-existing barn reinforces our 

understanding of the built environment in the Monocacy area during the early settlement period. 

Dulaney also leased other portions of Locust Level at this time using what appears to be a 

standard lease. His standard lease specified the minimum size of the residence, requiring it to 

have a stone or brick chimney, and called for a barn (Reed 1999:57). Although the small, 

German-style mixed economy farms described in the Conococheague Manor inventory and 

Dulaney's leases appear to have been typical for this area, some individuals may have 

attempted to establish the plantation system common to eastern Maryland on these manors. 

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For example, tenants on Carrollton Manor were producing tobacco by the 1760s (Reed 

1999:10).

The iron industry, which began in Western Maryland during this period, also had an impact on 

the physical development of the Monocacy area. The first iron furnace was established in 

1764, west of Emmitsburg (approximately 30 miles north of Monocacy Junction). Thomas 

Johnson, one of Maryland’s most important Revolutionary War figures and future governor, 

was involved in the iron industry from its earliest years. In 1774, Thomas and his brothers 

James, Baker and Roger built the first Catoctin Furnace. They established a forge to work pig 

iron from this furnace on Bush Creek (Thompson 1976:63-64; Robb 1991:48). It was located 

approximately two miles above the confluence of Bush Creek and the Monocacy River, about a 

mile outside the present park boundaries (Varle 1808; Scharf 1882: 392). General Braddock is 

supposed to have met at this spot with provincial officers to plan his ill-fated campaign to fight 

the French. As late as the 1930s, the “Old Fort Furnace” ruins were a prominent landscape 

feature on Bush Creek (Guide to the Old Line State 1940). 

Another landscape feature relating to the iron industry and found within the park boundary is an 

“iron ore bank”. One bank was located in the hill field on Araby farm and the other was south 

of the Baker Farm, just outside the current park boundary (Lake 1873). Apparently these 

banks supplied ore to the Long a Coming Furnace in Knoxville, Maryland (Thompson 

1976:141). While these features have not been precisely dated, the above furnace was from the 

post-Civil War period (Susan Trail 2001: personal communication 2001). However, the banks 

may have had an earlier association with the Bush Creek Furnace. The iron industry typically 

extracted not only ore, but also cleared land of timber and quarried limestone for the production 

process. These activities and the structures required to support them left behind cleared slopes, 

prominent excavations and abandoned sites. 

Glass production also played a role in the early development of the Monocacy area. The 

Amelung Glass factory operated from 1775-1795, several miles south of the study area (Robb 

1991:64-67). While it is not clear whether local resources for glass production were taken from 

the study area, timber would have been culled from areas around the glass factory to be used 

as fuel in the manufacturing process. In addition, this operation would also have required 

well-developed wagon roads. 

Due in part to the constant north-south movement of settlers, the east-west trade of goods 

between western Maryland and the port towns of Georgetown, Baltimore, and Annapolis and 

the growth of local industries, regional roads developed early. Initially, the Europeans utilized 

existing Native American trails. The roads leading to Georgetown on both the east and the 

west sides of the Monocacy River incorporated portions of these trails. The route along the 

east side of the river is likely the same followed and somewhat improved by General 

Braddock's troops in 1755 (Bruegger 1988:153). Another east-west route approximated the 

present US Route 40, which is located just north of the Monocacy area. It led to Annapolis 

(Reed 1999:13). River crossings generally occurred at low places on the banks, at natural 

fording spots. Middle Ford ferry crossed the Monocacy River just south of the current Route 

355 highway bridge (HABS MD-1051 1991:15-16). A ferry operated at this location as early 

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as 1749, suggesting relatively high levels of vehicular traffic at the crossing. The ferry landing 

remained a prominent feature well into the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and its location is 

still reflected in current property boundaries (Varle 1808; Reed 1999:72; Monocacy NB Tract 

Map 1995). 

Some of the oldest communities in the region developed just outside the present Monocacy 

National Battlefield boundaries. In 1725, a Quaker settlement was established on Ballenger’s 

Creek near the present site of Buckeystown (Reed 1999:14). The area which includes the 

town of Urbana, located a few miles southeast of the park at the crossroads of Route 355 and 

Route 80, was settled in the 1730s by English colonists making their way northwest from 

present Montgomery County (Scharf 1882:596). While both sides of the Monocacy River 

attracted settlement, the establishment of the city of Frederick in 1745 spurred additional 

growth. Daniel Dulaney laid out the town of Frederick on an original land patent called 

“Taskers Chance,” which lay just north of his "Locust Level” tract and the project area. By 

1746, he had sold almost 5,000 acres, in lots of 100 to 300 acres, from this same patent. In 

1747, Dulaney inaugurated yearly spring and fall fairs in “Fredericktown,” as it was then called. 

This growing community needed its own county government, and in 1749, Frederick County 

was established. At the time, it included all of western Maryland (Bode 1978:34-36). 

The French and Indian War (1756-1763) seriously disrupted the booming development in the 

area. Settlements west of South Mountain, located about 15 miles northwest of the study area, 

were virtually deserted and destroyed, their English inhabitants fled east. Because 

"Fredericktown" was on Maryland's western frontier, it became a base of operation for military 

activity for southern Pennsylvania, Maryland and northern Virginia. Braddock's disastrous loss 

near Fort Duquesne in 1755 left the whole frontier area of western Maryland wide open to 

attack. Although the war formally ended with the Treaty of Utrecht in 1763, the threat of 

Indian attacks continued until 1764 (Reed 1999:15). 

In spite of the upheaval of the war, land speculation and some settlement continued to occur 

around Frederick. In 1759, James Marshall, a Scottish merchant, began acquiring large portions 

of Wett Work. By 1798, Marshall's "Wett Work Resurveyed" consisted of 1,066 acres and a 

sawmill operation. It is not clear where on the property Marshall and his family lived during the 

forty years of his ownership, but he is the probable builder of the brick mansion known today as 

"Araby," (circa 1780). “Araby” is in the center of the area designated as Monocacy National 

Battlefield (Reed 1999: 71). 

By the late eighteenth century, the Monocacy area was mostly an agricultural landscape of 

small farms, with an average of 50 acres under cultivation. These farmsteads were operated 

primarily by tenant farmers and consisted of simple log houses and rough outbuildings. There 

were the exceptions, such as Marshall's brick mansion, built at the end of this period. Roads 

were primitive, probably consisting of hard-packed dirt, dusty in the summer and muddy and 

rutted in the wet seasons. However, in the areas around Johnson's iron furnace, the Amelung 

Glass factory and the various mills, cleared trees, iron ore banks, mounds of sand, smoke and 

noise marked the landscape. These early industrial landscapes also included dwellings and other 

outbuildings associated with workers and their families. 

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The frontier setting of western Maryland began to change as the century ended. New 

ownership patterns emerged as owners who resided on their properties replaced land 

speculators and tenant farmers. However, in contrast to other areas near "Fredericktown," 

much of the land that now falls within the park boundary remained for a long time in the hands 

of two owners. Not until much later in the nineteenth century was the land subdivided into five 

smaller properties that subsequently became the five primary properties that comprise 

Monocacy NB (HABS MD-1051 1991:12-13).

1790-1860

By the 1790s, the historic patterns of development discernable in the present landscape of the 

park became apparent. Although little site-specific information is available for the beginning of 

this period, the post-revolutionary landscape can be inferred from an examination of the 

transformation occurring throughout the county. The general prosperity of Frederick County 

largely influenced the development of the Monocacy properties. The county’s white population 

was the highest of all Maryland’s counties at this time (Reed 1999:20). 

As was true earlier in the century, the migration of Germans from Pennsylvania and the 

patenting of land by wealthy landowners from eastern Maryland were primarily responsible for 

this population growth. The county’s population also included a prominent group of French 

settlers, who had fled both the French Revolution and a slave uprising in the French West 

Indies, as well as free and enslaved blacks (Reed 1999:21). The German settlers hoped to 

purchase land and settle their own farms. The landowners from eastern Maryland wanted to 

expand and diversify their landholdings and moneymaking enterprises beyond traditional 

tobacco production. Sons or other family members often managed and/or tenanted these 

properties. The French were presumably looking for a new start in western Maryland where 

cheap arable land remained available. Slaves obviously relocated according to their owners’ 

discretion, but free blacks may have chosen western Maryland in part to escape the stricter 

race laws being drafted and enforced in eastern Maryland during this period (Erika Martin 

1999: personal communication). 

In 1785 George Washington visited Frederick and described it as follows: 

“Frederick Town stands on a Branch of Monocacy, and lyes rather low. The Country about it 

is beautiful and seems to be in high cultivation. It is said to contain about [ ] Houses; for the 

most part wood; but there are many of brick and Stone, and some good ones...There are 

Churches, a Court House, Work House, and other public buildings. The Mechanics are 

numerous, in proportion to the aggregate; and the spirit of industry seem to pervade the place,” 

(Fitzgerald 1971:399).

The community Washington described was one of prosperity, where both the pastoral and the 

commercial are evident. This same prosperous mix of farming and industry was also an 

important characteristic of the landscape along the Monocacy River.

Washington's observations also included a description of the nearby Carrollton Manor, saying of 

its lands that, “nothing can well exceed them for fertility of Soil, convenient levelness, and 

luxurious growth of Timber. The Farms seem under good cultivation" (Fitzgerald 1971:398). 

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He found it remarkable that these farms were well managed and successful, as they were 

tenanted, not owned. Some landowners in the Monocacy area utilized this same pattern of 

tenanting. 

Decreasing profits in tobacco and declining business opportunities in southern and eastern 

Maryland also influenced growth in the Monocacy area. Wheat was the primary cash crop in 

central and western Maryland, and became even more so after the Revolution, when English 

trade restrictions were removed (Reed 1999:22). Grain in bulk, or processed into flour, meal or 

whiskey, was shipped to markets in Baltimore, Philadelphia, and from there to other North 

American ports, the West Indies, or Europe. By 1790, Frederick County had become the 

largest producer of wheat in the United States (Goodwin 1996:25).

This reliance on grain also resulted in a prominent milling industry. By 1796, 37 gristmills were 

located on the banks of the Monocacy River or its tributaries (Scharf 1882:364; Varle 1808). 

Four were located along Bush Creek, five to the south on Bennett Creek, six to the north on 

Linganore Creek and one to the west of the Monocacy River, on Ballenger Creek. Preliminary 

field investigations indicate that one of these eighteenth-century mills may to have been located 

within the study area (Field Notes 1999). The presence of mills in the larger region indicates 

how important the cultivation and processing of grain was during this time. The impact on the 

landscape of cleared open fields as well as mills with their associated buildings, wagon roads 

and lanes, and constructed water features such as dams, millraces, and ponds would have been 

extensive. Before 1830, local, custom or merchant mills generally processed grains. This was 

because it was cheaper to ship end products, such as flour and whiskey, rather than raw 

materials on the still-developing transportation system. With subsequent improvements in the 

Baltimore Turnpike (the National Road), the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal (1830s), and 

primarily, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (1830s), grains could be shipped to more distant 

processing points (Reed 1999:25). 

Other crops raised included corn, flax, orchard fruit, rye, oats, potatoes, and hay. Swine and 

sheep were the dominant livestock, although as the nineteenth century progressed, cattle 

rearing increased. The amount of butter and hides produced reflected these factors (Reed 

1999:32). By 1860, Frederick County ranked first in the state in both butter production and 

number of milk cows (Wesler et al in Goodwin 1996:27). In addition to grain storage and 

processing structures, these other kinds of agricultural activities required specialized structures 

as well. Corn cribs, root cellars, hay ricks or shocks, spring houses, animal pens and processing 

areas would all have been important and in most cases, highly visible components of the local 

farmsteads. 

The rate of agricultural innovation grew during the early decades of the nineteenth century. 

Farmers became interested in crop diversification, soil maintenance and improvement (Goodwin 

1996:27). Publications such as the “American Farmer”, started in Baltimore in 1819, also 

influenced the development of the innovations that led to increased agricultural output in 

Frederick County. Key innovations presented in this publication included the promotion of lime 

and guano fertilizers. The farmers in Frederick County were well placed to take advantage of 

these new fertilizers, especially lime. The lime industry developed during this period. One large 

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kiln operation was located southwest of the Ballenger Creek ford, north of Buckeystown and 

across the Monocacy from what would become Clifton (Robb 1991:393). 

The “American Farmer” also printed reviews of new farm machinery such as plows for deeper 

furrowing, self-raker reapers, wheat drills and other labor-reducing devices. These new 

machines were in turn manufactured for Baltimore and Frederick City markets, where the new 

technology was probably introduced to Monocacy area farmers. These agricultural innovations 

contributed to increased production and the reduction in size of local farms to between 150 and 

500 acres, a more manageable size than the large manors and patents of the eighteenth 

century. By 1850, eighty percent of Frederick County acreage was farmland (Wheelock 1997: 

22-23). The Monocacy area farms reflected this landscape change, with the two large manor 

farms, which had been formed in the late seventeenth century, subdivided by 1860 into smaller 

individual properties. 

Farmers also began to form agricultural organizations during the early decades of the 

nineteenth-century. The purpose of these organizations was to disseminate information about 

innovations in agriculture. These groups focused on soil improvement, increased crop yields 

and profitability. Colonel John McPherson, who was one of the owners of the large Araby 

manor property and built Araby Mills on Bush Creek, was the Vice President of the Frederick 

County Agricultural Society, District 1 in 1821 (Scharf 1882:446). 

Other shifts occurred in certain kinds of manufacturing, some of which was related to the 

increased agricultural production of this period. Tanning was one such industry; there were 47 

tanneries located in the county by 1790 (Reed 1999:23). Leather was critical to agriculture and 

became more so with the agricultural innovations of the early nineteenth century. The 

manufacturing of farm tools and implements, saddles and other gear for livestock, shoes and 

boots all required leather. The tanning industry also relied on extensive amounts of cut timber 

and the availability of animal hides. 

Woodlot management was an important part of a good farm operation. Generally established on 

low-quality arable land, woodlots were often fenced to keep out grazing animals. Wood was 

used for fence posts and quality lumber for buildings, while cordwood was needed for 

construction and fuel. Woodlots also supplied bark for tanning. Woodlots not only provided the 

farmer with an important resource for his own operation, but also a potential cash crop. 

Farmers sold extra cordwood and cut timber to send on to sawmills (Joseph 1994). 

Although the local iron forges and furnaces had ceased operations by the end of the eighteenth 

century, their structural remains were evident well into the nineteenth. The aforementioned 

Johnson forge on Bush Creek operated for only 25 years. However, the physical impact of its 

operation was substantial, as remnants of the structures associated with it were still visible in 

1882 (Scarf 1882:598). It is not clear when the iron ore banks described earlier were 

abandoned, but it appears they were in use at least in the early 1860s (Lake 1873; Thompson 

1976:141; Bearrs 1978:60-61).

At the same time, glass manufacturing also ended in the Monocacy area. The Amelung Glass 

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factory had closed in 1795 and the land and machinery were sold. Thomas Johnson purchased 

some of the machinery and set up the Aetna Glass Works on the north side of Bush Creek, a 

short distance outside the project area (Robb 1991: 69-70). Johnson’s enterprise may not have 

been particularly successful. By 1808 both his and Amelung’s operations were referred to as 

"Old Glass Works" (Varle 1808). Although these were not longstanding enterprises, the 

development, abandonment and/or reuse of the glass manufacturing structures, like the 

furnaces and forges, would have an impact on the landscape. The land originally cleared for 

this manufacturing process was probably converted to agricultural use. 

Manufacturing processes that more directly supported agriculture fared better. As stated 

above, leather and wood products were essential to an agricultural community. Tanning relied 

less on extractive resources, with the exception of wood bark, the source of tannic acid. 

Animal hides were also available as part of the mixed-use farming common to the area. 

Sawmills remained in operation locally for much the same reasons. Farms needed a constant 

supply of finished wood and wood products. Two of the Monocacy properties had sawmills 

located within their boundaries, but no tanneries appear to be located within the project area 

(Varle 1808).

Transportation improvements also occurred during this period. There were no naturally 

occurring inland water routes above the fall line that could accommodate shipping. Because 

the Potomac, the Monocacy and the Susquehanna were not suited for navigation (Reed 

1999:22), the development of reliable roads became paramount. A public road existed between 

Frederick and Baltimore as early as 1760 (Scharf 1882: 363). By 1779, the main roads of 

Frederick County included ones from "Monocacy ferry to Henry Ballinger's Branch," and 

"From Henry Ballinger's to Hussey's ford, the new road to Middle ford," (Scharf 18882:437). 

"Ballinger" probably refers to a site near the mouth of Ballenger Creek. The ford and ferry 

probably refer to a crossing just south of the current MD Route 355 highway bridge (Varle 

1808). Construction of the Baltimore Pike began in 1805 (Scharf 1882:363). The National 

Road, that linked Baltimore with Wheeling, West Virginia, incorporated the Baltimore Turnpike 

into its route and was completed by 1818 (Wheelock 1997:25). This road, now Old Route 40 

just north of the study area, was the principal route between the Monocacy properties and 

Baltimore prior to the arrival of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad in 1831.

The primary historic road in the study area, however, is the Georgetown Pike, or Turnpike. It 

was also known at various times as the Washington Pike and the Urbana Pike, and was 

chartered by the State of Maryland in 1805 (Robb 1991:98). The turnpike followed the 

alignment of an already existing main road (Griffith 1794) and intersected with the 

Buckeystown Pike just south of Frederick. Until well into the mid-twentieth century, the 

Georgetown Pike served as the main north-south road between Frederick and Georgetown and 

Washington, D.C. By 1848, its surface had been macadamized (Grove 1928:69-70). In some 

areas due to local topography, the turnpike was a deeply cut road (Bearss 1978:37). All of the 

Monocacy area properties had access to the pike. Several also had access to the Buckeystown 

Pike and the National Road. In addition to its function as an important transportation feature, 

the turnpike marked the boundary line between properties, and in one case, separated individual 

fields on the same farm (Hotchkiss 1864). Although its alignment has been somewhat altered 

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over the years, the pike remains an important unifying element in the study area.

Travelers were required to pay tolls on the turnpike until well into the nineteenth century (Roe 

1885:10). A “Toll Gate” was located just south of the intersection of the Georgetown Pike and 

the Buckeystown Pike (Bond 1858). Tradition holds that a small house located on the west 

side of the Georgetown Pike, just opposite the current park entry drive, was another tollhouse. 

The date of this structure is unknown.

A wooden bridge carrying the Georgetown Pike over the Monocacy River was constructed in 

the first half of the nineteenth century just upriver from the Middle Ford ferry crossing (HABS 

MD-1052 1991:12; Bond 1858). An 1856 advertisement for the sale of the “Araby farm” 

makes no mention of the ferry site, suggesting that the bridge had become the primary means 

for crossing the Monocacy by that time (Frederick Examiner 1856 in HABS MD-1052 

1991:7-8). The earliest drawing of it shows a covered bridge, roofed with shingles and 

supported by stone piers; one in the middle of the river and one at each bank (Harvey Sketch 

ca.1862). This bridge was described as: "250 feet long, 50 feet wide and 16 feet high, with 

heavy arched timbers on each side and in the middle and a line of heavy supporting timbers 

running through the middle of its entire length and thus dividing the bridge into two driveways, 

one for eastbound and the other westbound traffic" (Worthington 1932:59). The turnpike may 

have been realigned to a spot slightly upstream from the Middle Ford ferry landing when the 

bridge was built (Araby and Hermitage tract maps in Reed 1999; Site investigation, 4/28/2000).

Rail access for the Monocacy area came with the arrival of the inaugural train of the Baltimore 

and Ohio Railroad (B&O), on December 1, 1831 (Dilts 1993:146). A junction with a spur line 

to Frederick (called at different times the Frederick or Monocacy Junction, or Araby) was 

located on the western shore of the river, three and one-half miles south of Frederick, just north 

of the mouth of Bush Creek and about one-half mile west of the Georgetown Pike. Until the 

opening of the Washington Branch line in 1873, all travel from points west traveled through this 

junction to reach the capital city (Williams and McKinsey 1910:235).

The physical connection of the main and spur lines formed a triangular-shaped intersection that 

remains in place today. The railroad tracks and the triangular junction are located within the 

park boundaries, on land once included in the land patents, “Locust Level “ and “Arcadia.” The 

spur line veers northwest from the junction, serving as Frederick’s connection to the main line. 

The main line continues west, along the bank of the river, until it turns to the southwest near 

Ballenger Creek. Near Monocacy Junction, the main line railroad was built as close to the river 

as possible along its naturally formed second terrace level. Three deep railway cuts were 

necessary to complete its passage through the area. One of these cuts necessitated the 

building of an overpass to carry the Georgetown Pike over the railroad tracks. The original 

appearance of this overpass bridge is not known, but in the 1860s, it was constructed of wood 

(Bearss 1978:113).

The bridge carrying the railroad over the Monocacy River was located about 300 yards 

upstream from the turnpike bridge and within the park boundaries. Lewis Wernwag, a 

prominent bridge builder of the time, designed the original railroad bridge. It is considered the 

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first wooden railway bridge in the United States (Caplinger 1997:9, 17). Wernwag’s bridge had 

three wooden arched deck trusses that rested on stone abutments and piers. It was 350 feet 

long, 24 feet wide and 38 feet above the river (Dilts 1993:148). In the 1850s, the B & O 

Railroad replaced many of its mainline wooden bridges with new, primarily cast iron bridges 

designed by engineer Wendall Bollman (Caplinger 1997:41). The railroad probably replaced 

Wernwag's wooden bridge during this period with a three-span iron railroad bridge resting on 

the original abutments and stone piers (Bearss 1978:91-92). 

By the end of this period, the owners of L’Hermitage and Araby, the two farm properties of 

the study area with eighteenth-century origins, had subdivided their holdings. This division 

created several individual properties, including: five farmsteads (Baker Farm, Clifton, 

Hermitage, Hill Farm and Araby), one mill operation (Araby Mills), and a small rail side 

community associated with the B & O Railroad and the Monocacy Junction (Araby rail side 

community). 

HERMITAGE

In 1795, Daniel Dulaney sold 457 acres of "Resurvey on Locust Level" to Victoire Vincendiere. 

She was the eldest daughter of a French family, who had most likely fled slave uprisings in 

Santa Domingo and relocated to Frederick City in 1792. In 1798, Victoire purchased an 

additional 291 acres of adjoining land. This second parcel was part of the Arcadia tract owned 

by James Marshall. However, the family had been in residence on the property purchased 

from Marshall since at least 1794 (NR Nomination 2000:8.10).

The total acreage of the Vincendiere holding, which they would name L’Hermitage, was 748 

acres. The Monocacy River formed the southern and eastern boundaries of the farm. The 

northern boundary was slightly south of the intersection of the Buckeystown Pike and the 

Urbana Pike. The western boundary consisted partly of the Buckeystown Pike and a shared 

boundary with Arcadia. The road that would become the Georgetown Pike traversed the farm, 

with the majority of the land and all the farm buildings lying to the west. The Monocacy River 

could be crossed from several different locations on L'Hermitage. Among these were the 

Middle Ford ferry landing, and later the turnpike bridge. By the mid-nineteenth century, the 

ferry had apparently gone out of use (Frederick Examiner 1856 in HABS MD-1052 1991:7-8), 

but by 1864 a ford was located on the upstream side of the turnpike (Hotchkiss 1864). 

Individuals trying to avoid a bridge toll or to transport things too large for the covered bridge 

across the river may have used this ford. 

For reasons, yet to be determined, Victoire was listed as owner of the family properties and as 

head of household. Although her parents lived well into the nineteenth century, she continued 

to be considered the head of household (U.S. Census 1790-1850; Varle 1808). During the 

early part of this period she had responsibility for a household of 18 people and 90 slaves 

making her the second largest slave owner in Frederick County (U.S. Census 1800). The large 

number of slaves suggests an extensive agricultural operation on her farm, or a secondary 

enterprise centered on the slave trade, or the renting out of skilled slaves. Twenty years later, 

her household consisted of 63 persons, of whom 48 were slaves and four were free blacks. 

Twenty-five of the slaves worked in agriculture, and one in manufacturing (U.S. Census 1820). 

The reason for the decrease in the number of slaves is unknown. By 1830, Victoire had sold 

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the farm and lived in Frederick. Her household consisted of nine people, including two slaves, 

and two free blacks (U.S. Census 1830). She apparently ran a successful farm, as it sold for 

more than 10 times the amount of its 1798 assessment. Victoire died in 1854 (Reed 1999).

Little information remains describing the historic appearance of the L’Hermitage property. 

Although the type of farm system or crops grown during the Vincendiere ownership are not 

documented, the unusually high number of slaves held by this family suggests plantation type 

agriculture. The family’s previous slave ownership in Santa Domingo also supports this 

hypothesis. The Vincendieres may have initially grown tobacco, only to realize that grain was 

the more common and profitable commodity in Frederick County. Because wheat is a far less 

labor-intensive crop than tobacco, a subsequent shift from tobacco to wheat may have resulted 

in the documented reduction in the number of slaves owned by the family. 

The number of slaves and the type of agricultural enterprise undertaken on L'Hermitage would 

have also affected the appearance of the property. For example, the Vincendieres must have 

constructed some form of slave housing. One early twentieth-century description of the "early 

plantations" in Frederick County states that “there were many dilapidated out buildings 

surrounding these homes as all the early settlers, especially farmers, were slaveholders and 

buildings had to be erected for their care. These old houses have all disappeared" (Grove 

1928:115). Given what remains on the property and lack of historical information, it is 

impossible to describe how slave housing affected the physical layout of the farm. The spatial 

arrangement of the buildings during the Vincendiere ownership may reflect aspects of the 

relationship between structures and social hierarchy found on Caribbean plantations. Further 

research is necessary to determine if this is so.

Presently, three buildings remain on the property from the period of the Vincendiere ownership. 

One of these may have been an early tenant house built during Daniel Dulaney's ownership by 

a leaseholder. Architectural details suggest a mid-eighteenth century construction date and the 

dimensions of the building fit the pattern of early tenant houses. Built of local limestone and 

originally one story, the Vincendieres added a log second story in the 1790’s as well as interior 

improvements. It bears a resemblance to a two-story limestone, "Old Slave Quarters" that in 

1928 was still standing on the home farm of Carrollton Manor, Tuscarora, not far from 

L’Hermitage (Grove 1928:115). Originally the structure faced east toward the main road 

(Georgetown Pike), but when the second story was added its primary entrance was changed to 

face west and the building was now oriented towards the main house.

The Vincendieres improved upon another existing stone structure, which was situated on a 

slight rise just south of the smaller secondary dwelling described above, when they constructed 

a substantial stone addition to make a larger manor house in 1798 (NR Nomination 2000:7/14). 

They, or their successors, subsequently renovated the manor house in the 1820s and it was 

stuccoed over sometime before 1835. A freestanding log kitchen (c. 1790) stood to the rear of 

the main house (and was incorporated into that main structure in the 1860s). The large 

French-style limestone barn also from the 1790s, was constructed further west, behind the 

other structures (National Register Nomination 2000).

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In the 1790s, the manor house, small stone house, stone barn and free-standing log kitchen 

formed the heart of the building cluster. However, the number of family members and slaves 

implies that there were additional dwellings and outbuildings. Other structures that may have 

been constructed would have included stables, sheds, corncribs, ice, spring and/or meat houses, 

animal pens, slave housing and privies and perhaps an overseer’s quarters. While some of 

these other structures would have been located near the residences and barn, others may have 

been farther away. The siting of the four primary eighteenth-century buildings, with clear views 

across the property created a structural core that may have determined the circulation and 

placement of other structures on the farm throughout its history. 

In 1827, John Brien purchased L’Hermitage. He was the son-in-law of John McPherson Sr., 

the owner of the Araby tract. However, Brien died shortly afterwards, and John H. McElfresh 

bought the 748-acre Hermitage property in 1835. McElfresh acquired 13 1\2 additional acres 

and had the property resurveyed into “Resurvey on the Hermitage” in 1837. He probably 

maintained the property with tenant occupants, as the farm was leased out in 1836. McElfresh 

lived in "Frederick City," and he probably never personally occupied Hermitage farm (U.S. 

Census 1840). The name of the tenant farmer during this period remains unknown. A change in 

the metes and bounds of the deed made when the property changed hands in 1837 refers to 

"the said old road now shut up." The date, coming sometime after the construction of the first 

turnpike bridge, suggests that the old ferry road that led to the crossing below the bridge had 

been closed for some time.

The extent of physical development between 1827 and 1835 is largely undetermined with the 

exception of one significant change that had a major impact on the property. This change 

occurred when the B&O began construction of its rail line on the west side of the Monocacy 

River. This section of rail and the Monocacy Junction became operational in 1831. The 

junction lay within the section of Hermitage located on the east side of Georgetown Pike. The 

rail line leading to it crossed the property from northeast to southwest on a terraced 

embankment, nearly parallel to the river and about 100 feet south of the manor house. The 

spur line, which ran from the triangular junction north on a similar embankment to the city of 

Frederick, traversed the farm in a northwesterly direction. 

Some disruption in farming the fields adjacent to the rail lines inevitably occurred during the 

building of the rail line, but the construction of several significant landscape features had a more 

permanent impact. Among these were the continuous earthen embankment; the rail junction 

with station house and outbuildings; the wooden bridge carrying the turnpike over the railroad; 

the timber bridge, designed by Lewis Wernwag to carry the railroad over the Monocacy River; 

and the lines of metal track, which further delineated the fields along the river and created new 

patterns. The cumulative effect of these features transformed this part of the farm. The 

western abutment of the railroad bridge added a large stone landscape feature on the southeast 

riverside field of the farm. The construction of the junction took some field area out of use, 

bisected and separated what remained and restricted access to the lower fields of the farm. 

The deep cuts, berm and bridge needed to accommodate the passage of the turnpike over the 

tracks further separated and impeded access. Much of the rail line was fenced on both sides, 

with openings to allow for crossing at selected locations (Hotchkiss 1864; B&O photo 1858). 

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The close proximity of the rail line to the main residence and the adjacent buildings also brought 

noise, dirt and vibrations to these residential and work areas. 

McElfresh died in 1841, leaving “Resurvey of the Hermitage” to his heirs. They divided the 

property into North and South Hermitage in 1852. Ariana McElfresh Trail and her husband, 

Charles E. Trail, owned South Hermitage, which consisted of 426 acres. All of the boundaries 

remained the same except for the northern one, which was redrawn about two-and-half miles 

south of the meeting point of the Georgetown and Buckeystown Pikes. For the purposes of this 

inventory, South Hermitage is hereafter referred to as Hermitage or Hermitage farm. 

Hermitage was located on prime agricultural land (U.S Agricultural Census 1860). Set into a 

bend of the Monocacy River, it had fertile riverside bottomland along much of its southern and 

western boundaries. Wheat, hay, and corn were the primary crops grown and cattle, pigs, 

sheep and horses were raised (U.S. Agricultural Census 1850, 1860, 1870). Streams provided 

water to the fields located on higher ground. Wood was available from an oak grove on the 

farm (Hotchkiss 1864). Limestone outcrops on the property may have provided the stone 

building materials for the farm buildings and later for some of its fences. This same limestone 

could have also supplied lime necessary to fertilize the soil. Access to transportation routes 

was ideal. In the 1860s, the owners joined the 1790s freestanding log kitchen to the manor 

house via a frame infill. A large forebay or “swisser”-style bank barn, typical of many in 

Frederick County, had been built just north of the smaller stone and log dwelling. A small log 

smokehouse stood behind the manor house. A timber frame wagon shed/corncrib was 

constructed between the Vincendiere stone barn and the dwellings. Other outbuildings such as 

pigpens and poultry sheds probably existed as well.

As with all farms of this period, fencing was a major landscape feature. Fences delineated 

fields, pastures and crops. Hermitage may have had a greater need for fencing due to 

criss-crossing of the property by both the turnpike and the railroad. In addition to internal 

fencing, a double line fence existed along the railroad and on each side of the Georgetown Pike 

(Bearss 1978:107). The extent of fencing included a finely built stonewall and as much as 2000 

"panels" of post and six-rail fences, or approximately three miles of fencing. The pine used for 

the post and rails may have come from the farm’s own woodlots (National Archives Civil War 

Damage Claims, RG 92). The alignments of the Hermitage fences appear to have been 

relatively unchanged throughout decades of farming (Hotchkiss 1864; Aerial photograph 1937, 

1952).

The Best family may have arrived as tenants on South Hermitage as early as the late 1830s, or 

later around 1850 (Williams and McKinsey 1910: 900; National Archives Civil War Damage 

Claims, RG 92). While it is unclear exactly when his tenancy began, by 1860 David Best was 

the tenant on Hermitage. He farmed 375 acres of improved land, and had 50 acres of 

unimproved land (U.S. Agricultural Census 1860). He harvested wheat, straw, corn, and 

potatoes, produced cordwood and had a blacksmith shop on his property (National Archives 

Civil War Damage Claims, RG 92). The need for a blacksmith implies that Best’s operation 

was diversified and progressive, employing innovative agricultural tools and machinery. This 

successful and productive farm would remain so under the Best family’s tenancy throughout 

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the nineteenth century.

ARABY

Between 1812 and 1832, John McPherson, Sr. and his son, John Jr. assembled various portions 

of adjacent tracts to create a 1,111-acre property that became known as Araby. These tracts 

were all tied to the intersection and crossroads created by the passage of the Georgetown Pike 

over the Monocacy River and the Monocacy Junction of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. The 

road across Bush Creek was another link, although secondary, that connected McPherson’s 

holdings and provided Araby with access to the National Road. When subdivision of Araby 

occurred in the 1840’s, many of the internal connections remained, either through subsequent 

owners or through common uses. McPhersons’ Araby remained a crossroads community that 

continued to be loosely connected well into the twentieth century. Analysis of the 

contemporary cultural landscape suggests that there were four distinct areas within the larger 

landscape of the Araby tract. These areas are Araby (the farm property also known as 

Mansion House Farm), Hill Farm, Araby Mills, and the Araby rail side community. 

Araby (Mansion House Farm) 

The National Park Service does not currently own the farm that is the core of historic Araby 

manor, but it lies within the boundaries of Monocacy National Battlefield. Understanding the 

transformation of this farm is essential to following the development of the other properties that 

are managed by the Service (Reed 1999). 

As stated previously, one of the major eighteenth-century landowners in the project area was 

James Marshall. His property extended from the point where the present railroad track meets 

the Monocacy River, south along the east side of the river to a another point nearly opposite the 

community of Buckeystown. Marshall's property consisted of two tracts: “Resurvey of Wett 

Work" located entirely on the east of the river, and “Arcadia” which extended to the west side. 

In addition to his late eighteenth-century brick mansion, a small stone residence, various 

outbuildings, a sawmill and a ferry house were located on his property. The mansion house 

faced northeast toward what would become the Georgetown Pike. The stone house was 

located southeast of the main residence. The ferry house was probably located near the ferry 

crossing at Middle Ford on the west side of the river (just below the present MD 355 Bridge). 

The landing incorporated, on both banks, a cleared area where a boat could load and unload, 

with the house located near one of the landings. Marshall apparently continued to conduct a 

successful, diversified enterprise, which included farming and operating a sawmill, as well as 

running a ferry. This diversification suggests that several types of structures also existed on his 

property. After John Marshall’s death in 1803, the remainder of his property was subdivided 

and individual portions were sold. 

John McPherson purchased a portion of the Marshall’s Wett Work tract in 1812. It included 

the “Mansion House Farm,” where the eighteenth-century house was located. In 1832, several 

years after the death of his father, John McPherson Jr. ordered a resurvey of his inherited 

properties. This resurvey, of about 1,100 acres, combined the property McPherson Sr. 

purchased from Marshall with parts of a tract called “Altogether.” This tract was located 

south and east of Wett Work. McPherson called his new combined property “Araby”. In the 

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succeeding decades, different owners would subdivide Araby into separate properties, some of 

which eventually became part of Monocacy National Battlefield.

McPherson assembled the various tracts creating Araby to expand its potential for commercial 

development. A deed to one of the tracts details a description of the water rights conveyed. In 

the deed, McPherson gained free access to a spring (located on what is probably Hill Farm), 

including the right to lay pipes to carry the water to any part of the farm. This stipulation 

suggests that he may have intended to develop parts of Araby for commercial or manufacturing 

use. In addition, McPherson Jr. expanded an important industry in the Monocacy area when he 

built a merchant-milling operation on Bush Creek. This circa 1830 grain mill was located on 

one of the tracts incorporated into the Araby property and may have replaced an earlier 

eighteenth-century mill (Varle 1808; Field Notes 1999; Susan Trail 2001; personal 

communication). McPherson’s mill operation, known as Araby Mills, continued to operate 

profitably under subsequent owners, significantly influencing the development of the Monocacy 

area.

By 1844, McPherson was deeply in debt. In order to satisfy his creditors, he divided his Araby 

tract into smaller parcels and sold them. The larger Araby property was apportioned into four 

distinct entities. One was the mill site; the second was the developed area associated with the 

B&O rail crossing and junction; the third was a tenant farm called Hill Farm; and the fourth 

was known as Araby (or Mansion House Farm). The latter consisted of 226 acres and was 

bordered by the Monocacy River on the north, the Georgetown Pike on the east and the 

Buckeystown Road (now Baker Valley Road) to the south. To the west, the farm shared a 

boundary with Arcadia, the other property formerly owned by James Marshall. By 1852, 

Araby had changed ownership twice. 

Griffin Taylor, a wealthy local farmer, purchased Araby (Mansion House Farm) in 1852 (For 

the purposes of this report this property will be from here on as Araby). Taylor was also the 

owner of Arcadia, a tract that spread across both sides of the Monocacy River and adjoined 

Araby at its western boundary. Between 1847 and 1851, Taylor combined portions of Araby, 

Arcadia and another farm to develop a new, separate property called Clifton. With these land 

purchases, the Araby manor house became Taylor's main residence. 

Griffin Taylor died in 1856. John F. Wheatley and Turner A. Ball purchased Araby that same 

year, along with the newly created Clifton property. Wheatley and Ball formed a partnership 

with James H. Gambrill, the recent purchaser of the adjacent Araby Mills, to start up a 

distillery. Ball planned to farm Araby and Clifton to provide the mill with rye or barley, which 

Gambrill would grind into malt, and furnish Wheatley with the products needed to run the 

distillery. In 1859, Ball produced 3,500 bushels of winter wheat (U.S. Census 1860). 

However, due in part to an economic recession that began in 1857, the distillery venture failed 

in 1860. Although short-lived, the Wheatley, Ball and Gambrill partnership exemplifies the 

integration of agricultural production with local industry and illustrates its role in the local 

economy. 

Wheatley and Ball sold Araby to C.K. Thomas in 1860 and Wheatley apparently left the area. 

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Ball continued to live at Clifton until he sold to John T. Worthington in 1862. This action served 

to separate Araby and Clifton again. At this point, the manor house became known as Araby, 

while the property became known as the Thomas Farm. 

The property that Thomas acquired in 1860 was prime agricultural land. The built environment 

of the farm was an important indicator of its value. There was a “Mansion House...suitable 

for a large family.” Other structures included a corncrib, icehouse and smokehouse. Other 

“necessary and suitable outbuildings” were also found on Araby. These may have included 

pigpens, sheep enclosures and poultry houses (U.S Agricultural Census 1850, 1860). All were 

important to the management of a successful agricultural enterprise. The existence of a “large 

Switzer barn” underscores the important role of grain production (Frederick Examiner 1856 in 

HABS MD-1052 1991:7-8). This type of barn, also known as a forebay or bank barn, was 

designed to facilitate the threshing and storage of wheat. The property also included a tenant 

house and blacksmiths shop (Frederick Examiner 1856 in HABS MD-1052 1991:7-8). The 

existence of the tenant house suggests a farm operation that required additional, or outside, 

labor, either slave or free. The blacksmith shop may have been necessary due to the size of 

the farm operation or because of the property’s proximity to the Georgetown Turnpike. 

Thomas does not appear on the 1860 agricultural census, but a tax assessment from that year 

lists his ownership of two sets of farm buildings on 299 acres, worth $29,900. In 1870, his farm 

had a real-estate value of $24,000, with farm products worth $6,220, nearly twice the value of 

the neighboring Clifton, which had only slightly less improved acres than the Thomas farm 

(U.S. Agricultural Census 1870). Thomas produced a significantly higher amount of corn and 

wheat than his neighbors. 

Other physical characteristics of Araby included open fields (cropped, meadow and pasture), 

fencing, an apple orchard, woodlots and yards (Frederick Examiner 1856 in HABS MD-1052 

1991: 7-8; Hotchkiss 1864; U.S. Agricultural Census 1850, 1860). In order to keep animals out 

of the growing crops, internal fencing was constructed, which created a system of delineated 

fields on Araby, similar to the field patterns found on the other Monocacy farms. Property 

owners also erected fences along the turnpike and the railroad and used them as boundary 

markers (Bearss 1978:107-108). Fencing was generally of the “post and rail” type and 

described as "high" (Bearss 1978:106, Roe 1885:13 in EDAW 1993]). Osage orange, or 

“Maclura pomifera,” may have been used as living fencing on Araby in this period. This tree, 

native to Kansas and Arkansas, was introduced in the east as a form of hedge material by the 

1850s (Hedrick 1950: 333;Warder 1858:50-66). A remnant line of mature Osage orange trees 

remains near the intersection of the old Georgetown Pike and Urbana/Buckeystown Roads 

(now Araby Church Road and Baker Valley Road). Another linear element of the Araby 

landscape was the formal entry drive lined by two parallel rows of deciduous trees. The drive 

led straight from the turnpike to the main house (Bearss 1978:102;Hotchkiss 1864) and is still 

extant on the farm. The woodlot for Araby was probably a wooded area on the eastern foot of 

Brooks Hill. Araby’s orchard may have been located along the Baker Valley Road near its 

intersection with an Araby farm lane (Frederick Examiner 1856 in HABS MD-1052 1991: 7-8; 

Hotchkiss 1864).

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Hill Farm 

Like the Baker Farm, this property was originally part of John Marshall’s holdings. In 1819, 

John McPherson Sr. purchased 119 acres from Marshall’s son-in law, John L. Harding and 

incorporated it into the Araby tract. It became known as McPherson's Hill Farm. When the 

Araby tract was sub-divided in the mid-nineteenth century, Henry Layman acquired most of the 

Hill Farm. The property was described in the deed as "being part of Araby, next to the 

Mansion [House] Farm part of Araby, bounded by the road to Georgetown and a county road 

from the Georgetown Road to Buckeystown Road (Baker Valley Road), and bounded by the 

"Still House Lot" (Reed 1999:90). The location of the “Still House Lot,” while unknown, was 

probably to the east of Layman’s property. He owned the farm until his death in 1856. He 

willed what had become a 110-acre property to his wife Lydia.

The Hill farm is located on high, broken ridge land, east of Baker Valley Road. The land slopes 

up to the east, stepping up a series of naturally occurring ridges. It has somewhat less fertile 

soil than the previously discussed farms (Reed 1999:89). In spite of its location on high ground, 

the farm had a ready source of fresh water. This is confirmed by McPherson's rights to a 

spring, noted in the 1819 deed of purchase, and by the extant spring house, which is located 

northeast of the main farm buildings in a low area now concealed by heavy overgrowth. The 

types of crops, animals and fencing are unknown, but it is likely that they resembled the other 

Monocacy farms. Due to the less fertile character of the soil however, Hill Farm may have 

been a less successful enterprise than neighboring farms.

Ownership history suggests that the existing farmhouse was probably built in the 1850s. This 

wood-frame tenant house is less substantial than the house built on Clifton during the same 

period. The farmhouse was most likely part of a complex of structures, which may have 

included a barn, storage buildings, privies, and an icehouse. A forebay barn was constructed 

southeast of the house circa 1880s (Reed 1999: 93; LCS 1997;NR Nomination 2000:7/10). 

Research has not yet confirmed the existence of a previous barn in this location.

Araby Mills 

The Araby Mills tract comprises a more complex landscape than farms like Hermitage or Hill 

Farm. It was originally part of the “Wett Work” and “Altogether” tracts purchased by 

McPherson to create Araby. Between 1830 and 1835, John McPherson Jr. established a mill 

on this property (EDAW 1993:4-3). This mill and the group of structures serving it were 

known as Araby Mills. When the McPherson’s Araby was subdivided because of his financial 

problems in the early 1840's, the 65-acre mill complex was sold to Elias Crutchley. In 1847, 

Crutchley died and George W. Delaplane, a miller from the nearby New Market District 

purchased the mill complex. He occupied the property for only a few years, before selling to 

his apprentice James H. Gambrill in 1855.

At that time, the property was bounded by the B&O Railroad tracks on the northeast, the 

Monocacy River to the northwest, the Georgetown Pike on the southwest, and a boundary line 

with some former Araby property on the southeast (EDAW 1993:4-3). The Araby Mills 

complex was built at the same time as the B&O Railroad, probably in order to take advantage 

of the site’s proximity to the railroad junction (Reed 1999:75). The three-story stone mill was 

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sited in a low area near the mouth of Bush Creek.

The mill complex consisted of “a three-story merchant flour mill built of stone, forty-five feet 

long by forty feet wide, and fitted with two pairs of burr (flour-milling stones) and a single 

water wheel...” (HABS MD-1051 1991:6). The complex also included a sawmill, on a stone 

foundation, fifty feet by fifteen feet, and a "chopping and plaster mill." This was a two-story 

building fifty feet by twenty feet, housing water-powered machines for making animal feed and 

for grinding gypsum into fertilizer. The two latter buildings were attached and served by a 

single water wheel. The gearing throughout the mill complex was made of wood. The millrace 

ran east-west along the creek, bringing water to the mill. A dam, probably earthen with stone 

abutments was also constructed upstream. The millpond created by the dam was located to the 

northeast at an elevation about 10 to 20 feet higher than the mill (HABS MD-1051 1991:6).

Next to the mill complex stood the dwelling for the miller. This was a one and a half-story 

stone house, thirty-four feet by twenty feet, with an attached one-story stone kitchen, nineteen 

and one-half feet by sixteen feet. In John McPherson's time, the miller was generally an 

individual who ran the operation based on an agreement to share the proceeds with the owner. 

The roofs of all the buildings in the complex were covered with the oak shingles, save that of 

the merchant mill, which was roofed with cypress shingles (HABS MD-1051 1991:6).

Gambrill made many improvements to the property during his 42 years of ownership. In 1857, 

he built a brick building along side the rail line on the north side of Bush Creek and financed the 

private siding, or switch, that connected the structure directly to the tracks of the main line. 

This building was originally intended for use as a distillery (Bond 1858) in the ill-fated business 

partnership with Ball (Clifton) and Wheatley (Araby). Gambrill's mill was one the top three 

flour producers in Frederick County in 1860 therefore, when the distillery business failed in that 

same year, the building was easily adapted for use as a warehouse (U.S Agricultural Census 

1860; HABS MD-1051 1991:16). 

The development of Araby Mills and the Gambrill property were closely linked to the 

transportation network that existed in the project area. Access to the mill and the railroad 

junction was via a road that led from the Georgetown Pike to the mill then to a ford across 

Bush Creek. From there the road crossed the tracks and continued north, eventually 

connecting with the National Road (Reed 1999:99). This access not only supported a profitable 

milling operation, but also served other area farmers well. 

The public nature of the Bush Creek ford road indicates another aspect of the mill landscape. 

The mill area was an active public space. People on horseback and in wagons constantly 

moved through the mill complex as they brought grain to be milled, hauled away already 

processed products, and traveled across Bush Creek Ford. This road also served as a 

connection between the Baltimore and Georgetown Roads, the road to Frederick and the B&O 

Railroad junction. The Araby Mills landscape also reflected its primarily industrial nature. 

Generally, less land on the property was in agricultural production than on the other Monocacy 

farms. This is probably due to Gambrill’s status as a full-time miller. Apparently, only the 

property’s flat areas were in cultivation, with crops such as wheat, corn and hay, while much of 

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the rest remained wooded. Gambrill also had an apple orchard (EDAW 1993:4-7; National 

Archives Civil War Damage Claims, RG 92). Gambrill may have also leased out his fields to 

tenants, which would have increased the amount of agricultural land in use (U.S. Agricultural 

Census 1860, 1870). 

Araby rail side community

In addition to the mill complex, Gambrill’s holdings also included structures that were located 

across Bush Creek, along the railroad line. At least four buildings, including the 

distillery/warehouse and a one and one-half story dwelling appear to have been part of a small 

community that developed in association with the B&O Railroad’s Monocacy Junction 

(Hotchkiss 1864). This rail side community was located in the elongated area created by the 

river to the west, Bush Creek to the south and the railroad tracks to the north. The Y-shaped 

Monocacy Junction was located on east side of the river where the track split northeast and 

west. The area within the Y contained a frame two-story station house. The first-story 

provided space for the railroad and telegraph offices; the second-story served as living quarters 

for the station's agent and his family. In addition, coal bins, sand houses, platforms and water 

stations and five sidings were located here (Bearss 1978:106). 

While the junction and the rail side community were located on opposite sides of the river they 

were closely related. The rail line connected them and both were oriented toward the railroad. 

They were also centers of commercial activity, as points for shipping, passenger transfer and 

telegraph operation. This was because the Bush Creek ford road provided a link to the 

National Road and the Georgetown Pike. In addition, until 1873, all trains from the west, 

heading to Baltimore or Washington went via the Monocacy Junction (Williams and McKinsey 

1910:235). 

CLIFTON

Griffin Taylor created Clifton from three parts of other properties purchased between 1835 and 

1847. In addition to a portion of the larger Araby tract, he used part of Arcadia and part of a 

512-acre tract purchased from the Harding family (Reed 1999:94). This last tract was 

originally included in Marshall’s eighteenth century patent, Wett Work. Taylor’s acquisition of 

well-established Araby (Mansion House Farm) in 1852 suggests that he developed Clifton as a 

companion property. Located above a bend of the Monocacy River, Clifton was bounded by 

the river on the north and west, by Brooks Hill and the Baker Farm to the south and to the east 

and by Araby on the northeast. A road that provided Clifton with access to the Georgetown 

Pike was located on sliver of land that ran across neighboring Araby parallel to the river. 

Hermitage is located directly across the river from this road. 

After Taylor’s death, in 1855, business partners Ball and Wheatley bought the merged Araby 

and Clifton farms (see discussion in the Araby section). After their distillery venture with 

James Gambrill failed in 1860, they sold the Araby to C.K. Thomas. Ball apparently remained 

on Clifton until 1862, when John T. Worthington purchased this property. He changed Clifton’s 

name to Riverside Farm (HABS MD-1052 1991:9). Worthington had previously farmed a 

property in a district north of the Georgetown Pike and east of the Monocacy River, where he 

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had been a successful agricultural entrepreneur. 

The system of farm lanes and roads served Clifton internally and linked it with the Monocacy 

community, Frederick and markets of Washington and Baltimore. One road was located 

alongside the stream at the bottom of Brooks Hill. This path and stream still run northeast on 

the Worthington farm, before turning and flowing southwest across the adjacent Baker Farm 

(Field Notes July 1999). This road may have provided access to the woodlots on Brooks Hill. 

The trace that remains today appears to join the primary farm lane that lay on the top of a 

north-south ridge, which formed the spine-like topographical center of the Clifton property. 

Griffin Taylor was probably responsible for the riverside road that linked Clifton to the 

Georgetown Pike. The road was substantial enough to require the construction of a large 

culvert and retaining wall where it crossed an unnamed stream. The culvert and wall appear to 

be made from stone quarried out of an adjacent hillside (Site investigation 4/28/2000). There is 

also evidence of another riverside road, one nearer to the riverbank than Taylor’s road. This 

other road may have been cut earlier and possibly connected Middle Ford to the ford associated 

with Arcadia.

The Arcadia ford was located where Ballenger Creek flows into the Monocacy River, about a 

mile west of the highway bridge over the Georgetown Pike. It connected the eastern side of the 

original Arcadia tract with the western “manor” side and provided access to the Buckeystown 

Pike. This ford remained in use well into the 1860s after Arcadia was subdivided and Thomas 

Claggett acquired the western portion containing the manor residence (Cooling 1997:161). A 

road trace that may be related to this ford is located on Clifton (Field Notes 1999). 

An existing trace of an old sunken lane descends from the southwest corner of the Clifton 

house across the slope to the river. It apparently connected the center of the farm with the 

fields along the river and perhaps with the ford. The trace runs through a wooded area 

between two lines of mature Osage orange trees (Field Notes July 1999). This lane has been 

in existence since at least the 1930s (Aerial photo 1937). However, it may have originated as 

early as the late nineteenth century, when the use of osage orange as living hedges began in the 

eastern United States. Another lane, possibly related to the Arcadia ford and described above, 

is marked by a single line of mature osage orange.

Clifton was already a very productive agricultural enterprise at the time of Worthington’s 

purchase. A very small portion of its total acreage was unimproved, suggesting that the land 

was developed for agricultural use while still part of the Arcadia tract and prior to Griffin 

Taylor’s ownership (Frederick Examiner 1856 in HABS MD-1052 1991:7-8). The farm 

consisted of approximately 300 acres: 276 acres improved and 25 acres unimproved. The 

livestock included cows, horses, swine and oxen. Worthington focused on the production of 

winter wheat, Indian corn, hay and butter. It is not clear whether any orchards existed on the 

property, but a large number of fruit trees were located near the main house (Frederick 

Examiner 1856 in HABS MD-1052 1991:7-8). Worthington’s agricultural operation compares 

favorably with other prosperous local farmers (U.S. Agricultural Census 1870). 

Taylor built the main house at Clifton between 1851 and 1852. More modest than the Araby 

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mansion or Taylor’s previous residence on Arcadia, its style is similar to other well-appointed 

farm houses of the period (HABS MD-1052 1991:5-7; Reed 1999:96). Taylor may have 

intended to use Clifton as a home for a farm manager or married child. When acquired by Ball 

and Wheatley, Clifton was a relatively undeveloped property, probably due to Taylor’s untimely 

death. Clifton, had fewer structures than Araby and apparently consisted of the main house, 

kitchen, frame barn and a corncrib (HABS MD-1052 1991:13; Reed 2000:96). Ball, who 

resided on Clifton, presumably added additional outbuildings. He is also thought to be 

responsible for some interior improvements to the main house which included a “trompe l’oeil” 

paint scheme that may have been done by Constantine Brumidi. Brumidi is famous as the 

creator of the U.S. Capital frescoes (Reed 2000:97).

Documentation also suggests that when Worthington acquired the property in 1862, the 

outbuildings were clustered tightly together on the south and west side of the main house, as 

this building was described as being surrounded on at least three sides by yard (Worthington 

1932: 138). A small, one-and-a-half story building, later referred to, as “the quarter”, was 

located near the south end of the main house. This building probably housed the “few slaves” 

owned by Worthington (Worthington 1932:101). Apparently, Worthington made few changes 

to the property’s spatial arrangement or building cluster (HABS MD-1052 1991: 35).

Fencing on Clifton delineated certain areas around the clusters of structures at the center of the 

farm and along certain fields. These included post and six-rail and paling fences (Bearss 

1978:108). In addition, Worthington may have planted living fences and hedgerows, as 

indicated by the lines of mature Osage orange growing in the woods along the old sunken road 

trace, the road trace that runs along the river near the ford and by those marking a large 

overgrown rectangular area just south of the main house. This latter area may have been an 

enclosed kitchen garden or orchard (Field Notes July 1999; Aerial Photos 1937, 1952). 

Clifton had many of the same positive characteristics as Hermitage and Araby. Due to its 

location in a bow of the Monocacy River, Clifton contained many acres of rich bottomland. 

“Running water” was available in all of the agricultural fields on the farm (Frederick Examiner 

1856 in HABS MD-1052 1991:7-8). It was well served by the local transportation system and 

was owned by an established agriculturist. Clifton remained a viable and highly successful 

farm throughout the nineteenth century, utilizing slave and then tenant labor. The stone 

foundation of a small two-room house found near an old road trace at the northwest base of 

Brooks Hill suggests that there were different types of residents working on Clifton. These 

individuals may have included free blacks, whites and/or mulattos, as well as slaves (U.S. 

Census 1870, 1880). Small tenant houses, similar to the one suggested by the remnants of the 

foundation, were common to the farms in this area. 

BAKER FARM

In 1841, Griffin Taylor purchased a 500-acre property that was originally part of John 

Marshall's eighteenth-century “Wett Work” patent. Marshall’s daughter Eleanor and her 

husband John L. Harding had owned this property since 1806. Within a month of Taylor’s 

purchase, he sold 380 acres to Edward and Daniel Baker, using the remaining acreage as part 

of his new property, Clifton. In 1849, the Baker brothers further divided the property, with 

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David receiving 214 acres. Edward named his farm, Snow Hill, and Daniel’s became known 

as the Baker Farm. It was bounded on the east by Buckeystown Road (now known as Baker 

Valley Road), on the west by Brooks Hill and Clifton, on the south by Snow Hill and on the 

north by Araby. Prior to Daniel Baker’s ownership, the appearance of this property’s 

landscape is unclear. In the early nineteenth-century, Eleanor and John L. Harding may have 

lived here, may have let the farm to tenants, or let it to a family member (Reed 1999:83).

Daniel Baker does not appear on the U.S. 1850 agricultural census, although his brother 

Edward does. This suggests that he did not begin working his property until after 1850 (U.S. 

Agricultural Census 1850; U.S. Census 1850). Daniel also appears to have only gradually 

improved his property. In 1860, his farm was valued much lower than his brother’s adjacent 

Snow Hill farm (U.S. Agricultural Census 1860). The low valuation of Daniel’s farm may 

indicate that while he was then farming, he had not yet built any substantial structures on the 

farm. Eventually however, a central-hall main house, similar to the one that still exists at Snow 

Hill, was constructed (Geisbert 1999, personal communication). Located to the north of this 

building was a frame forebay barn (Site investigation, May 1999). Although no record of 

additional outbuildings similar to those found on the other Monocacy farms exists, corncribs, an 

icehouse, a springhouse, privies, and animal pens would have been common improvements. 

Baker may have also constructed a “slave quarter,” as he owned a few slaves (Reed 1999:85). 

Set back from Baker Valley Road, the building cluster was located almost at the foot of Brooks 

Hill and arranged in a line parallel to Baker Valley Road. Open fields delineated by fencing 

surrounded the cluster on all sides with one field lying above, along the top of Brooks Hill 

(Hotchkiss 1864). 

The county first surveyed the road now known as Baker Valley Road in 1843, designating it as 

Public Road No.232 (Reed 1999:88). It was known as Buckeystown Road until at least the 

early twentieth century (Inscription on VT monument). The Baker Farm entry lane, running 

perpendicular to Brooks Hill, connected the farm’s building cluster to this main road that 

provided access to the larger transportation network in the area; it led east to the Georgetown 

Pike and west to Buckeystown. The farm entry lane continued beyond the building cluster, 

providing access to the hill field and woodlots on Brooks hill. There is some physical evidence 

indicating that the lane continued down the western slope of Brooks Hill, and followed the 

riverbank to the Arcadia Ford (Field Notes 1999). 

The Baker Farm generally shared the characteristics of neighboring farms: fertile soil, access to 

water, woodlands, and links to both the Georgetown and Buckeystown pikes via Baker Valley 

Road. An orchard may have existed near Baker Valley Road but the type of trees is unknown 

(Hotchkiss 1864). Several streams on the property provided water to nearly all the agricultural 

fields. Brooks Hill would have been the most likely area to manage as a woodlot. Fencing and 

auxiliary structures were probably similar to those found on the neighboring properties. This 

successful agricultural property remained in the Baker family until the beginning of the 

twentieth century. 

By 1860, the properties that would one day make up the Monocacy National Battlefield were in 

their present recognizable form. Although separated by deed transfers, they remained 

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connected by their common history. All were once part of early eighteenth-century land 

patents, subdivided due to reasons of inheritance and economics. The owners of these 

properties shared the same interests: the development of fertile land for agriculture, access to 

transportation routes and markets, and a profitable and stable economic, social and political 

climate in which to operate their farms and mill. The Civil War battle that flowed over their 

landscape with little concern for property boundaries and fence lines would forever connected 

them to each other as well.

Figure 1. Sketch, by a soldier in the 14th NJ Regiment, of the wooden toll bridge over the 

Monocacy River, circa 1862. “The view is from a small stream emptying into the river, 

near camp [Hooker].”

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Figure 2. View of Monocacy Junction looking southwest, circa 1872. This station 

replaced the one burned in 1864.

Figure 3. View from Araby farm fields looking west, circa 1934. Brooks Hill is in the 

left distance, Clifton farm is in the right distance and the boundary fence between the 

two farms is in the middle distance. Note haystacks.

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1860-1890

The Monocacy area properties entered this period as very successful enterprises. Remarkably, 

the interruptions caused by the four years of the Civil War did not dramatically transform the 

landscape. The property owners quickly repaired any damage and recovered any resources 

lost during the course of the war. Stable ownership patterns and the prevailing prosperity of the 

area were partly responsible for this resiliency. Of the individual properties, only the Hill Farm 

had an ownership change during this period. 

On the eve of the Civil War, western Maryland was considered the “breadbasket” of America. 

For the most part, Monocacy experienced a time of high production and a healthy economy. 

However, developments affecting agriculture in the mid-west, the area that subsequently 

became the center of the nation’s grain production, began to affect the economy of Frederick 

County. For example, in 1858, the B & O reduced the number of trains routed through the 

Frederick area as it shifted its focus to western markets in the Mississippi and Ohio River 

valleys (Robb 1991:416). This change in the railroad’s focus caused consternation among area 

farmers, but did not have an immediate impact on the landscape of the Monocacy area. 

Historically, Fredrick County had a reputation as an area of fine pasturage, excellent for cattle 

rearing. This contributed to the county’s successful tanning industry (HABS MD-1052 

1991:16). However, by the mid-nineteenth century, urbanization occurring in Baltimore and 

Washington, D.C. led to an increased demand for local dairy products. Frederick County 

farmers were well placed to fill this need and they shifted to dairy farming. The overall 

transition to dairy farming unfolded during a fifty-year period aided in part by new 

improvements in grain storage and the maintenance of feed supplies. Important innovations 

included the development of silos and refrigeration techniques. 

The Monocacy properties exemplify the shift in agriculture. The Best family appear to be the 

first to effect the change to dairy production. In 1870, John T. Best, the second generation of 

his family to farm Colonel Trail's South Hermitage farm, sold 10,000 gallons of milk, as well as 

800 pounds of butter (U.S. Agricultural Census 1870). He had probably converted to dairy 

farming just after the Civil War (Reed 1999: 63). Best's conversion to dairy farming would 

have required the construction of new support buildings, the adaptation of others, and changes 

in the use of the land. A structure to hold ensilage would have been necessary. The earliest 

silos were pit silos that consisted of excavated areas lined with stone or masonry and roofed. 

These were often located within a cattle barn. Another early version of the silo was the 

rectangular wooden upright or tower silo (Noble 1986:72-73). It is not clear whether Best 

constructed one of these, as no evidence of an early silo has been found. Best also would have 

needed loafing sheds, milking parlors and a milk house. Compared to other Monocacy farms, 

Best owned many more milk cows and produced more milk and butter in the same period. 

However, the neighboring farms’ production of butter and hay and the value of their 

slaughtered animals increased between 1860 and 1870, as well (U.S Agricultural Census 1860, 

1870). 

During this period of sustained prosperity and growth, activities and events associated with the 

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Civil War (1861-1865) intervened. Both Union and Confederate troops passed through the 

area during 1862, 1863, and engaged in battle here in July 1864. Because of the Monocacy 

area’s important role as a transportation center, troop movements throughout the conflict, and 

specifically during the battle, had a direct, yet temporary, impact. The location of Monocacy 

Junction and the railroad and highway bridges over the Monocacy River made it a highly 

strategic site. The turnpike bridge and the third span of the railroad bridge were destroyed by 

Confederate troops in September 1862, during the Maryland, or Antietam, campaign (Cooling: 

1997:31). Consequently, the B& O authorized the construction of two blockhouses to protect 

the junction in 1863. One of these was located on Col. Trail's Hermitage farm, on the west 

side of the Monocacy River, near the turnpike bridge just south of the railroad tracks 

(Hotchkiss 1864; Cooling 1997:42). The other was located north of the railroad tracks, east of 

the river. Local farmer John Markell owned this property, which had once been part of the 

Araby tract (Reed 1999:103; NR Nomination 2000:8/32). 

As part of the Antietam campaign, Confederate General Robert E. Lee marched his troops 

through Frederick County in September 1862. Lee hoped to rally the Marylanders to the 

Southern cause. After passing through Maryland, Lee intended to head for Pennsylvania in 

order to disrupt the Union’s east-west rail communications. The Confederate troops crossed 

the Potomac River from Virginia to Maryland via White’s Ford located about 20 miles south of 

Frederick. They proceeded north to Buckeystown and then east to the Georgetown Pike 

(Tilberg 1960:2-4). Some of these troops camped briefly in a grove of trees located on 

Hermitage, just north of the farm’s entrance lane and just west of the turnpike (Hotchkiss 1864, 

Grove 1928:238). Here the “Lost Orders,” a paper describing Lee’s plan for the campaign, 

were found a few days later by Union troops pursuing the Confederates (Grove 1928: 238, 

HABS MD-1052 1991: 20). The orders were subsequently given to Union commander General 

McClellan, who did not use the information to its fullest advantage. The Battle of South 

Mountain and the Battle of Antietam, the “bloodiest single day” of the entire war, occurred a 

few days later (Reed 1999:41-42). 

In the winter of 1862-63, Union soldiers from the 14th New Jersey Regiment set up a camp 

across Bush Creek from Gambrill’s mill property, beyond the Araby rail side community, and 

north of the B&O tracks. Camp Hooker consisted of quarters for field and line officers, lines 

of tents for enlisted men, ten “Cook Houses”, two “Guard Houses”, a commissary, and a 

stable. It appears that several buildings located on Gambrill’s property were used by the troops 

as a hospital, bakery and storehouse (J. Bullman 1863). The construction and maintenance of 

the camp affected the landscape of the area and Gambrill’s property in particular. About 40 

acres of his standing timber were cut for use in constructing the blockhouses built to protect the 

railroad junction, camp buildings and for fuel. The Union army requisitioned fencing, cordwood 

and crops from Gambrill as well as other Monocacy properties (National Archives Civil War 

Damage Claims, Record Group 92). The fencing and cordwood provided the camp with fuel 

and the crops fed the soldiers and their livestock. Other physical impacts included the 

construction of earth works on the high ground north and east of the railroad, above the 

junction. The earthworks consisted of a gun battery, rifle pits, and a powder magazine (Bearss 

1979:100-102; Susan Trail 1999; personal communication). 

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As part of the 1863 Gettysburg campaign, Lee again marched his army across the Potomac 

into Maryland. His primary military goal was the capture of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in order 

to cut off rail transport to New York City and Philadelphia. A secondary goal was to provide 

much needed supplies and food for his armies. By this time, Virginia was a wasteland, with 

little agricultural produce or livestock remaining. Moving into the fertile lands of Pennsylvania 

and Western Maryland provided Lee with an opportunity to replenish his supplies. Letters and 

diaries of the Confederate soldiers on this campaign indicate just how productive the region was 

at this point in the War. An 1863 description by South Carolina officer crossing into Maryland 

states: "We are now in a beautiful country. In every direction yellow fields of grain extended 

themselves; on every farm were droves of the largest fattest cattle; gardens thronged with 

inviting vegetables; orchards pave a promise of bounteous fruit yield, and already extended to 

us an earnest in the most delicious cherries, full dairies, flocks of sheep, and poultry were 

almost monotonously frequent" (Caldwell, in Reed 1999:47). Union troops passed directly 

through the Monocacy area at this same time. Araby became the headquarters for General 

Winfield Scott Hancock as he and his army encamped in the area for three days (Reed 

1999:44-45).

Events occurring in the summer of 1864, however, had the most dramatic impact on the farms 

and other properties of the area. The Battle of Monocacy took place on July 9, 1864 and the 

natural and cultural features of the Monocacy farms, mill, and railroad properties were to play 

significant roles that day. Confederate General Jubal Early's forces arrived in Maryland after 

forcing General David Hunter to retreat from his defensive position at the northern end of the 

Shenandoah Valley, thus leaving open the route to Washington, D.C. Early’s forces 

converged on the Union position established at the Monocacy Junction. Although considered a 

Union loss, the Battle of Monocacy proved a valuable defensive effort. Heavy Confederate 

casualties, a 24-hour delay in the march to Washington, and exhaustion of Southern troops 

prevented Early from reaching his goal in time and successfully attacking the capital city 

(EDAW 1993:4-9).

In July 1864, Union General Lew Wallace commander of the military district that included the 

Monocacy River area. John W. Garrett, president of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, was 

concerned about the safety of the railroad bridge at Monocacy Junction as Confederate troops 

advanced in the direction of Frederick from Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. Wallace responded 

to those concerns by taking the troops in his command from Baltimore to the blockhouse at 

Monocacy Junction on July 6. He placed his forces between the covered turnpike bridge and 

the railroad bridge as well across the turnpike in order to protect the railroad bridge and to 

prevent Early from reaching either Baltimore or Washington D.C.

The bridge structure that Wallace sought to protect was at least the third built on this site. The 

B & O had replaced the first wooden railroad bridge with an improved iron structure 

before1862. The center span of this first iron bridge was destroyed by Confederate troops in 

September 1862, and was subsequently rebuilt. In 1864, the bridge carried a double track 

approximately 45 feet above the river. It had heavy iron supports, props and struts under the 

crossties on which the tracks were laid. There were no pedestrian handrails, but a narrow, 

board walk existed between the two tracks (EDAW 1993:4-13). 

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The area of the railroad junction also provided a strong defensive position. Wallace noted that: 

"in a low stage of water the fords are few, and particularly difficult for artillery, and the 

commanding heights are all on the eastern bank, while the ground on the opposite side is level 

and almost without obstructions" (United States War Department 1891:193 in EDAW 

1993:4-11). The opposite side referred to by Wallace was Hermitage. From his vantage point 

on the river bluffs, Wallace had clear views toward the west, to Frederick, the surrounding 

farmlands, the roads to Georgetown and Baltimore, the bridges over the Monocacy River, and 

the B & 0 Railroad line (EDAW 1993:4-11). 

Union troops arrived via the B & O Railroad, disembarking at Monocacy Junction. Wallace, 

fearing that Washington, D.C., was Early's goal, made defense of the Georgetown Turnpike 

bridge his main priority. He ordered his troops to dig rifle pits on the east side of the river, both 

above and below the turnpike bridge (Hotchkiss 1864; Worthington 1932:58-60,89). These 

fortifications supplemented those already in place above the eastern end of the railroad bridge. 

Wallace stationed other forces on Clifton, Araby farm and Hermitage. He also positioned 

some troops along the turnpike, opposite the Araby entry drive (Worthington 1932:90). Wallace 

ordered skirmishers to Hermitage farm and the Monocacy Junction to hold a triangular-shaped 

area formed by the river, the Georgetown Turnpike, and the railroad tracks. The relative 

flatness of the topography along the roads and railroad tracks led the soldiers to take cover 

behind fence lines and in road ditches. Wallace chose as his headquarters one of the residential 

structures located in the Araby rail side community. From this enclave east of the river, he 

had a clear view of the stretch of turnpike road leading to Frederick and of both the railroad 

and turnpike bridges.

Fighting began around 8 a.m. when Confederate Major General Robert Rodes’ division 

encountered Union skirmishers west of the river near its intersection with the National Road 

and Jug Bridge. Union forces near Wallace's headquarters lobbed 24-pound shells from a 

howitzer located on the eastern river bluffs towards the Confederate troops. The Confederate 

artillery at the north west corner field of Hermitage farm answered by firing on Wallace’s 

headquarters. From the slight rise in the field, the artillerists had a clear view of the Union 

reservists gathered near Gambrill’s stone mill. Military surgeons had also established a field 

hospital there, intending to use the mill to shelter the wounded. Several casualties occurred 

instantly, however, and reservists were moved to less visible areas (Goldsborough 1898:17). 

Wallace may have moved his headquarters to a structure on the north side of the railroad track 

at this time, as well (HABS MD-1051 1991:20).

Initially, Early ordered a frontal assault on Union forces in an effort to force his way across the 

Monocacy River on the Georgetown Turnpike bridge. Federal defenses at the railroad cut on 

Hermitage farm, north of the river, however, prevented Confederates from successfully 

achieving this goal. Subsequently, Early decided to attack the Union’s left flank (Sheely 1973 in 

EDAW 1993:4-15). First, the Confederate troops had to find a protected place to cross the 

river. Confederate General John McCausland's dismounted cavalry brigade found the Arcadia 

Ford at Ballenger Creek, and used it to cross over to Clifton [this ford would become known 

after the battle as the Worthington/McKinney ford]. Once over the river, their march uphill 

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was obstructed by fences and fields full of recently harvested stacks of grain. Waiting Union 

soldiers also lay in their path, relatively well protected by the fence line that ran along the 

boundary between Clifton and Araby. This fence line quickly became the center of some of 

the heaviest fighting of battle. Union and Confederate troops swept back and forth on the 

fields on either side of this line; the combatants moving between the main house at Clifton and 

the Araby manor house in their effort to seize control of the Georgetown Turnpike. The 

fighting was so intense that bullet holes permanently marked the wooden porch posts of the 

Araby residence (Davis 1893). 

By that afternoon, the Union defense began to falter. At 2 p.m., Wallace ordered the 

Georgetown Turnpike bridge burned, and Union skirmishers on the north side of the river were 

forced across the railroad bridge in retreat, where they were exposed to open fire. Eight to nine 

hours after commencement of the battle, the Union retreat began along the "country road," or 

the Bush Creek ford road, which went through the Gambrill property (United States War 

Department 1891in EDAW 1993:4-17). As described by a Union soldier, "Traces of the rout 

were visible on every hand. The ground was strewn with guns, bayonets, knapsacks, and in 

fact, everything by throwing away a man could facilitate his running" (Roe 1898 in EDAW 

1993:4-17). Although Confederate forces captured a large number of Union soldiers, Wallace 

achieved his aim of delaying Early’s advance on Washington D.C. The capital city was thus 

saved by these actions (EDAW 1993: 4-13,14).

Placement of offensive and defensive positions as well as routes of advance and retreat were 

largely determined by the natural and cultural landscape of the Monocacy area. The rolling 

terrain, streams and creeks, fences lines, and road cuts and embankments all influenced the 

tactics and outcome of that summer day. The battle was fought largely over the control of the 

Monocacy River crossings and their connection with routes leading to Washington DC. This 

aspect of the battle effected the properties nearest to these crossings: Hermitage, Araby and 

Gambrill’s mill. The proximity of the Arcadia ford to the Georgetown Turnpike was an 

important factor in allowing Early’s troops to move onto Clifton and to outflank Wallace. The 

farm’s rolling topography and landscape features, such as wheat shocks and fence lines, also 

played important roles in slowing Early’s advancement towards the turnpike. 

In the aftermath of the battle, barns and houses were converted into temporary field hospitals. 

One of these was located at Gambrill's mill. The dead, both Union and Confederate were 

interred on the battlefield on Clifton, Araby and Hermitage. After the war, the bodies were 

removed, the Union remains re-interred in Antietam National Cemetery and the Confederate 

re-interred in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Frederick (Cooling 1997:161, 234). A Union soldier 

passing through the Monocacy area on July 28, a few weeks after the battle described the 

scene. "The ground was broken and traces of the conflict could be seen on all sides, remnants 

of shells, cannon, horses and unburied corpses lay strewn about." (Terrill in Cooling 1997:199). 

John Best's forebay barn had been burned down when struck by a Union shell aimed at 

Confederate sharpshooters firing from its upper level. Union troops had also destroyed the 

turnpike bridge but the railroad bridge, while damaged, had survived mostly intact. The station 

house and other buildings in the Y-shaped railroad junction did not. Confederate troops burned 

them after the battle (Bearss 1978:94).

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While the battle of Monocacy resulted in extensive damage and destruction, area residents 

were able to rebuild and recover quickly. As one chronicle of the battle stated: "Time has 

healed the scars of war and reclothed with riches and beauty, the fertile vallies of Maryland, 

that were laid waste by the ravages of invading armies" (Goldsborough 1898:5). Certainly by 

the following spring, new crops would have been sown and fences rebuilt. With the plowing of 

the fields, the scars of the battle began to be erased. On Hermitage, a new forebay barn arose 

on the same spot as the one destroyed by artillery fire. The covered turnpike bridge was 

replaced at least by 1867, if not earlier (Bearss 1978:96). The blockhouses were gone; both 

burned during the battle. One blockhouse was rebuilt, then dismantled after the war 

(Worthington 1932:64). The Union winter camp, Camp Hooker, was returned to plowed fields. 

The B&O repaired the railroad bridge within weeks of the battle (Bearss: 1978:94) and new 

structures and facilities were constructed at the junction by the 1870s (Cooling 1997:224-225). 

Only some of the Union rifle pits and other defensive earthworks, located on the high eastern 

bank of the Monocacy River near the railroad and turnpike bridges, remained (Worthington 

1932: 64). 

In large part, the pre-war owners and/or tenants of the Monocacy properties remained in the 

area after the War. One exception to this was ownership of the Hill Farm. In 1863, before the 

battle and following the death of Lydia Layman, C.K. Thomas of Araby had purchased Hill 

Farm. Thomas may have subsequently sold the farm to the Lewis family, in the early 1870s 

(Reed 1999:91; Lake 1873). Charles E. Trail (the owner of Hermitage) eventually acquired 

Hill Farm during the late nineteenth century, leasing it to tenants for an extended period of time 

(Reed 1999: 89).

Thomas, Best, Baker, Gambrill and Worthington all recovered successfully from any war 

damages that could have affected production and property value (U.S. Agricultural Census 

1870, 1880). Most notable were the repairs and rebuilding associated with structures. As 

noted, Charles Trail rebuilt the forebay barn destroyed on Hermitage during the battle (Reed 

1999:70). By 1880, John Best’s operations focused on sheep rearing as well as dairy 

production. His efforts brought the value of his acreage to $124 per acre (U.S. Agricultural 

Census 1880). Sometime after 1864, Best constructed additional stone fencing along 

Georgetown Turnpike and along a section of the rail line. These dry-laid limestone walls stood 

three to four feet high (Field Notes July 1999, Site investigation 4/28/00; Kerns ca.1900). 

Improvements made to the Araby mansion after the battle resulted in a doubling of the 

insurance coverage purchased by its owner. The Thomas family may not have repaired all of 

the battle damage, as the bullet holes in the porch pillars were still evident in 1893 (Davis 1893). 

John T. Worthington installed a more elaborate doorway to his farmhouse in the 1870s (HABS 

MD-1052 1991:80). Fences continued to be rebuilt and maintained and fields were replanted 

according to the seasons. Little information is available regarding landscape changes made on 

the Baker and Hill Farms. Only the Gambrill property underwent major modifications.

The landscape surrounding Gambrill’s mill complex changed little until the last decades of the 

nineteenth century. However, in 1873, Gambrill built a distinctive brick mansion in an area 

separate from the mill on a hillside to the south. Gambrill called it "Edgewood." As situated, the 

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house commanded views to and from the surrounding countryside to the north and west. The 

new residence “was palatial by local standards.” This richly decorated, generous-dimensioned 

Empire-style mansion, with a central-passage, double-pile main block and an ell large enough to 

hold three rooms and a back stair passage, held three full stories of rooms in both sections. 

One of the largest single-family residences ever built in Frederick County, the Gambrill House 

is also one of its very few full-scale Empire-style buildings" (HABS MD- 1051 1991:8). In 

addition to the mansion, a smokehouse and a servants cottage were also built at this time. 

Other new buildings included a forebay barn (ca.1877), stable, icehouse, summer kitchen, and 

other agricultural outbuildings. Gambrill’s 1876 tax assessment also lists another smaller house 

on the Georgetown Pike, located between the mill and the entrance to Araby (HABS MD-1051 

1991:8).

The newer structures and the original mill complex created two distinct clusters of buildings that 

were variously connected and separated by lanes and fences. The Edgewood cluster extended 

along the foot of the prominent and steep north/south ridge that ran across the property, while 

the mill cluster lay along the line created by Bush Creek ford road. This road leading into the 

property from the Georgetown Turnpike forked just beyond the mill, one section going north 

toward the Bush Creek ford and the other southeast to Edgewood. The southeastern extension 

became a gravel drive, which followed a circular route to the front of the new mansion. 

Approximately seventy-five feet of it was paved with bricks to mark the formal entry to the 

house. The gravel drive continued to the forebay barn, forming another circle east of the house 

elevation (Siedal 1984 in EDAW 1993:4-23). 

Oral history indicates that by the late nineteenth century an elaborately landscaped yard 

surrounded the mansion. Numerous spruce and maple trees, two tulip poplars, several 

hydrangeas, and other ornamental plantings were arranged in a symmetrical, yet informal 

fashion within the larger circle north and west of the front of the house. Japanese magnolia, 

horse chestnut, dogwood, and other ornamental trees surrounded a thick cluster of pampas 

grass located in the circle east of the house. Entry plantings included a row of hydrangeas along 

both sides of the front porch, clematis vines growing on adjacent trellises, and hostas delineating 

the east foundation of the house. An elegant lawn spread across the slope in front of the house 

(Frederick Examiner ca.1890 in HABS MD-1051 1991:11). To the southwest, a row of 

Norway spruce separated the residence from an extensive vegetable garden. Just above the 

line of spruce, lilacs formed a line with the servants' quarters and screened several domestic 

outbuildings from the area around the main house. A peach orchard, another of Gambrill's 

commercial ventures, covered the slope east of the house. The area northwest of the house 

remained open, allowing views to and from Frederick. 

While Gambrill transformed his Edgewood property into a country estate, the adjacent railroad 

community on the other side of Bush Creek continued to be a somewhat marginal and certainly 

more industrial area. By the 1880s, the railroad dispatcher, a railroad and express agent, the 

post master and his assistant, a merchant, a cooper, a blacksmith, a carpenter, and three millers 

lived and worked in this small community (Scharf 1882:597). These properties changed hands 

several times over the next 30 years for relatively low prices. Such transactions imply that the 

rail side community was not considered prime real estate. In fact, at least two owners lost their 

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property by defaulting on their mortgages (Reed 1999:102). Access to the community 

continued to be via the Bush Creek ford road, which connected residents to the mill complex 

and Georgetown Pike or led them northeast toward the road to Baltimore (Hotchkiss 1864, 

Reed 1999:99). Gambrill’s mill also relied on this road to transfer goods to his private railroad 

siding (EDAW 1993:4-21, 4-34).

In spite of the disruption and the damage caused by the Civil War, the individual Monocacy 

properties epitomized prosperous nineteenth-century Frederick County enterprises. During this 

period, the homes of Thomas, Worthington and Gambrill were indicative of their owner’s status 

in the county. The working farms of Daniel Baker and John T. Best were also highly 

profitable. During the 1880s, Best, the tenant on Hermitage, was the most successful of all the 

Monocacy farmers (U.S Agricultural Census 1880). In addition to agricultural prosperity, the 

1860-1890 period was also a very successful one for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Activity 

at the railroad junction included moving passengers and freight between Baltimore, Frederick, 

Washington and points west. The Georgetown Pike remained the primary north-south highway 

between Frederick County and Washington D.C. and lent importance to the area as a 

transportation hub. However, with the passing of time and the generations, the Monocacy area 

landscape would begin a gradual, but dramatic, period of change.

Figure 4. Map of the Battle of Monocacy by Confederate cartographer, Jedediah 

Hotchkiss, 1864.

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Figure 5. Sketch of the B & O Railroad Bridge, circa 1896. The Union army placed 

their 24-pound howitzer to “defend the two bridges and cover the retirement and 

crossing of skirmishers" on the high bluff to the right.

Figure 6. View looking northwest from Araby Mill, circa 1934. The water towers of the 

railroad junction can be seen in the middle left distance and the turnpike bridge and 

turnpike beyond can be seen on the extreme left.

1890-1934

As the nineteenth century ended, a shift in the type of agricultural cultivation gradually became 

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evident in Frederick County and on the Monocacy properties in particular. Dairying, already on 

the rise, became the mainstay of Frederick County farms, bringing with it the silos and dairy 

barns still ubiquitous on the landscape. Central Maryland, of which Frederick County is a part, 

contained the largest and best dairy herds in the state. Corn for animal feed soon became the 

primary crop, though the region continued to produce large quantities of wheat and barley 

(Hamill 1934:39). These crops were planted primarily as a winter cover crop in order to reduce 

soil leaching and erosion. Wheat was also used as straw for animal bedding, and the barley 

was used as animal feed (Hamill 1934:39). By the early 1930s, a large canning industry had 

developed near Frederick, and some Monocacy farmers may have supplied the sweet corn, 

peas, tomatoes, lima and snap beans used in this industry (Hamill 1934:39). While new farm 

machinery was developed during this period, animals were still used in plowing and harvesting 

activities (FSA Photos 1937, 1940).

As the center of America's grain production moved to the Mid-west, flour processing and the 

mills associated with it in the East declined. However, because no new non-agricultural 

industries arose in the post-Civil War period, the Monocacy area along with the rest of 

Frederick County continued to be dominated by agriculture. Farming became a less lucrative 

business with the closing of foreign markets after World War I, the rising costs necessitated by 

increased mechanization, and compliance with new government regulations. Frederick County, 

however, was the only Maryland county that retained stable agricultural production between 

1920 and 1930. This was due to its fertile land, accessibility to big population centers like 

Baltimore and Washington, and the knowledge of its farmers (Wesler in Goodwin 1996:29).

The transportation system that influenced development of the Monocacy area in the nineteenth 

century continued to be important in the twentieth. The railroad remained essential in the 

delivery of goods to markets and upgraded its lines for larger engines around 1930. The 

improvement of public roads came about with the introduction and increased utilization of the 

automobile. In the 1920's, the county improved the Georgetown Pike, by realigning it to 

eliminate the sharp turn near the entrance to Araby Mills. It was also paved with cement 

concrete, creating "the first modern road in Frederick county" (Grove 1928:423; EDAW 

1993:4-35). This realignment created a new, more streamlined segment that ran north-south 

across the west corner of the Gambrill property. The original segment of the pike was 

renamed Araby Church Road, probably after the small church located at the road’s intersection 

with Baker Valley Road. The elongated triangular area created by Araby Church Road and 

the new route of the turnpike was too small to remain viable as agricultural land. The owners 

of the Araby Mills property sub-divided this area into small lots, which they sold to different 

individuals. Soon a neighborhood of small houses arose on these individual properties (Aerial 

Photo 1937, 1952). In the early 1930s, an automobile “tourist camp" was constructed on some 

of the lots. The camp consisted of a number of "small cabins” (Graham 1935:1). 

As part of the road improvement, a plaque, fixed to a large monument stone, was placed next to 

the turnpike near the southern intersection of the old and new roads. Dedicated in 1923 to: "the 

Memory of Colonel George T. Dennis, who more than forty years ago on this spot pointed out 

and looked with longing eyes for a road to be built over this route to lessen the distance, the 

grade, the curves and the danger" (Grove 1928:423). The same marker also noted that both 

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George Washington and Lafayette had traveled this road. The monument and plaque 

emphasize the importance of the road and its history to the residents of the Monocacy area.

Commemoration of the Battle of Monocacy began in the in the late nineteenth century. 

Coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the battle, Monocacy veterans formed a national 

association in 1889. They met in Frederick that year, visited sites associated with the battle, 

and made plans to erect a monument. An advertisement placed by James Gambrill in 1897 for 

the sale of Edgewood emphasized the "magnificent view of the historic field of the Battle of 

Monocacy." This descriptive language suggests that by the end of the century, the Monocacy 

area community understood and perceived a distinct landscape called “Monocacy Battlefield” 

(HABS MD-1051 1991:13). Additional veteran reunions took place over the years, but no 

national monument was raised on the Monocacy Battlefield until veteran groups representing 

individual states placed monuments on the landscape between 1907 and 1915 (Cooling 

1997:236).

The first of these was the monument to the 14th New Jersey Regiment. On July 9, 1907, a 

special train brought 180 survivors and friends to dedicate a granite figure of a New Jersey 

infantryman. The monument was placed on a small plot of land 180 feet by 120 feet purchased 

from Charles E. Trail, the owner of Hermitage. It was located adjacent to the B & O tracks, 

on the west side of the Georgetown Turnpike near the overpass, and north of the turnpike 

bridge. Standing about 24 feet high, the monument consisted of a base surmounted by the 

figure, which faced the turnpike. Two bronze tablets were affixed to the front of the base and 

a stone post and pipe fence surrounded it (Worthington 1932:222-223). 

Sometime in the late 1920s or early 1930s, a segment of the turnpike located between the 

Hermitage farm entry lane and the overpass was slightly shifted to the northeast. This 

realignment was probably undertaken as part of the turnpike improvements completed in 1923. 

The bridge carrying the turnpike over the railroad tracks was moved to the east at the same 

time (Kerns 1900, Aerial Photo 1937). The old road segment remains evident along the area in 

front of the New Jersey monument and along the Hermitage property line. The steep 

embankment created by this road shift and the construction of the new overpass eventually led 

to isolation and neglect of the monument (Times Herald, undated).

Veterans from other states followed New Jersey’s example. By 1915, four monuments 

marked strategic locations on the battlefield. The State of Pennsylvania Monument (1908) was 

a thirty-five-foot granite shaft, topped by a polished granite ball, with inscriptions carved into the 

stone of each side of the square base. Located on the east side of the original Georgetown 

Pike, almost opposite the Araby entry lane, it was surrounded by a fence made of granite posts 

and galvanized iron piping. The half-acre monument site provided visiting veterans an 

expansive view of the surrounding farmlands to the south and west. However, because of the 

1923 realignment of the Georgetown Pike, it too stood neglected and little noticed, obscured by 

"a tall hedge fence" (Worthington 1932:227-229). 

The Daughters of the Confederacy erected the Confederate Monument, on land purchased 

from the Trail family, in 1914. The monument stands on the west side of the Georgetown Pike, 

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at the north end of Hermitage. The monument is a rectangular-shaped boulder with a bronze 

plaque, on which is etched a dedication to the "Southern Soldiers Who Fell There In Battle." It 

was placed on a concrete slab platform and surrounded by a post-and-chain fence and a small 

gate (Worthington 1932:opposite 221). Although the monument is no longer enclosed, the slope 

surrounding the slab has been planted with perennials and ornamental grasses. This monument 

has held its prominent place along the Georgetown Pike.

The State of Vermont constructed the last monument (1915) of this period. It was located at 

the corner of the old Georgetown Pike (now Araby Church Road) and the Baker Valley Road, 

at the southeast corner of Araby. This monument consists of an eight-foot rectangular granite 

monolith with a bronze tablet shaped like a Greek cross with a granite post at each corner of 

the plot. Three small stone steps lead up to it from the edge of the road. From its location on 

an embankment above the road, veterans were able to view the full extent of the Araby and 

Clifton farm fields where the afternoon phase of the battle took place (Worthington 1932:231). 

Fence line vegetation and the embankment for Interstate 270, now obscure this once-sweeping 

view.

Placement of the monuments had minimal impact on the farm operations and farmers’ use of 

the land. Although the monument sites were dictated by the unit's place on the field during the 

battle, veteran’s groups followed the Antietam Battlefield concept. This concept stipulated that 

markers and monuments be placed in accessible locations along public roads. The Monocacy 

monuments fell into neglect quickly due, in part, to the geographical distance of the Vermont, 

New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Southern veterans they honored. The extent of commemoration 

at such battle sites as Antietam or Gettysburg also far surpassed the efforts at Monocacy. The 

War Department marked these sites with information plaques and veterans’ groups erected 

more prominent sculptures and statues. In addition, national military cemeteries were dedicated 

nearby. At Monocacy the number of soldiers involved in the battle were few by comparison. 

Also, the War Department was not involved in the management of the site, and the government 

owned no part of the battlefield. The only interpretive information about the battlefield was 

written on wayside markers located near the turnpike bridge, which indicated the location of the 

Union rifle pits. These were simple painted wood signs, privately erected in the late 1920s or 

early 1930s (Rineheart 1934). 

Even as attention to these monuments waned, interest in creating a national park at the battle 

site grew. A group of prominent Frederick County citizens formed the Monocacy Battle Field 

Memorial Association. This group included Glenn H. Worthington, who had watched the battle 

from the cellar of his family’s farmhouse, and James H. Gambrill, Jr., son of the Araby mill 

owner (Cooling 1997:238). In 1928, they lobbied Congress for legislation to make the Monocacy 

battlefield a national park. 

The proposed plan for the development of Monocacy Battlefield called for roads that would 

allow access to the important areas of the battlefield. These areas included the fence line 

between Araby and Clifton, the route of the Confederate forces from the 

Worthington/McKinney Ford (formerly the Arcadia Ford), as well as routes to the existing 

regimental monuments. The plan utilized existing roads where possible, but some new roads 

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needed to be constructed. Two additional monuments were also included in the proposal: a 

Battlefield Monument to be located on Araby and a Confederate Monument to be located on 

Clifton. These two properties were the only ones included in the 1928 proposal. The proposal 

also called for the establishment of the Battlefield not only to preserve it as a historic site, but 

also to serve as a picturesque, riverside public park (Congressional Hearings H.R. 11722, 1928; 

Proposal [watercolor] ca.1928).

This local effort for development of the park coincided with a nationwide survey undertaken by 

the War Department to identify and classify Civil War battlefields. This survey classified 

Monocacy as a Type IIb battlefield, or one that was “of sufficient historic interest to be worthy 

of some form of monument, tablet, or marker to indicate the location of the battle” (Lee 1973: 

4-3, 4-4). On June 21, 1934, legislation creating the Monocacy National Military Park passed 

into law. However, because Congress failed to set aside funds for the purchase of land and 

donations failed to develop, the battlefield concept had no physical reality. Consequently, the 

longstanding agricultural landscape was unaffected by the passage of the legislation. 

HERMITAGE

Shortly after the turn of the twentieth century, the Best family appears to have moved from 

Hermitage. New tenants were evidently living there by 1910 (U.S. Census 1900, 1910). This 

transition may have been due to the transfer of the property from Charles E. Trail to his son, 

Charles B. Trail (Reed 1999:64). The Trails continued to rent out the property. In the late 

nineteenth century, a framed second story was added to the main house, over the log kitchen 

section (NR Nomination 2000:7.4). 

In 1924, the Wiles family began what was to be three generations of tenancy on the farm (LCS 

1997). They continued the tradition of dairy farming begun by the Bests in the Civil War era. 

The Wiles constructed a concrete-block dairy barn, milk house and concrete silo on the farm in 

the 1930s or 40s (Reed 1999:70). The property lines were also adjusted in the area along 

Georgetown Pike. As discussed above, the Trails sold two small roadside parcels for the 

placement of war monuments. The shifting and realignment of Georgetown Pike also resulted 

in the removal of the fieldstone walls that had for some time had marked the line between the 

farm and the road. A small rubble portion of this old wall remains visible near the Confederate 

Monument. 

ARABY COMMUNITY

Araby

Tenants operated Araby during the latter part of the nineteenth century. This may have come 

about as early as 1880, but certainly by the early 1890s (U.S. Agricultural Census 1880; Davis 

1893). C.K. Thomas died in 1894, and his children, Samuel and Alice took possession of the 

property. Upon Alice’s death in 1910, the property was sold, but it was on the market again 

within the year. The Baker family purchased the property in 1911 and continued to lease out 

the farm (Congressional Hearings H. R. 11722, 1928). 

Although the Araby changed hands several times in the first decades of the twentieth century, 

the effect on the agricultural landscape appears to have been minimal (Hotchkiss 1864, Aerial 

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Photo 1937). The tenants who managed the property took excellent care of this successful 

agricultural enterprise. However, by 1893, the mansion and the well-tended residential 

landscape of the immediate post-war period became neglected and overgrown (Scharf 1882: 

engraving opposite 574; Davis 1893). This may have been because the tenants did not live on 

the property, but only leased the agricultural fields. Since the National Park Service does not 

own Araby, it is difficult to gauge the nature of landscape change during this period.

Hill Farm

A tenant probably operated the Hill Farm throughout much of this period. By 1906, the 

Whitmore family had leased the farm, although their tenancy probably began at an earlier date. 

In 1924, Frank and Clinton Whitmore purchased Hill Farm from the heirs of Charles T. Trail 

(Reed 1999:90). It is not known if the Whitmores made any changes or improvements in the 

early years of the twentieth century.

Araby Mills

Gambrill’s Araby Mills continued to thrive until the latter years of the nineteenth century. As of 

1880, the gristmill was still operating, but the saw, chop and plaster mills may have been 

dismantled by this time (HABS MD-1051 1991:11). James H. Gambrill was forced to liquidate 

his assets in 1897, partly due to the national economic depression and due to the destruction by 

fire of his other mill in Frederick City. An advertisement for the property at the time of the 

liquidation emphasized the longstanding agricultural character of the property. It described the 

property with its 80 acres of "good quality land," with a "good barn," "pure spring water," and a 

large peach orchard "in full bearing". Also highlighted was the property’s access to good 

transportation. The portion of the property containing the mill, warehouse, railroad siding and 

miller's house is described separately as "Araby Mills". This division of the properties into two 

entities, one commercial and one residential suggests not only separate land uses, but also the 

potential for subdivision of the property (EDAW 1993:4-29--4-35).

Both the mill and residential properties were eventually conveyed to Gambrill's daughter, Minnie 

Leigh Mercer and her husband. Although the 1897 advertisement described Araby Mills as 

"valuable mill property" with a large inventory of flour, barrels and barrel staves, it is not known 

if the Mercers continued to operate the mill business. Historic photographs suggest that the mill 

property had already begun to deteriorate by this time. In 1893, the mill structure itself was in a 

dilapidated state of repair, with broken windows and roof supports (Davis 1893). It is also not 

clear whether the Mercers ever lived at Edgewood during their period of ownership, but by 

1900 they were no longer residents of Frederick County (US Census 1900 in HABS MD-1051 

1991:14). In 1901, the Mercers sold the entire property. The mill’s omission from the property 

description in the deed of transfer and a subsequent 1910 tax assessment indicates its apparent 

reduction in value at that time. After seventy years, Araby Mills had ceased to operate. 

A navel officer and his wife, Alexander and Isabel McGruder, purchased the old Gambrill 

property in 1901. They renamed the mansion “Boscobel,” mounted a plaque to that effect on 

the property, and apparently used it as a country house, when not stationed overseas. The 

McGruders occupied the house only rarely during their ownership, perhaps due to marital 

difficulties (HABS MD-1051 1991:14). The ornamental landscape suffered from neglect, the 

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icehouse collapsed, and the peach orchard was not maintained during this period. Regardless of 

whether or not the McGruders leased out the agricultural land; they apparently placed little 

importance on the agricultural use at this time.

The industrial aspect of the property also continued to change in significant ways. By 1915, the 

windows on the stone mill had been boarded up, ivy covered the sides of the building, and an air 

of abandonment hung over the place. Outbuildings near the mill had been removed. Only a few 

trees provided canopy and cover from the elements (Davis 1893; Kern 1900; 1915 Mill Photo). 

During the McGruders’ ownership, the miller’s house (described as a two-story stone and 

weatherboard dwelling in good condition in the 1897 advertisement) was removed from the 

property. Between 1893 and 1915, a stone wall was added to the rail and paling fencing that 

already existed. This low wall further marked the separation of the old mill buildings from the 

residential site. Ironically, this separation occurred after the mill ceased to operate. However, 

the addition of the wall may relate to the McGruder’s desire to develop the residential 

landscape into a country place retreat typical of the time. 

In 1922, Ai and Fannie Smith purchased the property, and their descendants continued to own it 

until 1961. The Smiths made some significant changes. In the 1920s, they converted the mill to 

a two-story tenant house. The roof and upper gable were removed and a flat, hipped roof 

installed. The raceway was probably filled in at this time. The Smiths farmed the land more 

intensively, eventually constructing a dairy barn and silos. They also sold off some small 

parcels of land. When the county realigned the Georgetown Pike in the early 1920s, the portion 

of their property that lay in the triangle created by the new turnpike segment and the renamed 

Araby Church Road amounted to about two acres. This parcel, along with a house and garden 

was sold in 1924. The house may be the house near the turnpike described in an 1876 tax 

assessment. The Smiths also sold other parcels along the turnpike during this period. Although 

all were less than two acres, they were located in areas that had been fiercely contested during 

the Civil War battle. Subsequent residential and commercial construction on these parcels may 

have resulted in the loss of Civil War resources.

Araby rail side community

The rail side community also changed with the demise of the mill. The warehouse was no 

longer necessary, and the siding connecting the warehouse to the main line probably went out 

of use. By 1928, the warehouse was reduced to rubble; only its foundation remained (Water 

Treatment Plant Photos, 1928). Public use of the old Bush Creek ford road that led west off the 

turnpike, past the mill, north across the creek and over the railroad line gradually went out of 

use. By 1913, the ford road was no longer recorded on local maps (Beasley 1913). Access to 

the rail side community was possible via the old ford road on the north side of the railroad line 

that led to the Baltimore Pike (Maryland Route 40). Another access route was the narrow dirt 

road that ran parallel to the west bank of the river and led to the Georgetown Turnpike (Porter 

and Bray 1940:6). Railroad employees lived in the junction area at least until the early 

twentieth century, but how many and when they left the area is unclear. The remaining 

residents of the community no longer had a relationship with the railroad, except in terms of 

physical proximity. The occupations of these residents have yet to be determined, although the 

job of one individual is implied by the description of a structure as “farm dwelling” (Porter and 

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Bray 1940:6). By the turn the nineteenth century, the properties in this small residential enclave 

were owned or occupied by the individuals who would keep them well into the twentieth 

century. Two of these small properties stayed in the same families for 60 to 70 years (Reed 

1999:101-102). 

The overall appearance of the Y-shaped railroad junction during the first decades of the 

twentieth century remained relatively unchanged from the post-Civil War era. The ca.1870 

station house remained, perhaps serving as a station and as a residence for any railroad 

employees (Aerial Photo 1937). Various auxiliary structures were clustered along the tracks, 

including water towers and sheds. Telegraph/telephone wires suspended above by the typical 

timber poles followed the line of the track toward Frederick, Baltimore and other parts of the 

county. Among the changes was the addition of a water treatment facility in 1928, which had a 

large concrete underground tank associated with its operation. The junction continued to be 

surrounded by fields belonging to Hermitage, most of which were devoted to corn, an important 

feed crop for dairy cows (Water Treatment Plant Photos 1928). 

CLIFTON

Sometime in the 1890s, John T. Worthington became too ill to continue farming. Two widowed 

family members moved into the house to care for Worthington and his wife. Sometime after 

1900, one of these individuals may have been operating a boarding house in the residence or 

“keeping boarders” (U.S. Census, 1900). This arrangement appears to have had little impact on 

the physical landscape of the farm (Hotchkiss 1864, Aerial Photo 1937; HABS MD-1052 1991 

[photo ca.1930]). The only noteworthy landscape change came in the early years of the 

twentieth century, with the addition of a dairy barn and auxiliary dairy building (Worthington 

HSR 1995:19-20). These additions coincided with the general trend of converting to dairy 

farming.

Lawyer Glenn Worthington, lived in Frederick (U.S. Census) and his younger brother, Clarke, 

lived in Virginia (HABS MD-1052 1991:30). The Worthington brothers, after the deaths of their 

mother and father in 1902 and 1905, inherited the property. They did not take up residence, but 

leased the farm to tenants. Given the pattern of tenancy and renting seen in this period on 

many of the Monocacy farms, the farm fields may have been rented out before the death of the 

elder Worthingtons. The farm continued to be a highly profitable one, achieving a value of 

$100.00 per acre by the 1920s (Congressional Hearings H.R. 11722, 1928). 

BAKER FARM

Although Daniel Baker died in 1872, the farm remained in the Baker family for the next 59 

years. Daniel’s widow, Mary may have leased out the farm to younger members of her large 

extended family. Sometime after Daniel's death, the operator of the Baker Farm changed the 

focus of its agricultural production to dairy farming. A brick silo, probably dating to the early 

years of the twentieth century (Noble 1986:77) and located adjacent to the nineteenth-century 

bank barn, reflects this changeover.

 

The Baker family sold the farm in 1914 to Charles G. Geisbert. The complete conversion of 

this farm to dairying probably took place over the first few decades of the Geisbert ownership. 

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The extant gambrel-roofed dairy barn, milk house, silos, wash house/summer kitchen, and 

springhouse are all made of cast concrete block, a common building material from the 

1910-1930 period (Reed 1999:88). As part of this rebuilding, Geisbert replaced the 

nineteenth-century farmhouse with a two-story, American four-square style house on the same 

foundations (Reed 1999:88). 

By the mid-1930s, the Monocacy properties were no longer occupied by the upper-class gentry 

of Frederick County. The imposing homes on Araby, Clifton and the Araby Mills property 

began to deteriorate. Clifton, Araby and Hermitage were primarily tenanted, while the Baker 

and Hill Farms were owner-operated. However, this change in the type of operation had some 

effect on the landscape. While the agricultural fields retained the same general shape as in the 

late nineteenth century, the crops growing on them changed from hay to feed corn, as dairy 

farming began to dominate central Maryland. This shift to dairy farming also influenced the 

new construction of silos, milking barns and large loafing sheds. The older forebay barns were 

often altered. The commercial/industrial appearance slowly faded with the closing of the mill. 

However, circulation in the area remained largely the same, with the exception of the closing of 

the Bush Creek ford road and the realignment of the Georgetown Pike. 

Although the pastoral landscape of the Monocacy area was still primarily agricultural in the 

early years of the twentieth century, the initial development of a new community in the space 

created between the new and old routes of the Georgetown Turnpike prefigured a future 

change. The development of houses and yards on the small lots located between the new 

Georgetown Pike and Araby Church Road served to forecast the first wave of suburbanization, 

a major influence on the transformation of landscape in the succeeding decades.

Figure 7. Araby Mill circa 1893.

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Figure 8. The Georgetown Pike, circa 1900. Note the stone walls on Hermitage. The 

entry lane of the farm can be seen to the left.

1934-1975

In the years immediately following the congressional act that created Monocacy National 

Military Park, the National Park Service (NPS)conducted several field investigations of the 

area (Graham 1937; Thompson 1937; Porter 1940; Bray and Porter 1940). According to the 

NPS, “the general character and appearance of the battle area seems to have changed little 

during the past 74 years” (Thompson 1940:1). As a result of the field investigations, a land 

acquisition plan, which included a proposal to create a road that would allow visitors to tour the 

battlefield site, was developed. The Service took a minimalist approach to the development of 

the site overall. This approach promoted continued agricultural land use in the area. However, 

the 1940 proposal was never implemented, because Congress failed to appropriate any funds 

for land purchases and the expected donations of the relevant parcels of land did not 

materialize. The preservation of the battlefield remained a concept “on paper,” without 

physical or jurisdictional form.

Although the plans of the National Park Service failed to develop, other more gradually 

occurring changes in the area influenced the Monocacy properties. Although the primary land 

use continued to be agricultural, changes in the patterns of ownership had a visible impact on 

the area. More structures marked the land, with single-family residences constructed on small 

properties carved out of the larger properties. These suburban-type dwellings were generally 

located directly alongside Georgetown Pike, and in the triangular area formed by the 1920s 

realignments of the Georgetown Pike, Araby Church Road, and Baker Valley Road (Aerial 

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Photos 1937, 1952; USGS Maps 1958, 1965).

 

A most significant change to the Monocacy landscape occurred in 1951, with the construction 

of Route 240, now known as Interstate 270. The interstate highway had a tremendous impact 

on the Monocacy properties. The four-lane highway passed through Hill Farm, Araby, Clifton 

and Hermitage on an elevated berm. Its construction took portions of these farms out of use 

and created new property boundaries. Access roads to Clifton and Hill Farm were 

reconfigured. The highway completely blocked passage between Clifton and Araby and 

sub-divided the Hill Farm into two sections, separating the farm buildings on the eastern portion 

from the fields on the western. Hermitage also lost its access to the Buckeystown Pike. This 

enormous highway structure cut the battlefield landscape virtually in two, destroying the 

integrity of the setting of the final battle phase; its visual continuity broken by the elevated grade 

of the road (Worthington HSR 1995:20). The completion of the interstate also encouraged 

additional suburban-type growth in the region, as it became the primary north-south commuting 

route between Washington DC and Frederick. The Georgetown Pike, which had been renamed 

Maryland Route 355 by 1937, ceased to serve as the primary road between Washington DC 

and Frederick. 

HERMITAGE

The Wiles family continued as tenants on Hermitage, operating a dairy enterprise. The 

construction of the interstate only slightly affected the farm, with a small corner of one western 

field separated from the main portion of the farm. Consequently, the interstate and its 

embankment became the visible and legal western boundary of the farm. A line of non-native 

“Ailanthus” trees established themselves along this berm (Aerial Photos 1937, 1952, ca.1970). 

Other changes on the Hermitage farm included a slight increase in riparian and rail side 

vegetation and a reduction in the number of large trees near the cluster of farm buildings. 

Conversely, an overgrowth of trees and shrubs filled in the road trace of the old route of the 

Georgetown Pike that passed in front of the New Jersey Monument. The commemorative spot 

marked by the Confederate monument at the north end of the farm gained further prominence 

when the Maryland Civil War Centennial Commission erected another monument there in 1964. 

This monument was a bronze book-shaped marker on a granite shaft commemorating the 100th 

anniversary of the battle. It honored the "Maryland soldiers who fought here for the Union and 

the Confederacy," and it soon became known as the "Maryland Monument." In general, the 

field patterns, building cluster, and farm circulation on Hermitage remained largely unchanged 

throughout the entire period (Aerial Photos 1937, 1952, ca.1970).

ARABY

Araby

The Baker family ownership of Araby ended when C. Edward Hilgenberg purchased the farm 

in 1949. He in turn sold it to Robert E. and Josephine R. Clapp in 1954, just after construction 

of the interstate. The construction of the new highway severed Araby’s physical connection 

with Clifton. It also separated a small portion of the Araby property from the whole. This 

piece, now located on the west side of the interstate, was sold to the owners of Baker Farm. 

Other than this transaction, the highway had little effect on Araby. Because a physical 

inventory of Araby has yet to be conducted, little is presently known about the property and any 

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landscape changes that may have occurred in the early part of this period. Photographic 

evidence illustrates that sometime between 1864 and 1937 the Araby Church Road (formerly 

the Georgetown Pike) alignment shifted (Aerial Photos 1937, 1952, ca.1970). The segment of 

road directly in front of the farm entrance lane was relocated about approximately 75 feet to 

the east, creating a lens-shaped area that became filled in with vegetation by 1937. A house 

was built in this area, probably between 1937 and 1952. During this same period, the 

Hilgenbergs created a large pond by damming a stream on the property, just slightly northwest 

of the Vermont Monument (Aerial Photos 1937, 1952). 

First Hilgenberg and then the Clapps made changes to the property, specifically to the area 

surrounding the main buildings. Hilgenberg added a garage and a swimming pool. The Clapps 

put in a tennis court, and installed a "near-formal English garden." They also restored the 

mansion house (“Serene Araby...” ca.1960, Monocacy Files). While the Clapps used the 

residential area of Araby as a country home and retreat, they apparently leased out the fields 

and pastures for a dairy operation. With the exception of the parcel severed from the property 

by the interstate and the formal landscape elements added to the area immediately surrounding 

the house, the circulation, vegetation and field patterns on this property remained the same 

throughout this period (Aerial Photos 1937, 1952, ca.1970).

Araby Mills

Between 1937 and 1952 the landscape changed only slightly. Vegetation increased along some 

of the fence lines, and near the river, but the circulation and field patterns remained similar. 

The Smiths operated the property as a dairy farm. They built a dairy barn and silo in the 1950s. 

The Smiths sold the property in 1961 to the Vivino family. As at Araby, the residential area of 

the old Gambrill property became distinctly less functional and more like a country estate than a 

farm. The Vivinos ended the dairy operation and redeveloped the site to accommodate both 

their residence and their medical clinic. 

The Vivinos renovated the mansion, converting some of the interior for use as a clinic. The 

area around the mill structure was regraded and built up slightly (Tom Kopczyk 2001; personal 

communication). The southernmost field on the property was cultivated, but all the other open 

areas were used as horse pasture. In the mid-1970s, a fire destroyed the forebay barn, dairy 

barn and other agricultural buildings. Many of the property's other outbuildings were removed 

as well. The mill remained in use as a tenant residence. The Vivinos added a tennis court and 

garage constructed of concrete block. They also created a riding ring in the field east of the 

mill and north of the old public road leading to the ford over Bush Creek.

The Vivinos also altered the vegetation and circulation patterns on the property. They planted 

white pines along the southeast and northwest borders to screen views of adjacent commercial 

properties. These dense tree plantings altered the relationships of the views to and from the 

house, by concealing the mansion from the Georgetown Pike and obscuring the view towards 

Frederick and the river. The vegetable garden was also transformed into an area of roses and 

other ornamental plantings. A pond, unrelated to the historic millpond, was created just north of 

the mill. It served as both an ornamental feature and as a storm water containment area. 

Fencing along the north and west of the lane leading to the house was removed. The lane was 

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partially paved with asphalt. The unpaved portion of the old entry circle in front of the mansion 

was allowed to become overgrown with grass, thus diminishing the formal character of the 

historic approach to the house (EDAW 1993:4-37-4-38). 

Araby rail side community

Changes in the ownership of the rail side properties during this period did effect the landscape 

significantly. The density of the vegetation (woods) increased on the residential property, or 

small farmstead, located just west of the railroad bridge. The railroad junction, however, 

changed dramatically. Between 1937 and 1952, the B&O demolished the buildings associated 

with use of the junction. The only structures that remained were several water towers and two 

smaller structures, which were probably used as storage sheds (Aerial Photos 1937, 1952, 

ca.1970; B&O Railroad Photos, 1944). Apparently, the railroad management intended the 

junction to operate only as a switching area.

BAKER FARM and Hill Farm

The Geisbert family continued to own and operate the Baker Farm as a dairy farm during this 

entire period and into the next. Physical changes on the farm were mostly related to the loss of 

vegetation, primarily large trees around the buildings and two small orchards near the main 

house (Aerial photos 1937, 1952; ca.1970). By the mid-1970s, a narrow band of woods, 

located south of the upper field on Brooks Hill, had grown considerably wider (Aerial Photos 

1937, 1952; ca.1970). This may be due to a decreased reliance on culling wood from managed 

woodlots. Field lines remained relatively unchanged throughout this period, as did the farm lane 

system. 

In 1945, Charles Geisbert purchased the neighboring Hill Farm from the Whitmore family. It is 

not known whether Geisbert tenanted the land, farmed it himself, and/or rented out the 

farmhouse. Geisbert made changes in the 1940s to the nineteenth-century bank barn. He 

converted it to a dairy barn with the installation of stalls and a concrete block foundation (Reed 

1999:93). 

In 1946, Geisbert sold the timber rights on a portion of both of his properties to Virgil Baker. 

Baker was given the right to cut all "timber having a saw stumpage of 8 inches or more" for a 

period of three years (Baker and Geisbert Agreement 1946). The logging area on the Baker 

Farm was located on southeastern wooded portion of Brooks Hill. On the Hill Farm, the 

logging area was primarily the southeastern corner of the property where there were steep 

wooded slopes. This logging agreement resulted in the development of a new road on Brooks 

Hill. This road led from the north end of the Baker Farm entrance lane, up the eastern side of 

the hill and to the spring near the eastern foot of Brooks Hill. There may also have been some 

structures in these woods associated with the logging activity (Mono LCS). The logging road 

was abandoned after the lease period, remaining evident only as a trace (Geisbert 1999, 

personal communication). 

The interstate highway affected both the Hill and Baker Farms. The new highway divided the 

fields of Hill Farm roughly in half, with the farmhouse and its associated buildings on the east 

side of the road and most of the agricultural fields on the west. A new farm road was 

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constructed parallel to and below the interstate embankment, providing the western fields with 

access to Baker Valley Road. At the same time, the Hill Farm entry drive from Baker Valley 

Road was altered and another farm lane on the eastern side of the interstate embankment 

developed. The interstate had less negative impact on the Baker Farm. The Geisbert 

expanded the northern boundary of their property with the purchase of the small portion of 

Araby that had been separated from the rest of the farm by the construction of the interstate.

CLIFTON

Until the building of the interstate, Clifton’s landscape had remained relatively unchanged. The 

tenant family that had first occupied the farm in 1905 remained there through three generations 

until 1953 (HABS MD-1052 1991:11). The farmhouse was well maintained at least through the 

1930s, and the number and arrangement of farm outbuildings stayed about the same (Aerial 

photos, 1937,1952; HABS MD-1052-25 [photo] 1991). The boundaries of the farm fields 

remained intact, although there was some increase in fence line and riparian vegetation (Aerial 

Photos, 1937, 1952). “Squatters” may have occupied the northeast corner of the farm, near 

where the old riverside entry road from the Georgetown Turnpike crossed into the main portion 

of the farm. Because the NPS does not own it, little is known about this triangular area, but 

two small structures may have been located there through 1952 (HABS MD-1052 1991:24, 

Aerial Photo 1937, 1952). 

The impact of the construction of the interstate highway on the Clifton landscape was 

significant. The federal government condemned a two-hundred-foot wide parcel of the 

property for a right-of-way for the new road. This right-of-way separated the northeast corner 

of the farm and the narrow portion of the property that included the riverside entry road from 

the main portion of the farm, which lay on the west side of the embankment constructed to 

carry the interstate across this area. The embankment effectively blocked any through passage 

along this old road, which subsequently went out of use. Because the building of the interstate 

led to the removal of any structures in the northeast corner section, the “squatters” may have 

relocated to a residence on the old riverside road closer to its intersection with Route 355 

(HABS MD-1052 1991:24; Aerial Photos 1937, 1952; Site investigation 4/28/2000). The area 

of Clifton that lay east of the interstate became overgrown with trees by the 1970s. 

With Clifton’s only access road cut off by the interstate, a new road was built parallel to and 

below the west side of the embankment. This served as the entry lane and connected the farm 

to Baker Valley Road. With these changes, the orientation of the farm changed from the 

historic Georgetown Turnpike/modern Route 355 to Baker Valley Road. The interstate also 

physically severed Clifton from its historic relationship with its former parent property, Araby.

In 1953, Jenkins Brothers Inc., a corporate truck farming operation, bought Clifton from the 

Worthington family. During the early part of this corporate ownership, laborers who worked 

for Jenkins were mostly migrant farm workers. At this time the main house served as a 

barracks. This resulted in changes only to the interior of the structure. The barn and 

outbuildings appear to have been abandoned and allowed to deteriorate. Between 1952 and the 

early 1970s, the band of trees and shrubs growing along the field lines and the river continued to 

expand. Additional woody growth filled in an old rectangular-shaped garden and orchard 

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located just south of the house. The cluster of farm buildings also became obscured by 

vegetation (Aerial Photos 1952, ca.1970). 

Overall, the field patterns on Clifton remained similar to their nineteenth-century form 

(Hotchkiss 1864; Aerial Photos, 1937, 1952, ca.1970). The exception to this was the corner 

field, west of the new highway. A large borrow pit dug there as part of the interstate’s 

construction left the area with a steep excavated slope near the intersection of the old and new 

entry lanes. This deep cut left much of the corner field unsuitable for cultivation. By the early 

1970s, dense woods covered this disturbed area (Aerial Photos 1937, 1952, ca.1970). The 

Jenkins Brothers probably grew crops such as vegetables suitable for canning-i.e. beans, peas 

and corn (Maryland Department of Economic Development 1970:11). The lack of 

maintenance to the barn and outbuildings indicates that the old dairy operation at Clifton ended 

during the Jenkins ownership.

This 37-year period was in some ways one of great change and yet one of stability. The 

pastoral agricultural landscape predominated in the Monocacy area, but the regional shift to 

suburbanization and commuting by automobile began to affect the community. This change 

was initiated partly because of the construction of the interstate, which resulted in the relocation 

of office workers from central Washington D.C. to areas outside and beyond the traditional 

boundaries of the metropolitan region. Over the next 25 years, as suburban development 

increased, the pressure to subdivide the Monocacy properties increased as well, threatening the 

historic crossroads area and the proposed battlefield park. In response, the physical creation of 

Monocacy National Battlefield began to be realized.

Figure 9. Clifton farm, circa 1930.

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1975-1999

The creation of Monocacy National Battlefield took place as Frederick County was changing. 

The county's agricultural and manufacturing economic base shifted to one of trade and service. 

Real estate development accelerated, especially in the area close to the city of Frederick. This 

transformation was represented by newly constructed residential subdivisions, shopping centers 

and industrial office parks (DCP/EA 1994). In the Monocacy area, single-family homes 

increased almost two-fold between 1958 and 1984. In the late 1970s, a large shopping center 

was built less than a mile north of Hermitage (USGS Maps 1958, 1964, 1984, Aerial Photos 

ca.1970, 1988; Frederick News 1978). 

In 1971, the county planning commission proposed the construction of a circumvential highway 

around Frederick. This beltway would have obliterated much of the integrity of the battlefield. 

In that same year, a group of concerned citizens and members of the local Civil War 

Roundtable met with U.S. Representative Goodloe E. Byron of Maryland's Sixth Congressional 

District and members of the National Park Service (NPS) to discuss their concerns about the 

issue (Memo H2215 DSC-HH 1972). In order to protect the site of the 1864 battle from 

development threats, local citizens and politicians instigated a campaign to turn the battlefield 

into a unit of the National Park Service. Soon after, the NPS and Representative Byron 

worked to designate Monocacy Battlefield a National Historic Landmark. It was recognized as 

a National Historic Landmark in late 1973, and on February 4, 1975, the battlefield was 

officially placed on the National Register of Historic Places (National Register Nomination 

1975; Antietam Administrative History 1979:1)

The initial concept for the proposed park incorporated two non-contiguous tracts, about a mile a 

part (National Register Nomination 1975). The southwest tract contained about 1200 acres and 

included Araby, Hermitage, Baker and Hill Farms, and the Araby Mills/Gambrill property. 

Clifton was not part of this early concept. The northeast tract contained about 300 acres and 

was centered upriver at Jug Bridge, where the old National Road crossed the Monocacy 

(National Register Nomination 1975). The proposed boundaries and acreage were adjusted 

and modified over the next few years. Planners removed the northwest tract from the plan and 

incorporated Clifton into a reconfigured southwest tract in 1983 (Monocacy Tract Map 1980; 

Land Protection Plan 1983). At this time, the entire park proposal encompassed about 1,650 

acres (Reed 1999:2).

 

During the planning period, the NPS began acquiring the land needed to make Monocacy 

National Battlefield a physical reality. They gained control over the battlefield through both 

direct purchases and the use of scenic easements. Once these transactions were completed, 

the NPS modified selected areas to accommodate park needs. The majority of the land 

remained agricultural in use, with its overall historic character intact. Only minor changes 

occurred in the density of the vegetation growing along fence lines and near the river and in the 

loss of some structures.

HERMITAGE

Minor changes occurred on Hermitage during this period. The tenants excavated a large trench 

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silos in the area between the limestone barn, the house and the railroad tracks. These 

rectangular pits with asphalt bottoms provided a storage area for silage. In 1991, a windstorm 

blew down the nineteenth-century forebay or bank barn. This structure may have been the 

barn that David Best built in 1865 to replace the one that burned during the 1864 battle. The 

tenants erected a modern, metal pole barn. Even with these additions, the spatial organization 

created by the arrangement of fields, structures and circulation remained largely the same. 

The NPS purchased Hermitage in 1993 and continued to lease the farm to the Wiles family 

until July 1999. When the Wiles family left, they dismantled many of the less substantial 

outbuildings, including a pigpen, chicken coops and various sheds. They also removed all the 

wire-and-metal-pole fencing delineating the fields. The NPS subsequently installed wood 

post-and-six-rail fencing along Route 355 that included a metal gate to secure the entry drive. 

By 1988, the area around the New Jersey Monument had become overgrown and virtually 

inaccessible to park visitors (Aerial Photos ca.1970, 1988). The Service constructed a gravel 

parking lot off Route 355 and a wooden staircase, which led from the lot to the monument. 

They also cleared most of the vegetation from the area, replacing it with grass and ornamental 

plantings. By the early 1990s, the public again had access to the Monument. 

ARABY COMMUNITY

Araby 

Araby has yet to be acquired by the NPS. Since it remains in private ownership, only a cursory 

windshield survey of existing conditions was possible. The property appears to have 

experienced little change in the last 25 years (Aerial Photos ca.1970, 1980, 1988; Field Notes 

1999). 

Araby Mills

In 1981, the NPS purchased this property from the Vivino family. The agency’s decision to use 

the site as the visitor and administrative center for the park resulted in alterations to both 

structures and grounds. The residential entry drive off Route 355 was given a new landscape 

treatment. The surface was paved with asphalt; park signs were installed; and a split rail 

“worm fence” placed along its edge. The use of the “worm fence” to define the drive, 

however, has no basis in historical fact. The fence edges the old lower meadow, now covered 

with lawn. A new wooden bridge carries the entrance lane across the small, unnamed tributary 

that flows alongside it and into the Monocacy River. The agency has also converted the 

historic mill structure into a small visitor’s center and park offices/residence. A small paved 

parking lot is located west of the mill. A path of stone pavers connects the parking lot to the 

visitor center entrance. The grassy area around the visitor center, the pond and the parking lot 

has been planted with ornamental trees and shrubs and flowerbeds of annuals and perennials. 

The islands in the parking lot are also planted with seasonal displays. These plantings also have 

no historical basis. 

The Bush Creek trail, a short loop trail, leads visitors away from the parking area along the 

tributary to the river’s edge. Here, two wayside markers provide information about the battle 

action that occurred on both sides of the river. However, a band of riparian vegetation 

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obscures most of the views and vistas of the battle landscape in this particular area. The trail 

continues to follow the riverbank around to the mouth of Bush Creek and to the old ford 

crossing. At this point, it turns 90 degrees back toward the mill taking the route of the old ford 

road across the flood plain. Because the fields in this area are still used for grazing, they are 

enclosed by post and rail fences, which leave the old ford road free for passage. On other 

parts of the property, the NPS has allowed the leasee to install electric wire fencing to confine 

cattle and to delineate field boundaries (EDAW 1993:4-38). A twentieth-century pole barn, 

located to the east of the mill, was converted into offices and a maintenance garage. The 

majority of these changes were in place by the time the park opened to the public in 1991. In 

1995, the Gambrill mansion became the home for another NPS unit, the Historic Preservation 

Training Center. Consequently, the tennis court located near the mansion was converted to a 

staff parking lot.

Much of the property is currently in agricultural use. The fields north of the mill and the slopes 

and ridges east of the mansion are leased out to local farmers for cattle grazing. The farm field 

north of the Bush Creek ford is bush hogged once a year to keep it open, but the hillside 

southwest and west of the mansion have both reverted to natural vegetation succession 

(EDAW 1993:4-39). Woody vegetation has grown up and along side the old, long dry millrace. 

However, it remains visible under the canopy of trees. Remnants of a stone dam on Bush 

Creek also remain visible (Field Notes July 1999).

Araby rail side community

The rail side community changed dramatically in this period. The NPS purchased the two small 

lots located between Bush Creek and the railroad tracks in 1984. Four houses and at least four 

outbuildings once stood on these lots, located in the narrow neck of land between the rail 

embankment and Bush Creek. One of these structures, the purported site of General 

Wallace’s headquarters, burned down in the late 1980s. The other non-historic structures were 

intentionally destroyed by fire during a local firefighter’s training exercise a few years later. 

The area both north and south of the railroad tracks has since become densely overgrown with 

scrubby vegetation. By the end of the twentieth century, only road traces and remnant 

foundations of the old rail side community existed.

The NPS purchased scenic easements on about six acres located north of the railroad tracks, 

which they now manage as part of an area referred to as the Bush Creek Tract (EDAW 

1993). Originally, part of the historic Markell farm, these six acres contain remnants of the 

Union rifle pits, a powder magazine and an old road trace associated with the upper reaches of 

Bush Creek ford road and with Camp Hooker (1862-1863).

BAKER FARM and Hill Farm

The NPS purchased both properties in 1989, allowing the Geisberts to retain a life estate of 

approximately 25 acres on the Baker Farm. They now lease the agricultural fields on Hill Farm 

and Baker Farm from the Service. Although both farms were somewhat peripheral to the 

Battle of Monocacy, park planners perceived them as buffers to protect and enhance the 

interpretive focus centered on the historic crossroads. In addition, they anticipated that visitors 

would want to experience the expansive views of the battle site from the top of Brooks Hill and 

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the long, broad ridge extending across both sections of the Hill Farm.

Sometime after 1994, the Geisberts cut two trench silos near the western end of the building 

cluster on Baker Farm. They also installed a circular manure treatment pond nearby. The old 

road that led up the farm’s hill field went out of use in the 1980s. A farm lane that parallels the 

hillside and enters the field further to the northeast replaced it (Aerial Photos 1980, 1988; Field 

Notes 1999). The historic road, while still visible, became overgrown by 1999. The rest of the 

vehicular circulation on the farm remains unchanged.

 After the NPS purchased the Hill Farm, the tenants vacated the farmhouse, and it was 

“mothballed.” Overgrown vegetation now fills the formerly low, open area to the southeast of 

the farmhouse, while the front yard and rear workspace are kept mowed. The fields east and 

west of Interstate 270 are relatively unchanged and continue to be cultivated by the Geisbert 

family. Circulation remains the same as the previous period. Because the Hill Farm is not 

presently open to the public, park managers installed metal gates to prevent entry to both 

sections of the farm from Baker Valley Road. The yard area surrounding the house and the 

remaining outbuildings are primarily used for extra maintenance storage (Aerial Photos ca.1970, 

1980, 1988; Field Notes1999).

CLIFTON

The NPS purchased 280 acres of Clifton, all located west of Interstate 270 in 1982. At that 

time four buildings remained on the property: the house, an early twentieth-century dairy barn, 

and two outbuildings. In 1983 the NPS stabilized the main house and razed the outbuildings. As 

part of the stabilization project, the agency removed the front porch from the house and erected 

a chain link fence around the building (LCS [photo] 1997). In addition, the area around the 

house was cleared of most trees. By the late 1990s, this cleared area was being maintained as 

lawn. However, the old rectangular garden or orchard southeast of the house remained 

wooded. With the exception of the area affected by the interstate and the area immediately 

surrounding the house, the farm’s historic field patterns and spatial relationships remained 

largely intact. The farmers that leased the land for feed crops and/or cattle grazing removed 

some hedgerows growing between fields between 1970 and 1983 (Aerial Photos ca.1970, 1988; 

Field Notes 1999). 

To enhance the visitor experience at Clifton, the NPS constructed a pedestrian trail system, 

which opened to the public in 1999. An interpretive map provides information on both the 

history and natural environment of the site. In addition, one of the trail stops on the top of 

Brooks Hill provides a panoramic view of most of the battlefield. The trail begins near the 

southeast corner of the house, heads south through the now wooded rectangular garden or 

orchard and makes its way up to the top of Brooks Hill. It then descends the western hillside 

using part of the old logging road on Brooks Hill, and follows the curve of the Monocacy River 

northwest as it parallels the trace of an old farm lane. At the intersection of the new trail and 

the historic Arcadia/McKinney ford road, the trail turns southeast and parallels this road back to 

the house. At the house a second loop heads north towards the river, where it curves to the 

southwest, again meeting the historic ferry road. The segments of this trail aligned with historic 

lanes include: the route through the rectangular garden area, part of the Baker Farm logging 

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road on Brooks Hill, and the ferry road leading from the house to the river. Other segments of 

the trail follow historic field lines. The NPS also constructed two wooden footbridges to carry 

the unpaved trail over small stream that flows along the northern foot of Brooks Hill. Because 

of the emphasis on the pedestrian experience at Clifton, vehicles are required to park at a 

gravel lot, which was constructed in 1999 near the intersection of the Clifton entrance road and 

Baker Valley Road. The NPS also installed a metal gate and information kiosk in this location.

The Worthington heirs may still own the portion of Clifton located to the east of I-270 (HABS 

MD-1052 1991:24)). Woody growth began to fill in this area after the highway construction, 

and by 1999, the vegetation was very dense (Aerial Photos ca.1970, 1988; Field Notes 1999). 

The riverside entry road that once connected Clifton to the Georgetown Pike also became 

overgrown but remains discernable. This road trace joins with two other old traces. One 

appears related to the high field on Araby; and the other to an old road along the river that may 

have connected the Arcadia/McKinney ford with Middle Ford and the Georgetown Turnpike. 

A stone retaining wall visible near the Route 355 bridge, appears to be connected to the old 

roads or perhaps with the iron ore banks of the 1860s (Lake 1873; Site Investigation notes 

2000). Large stone culverts, which carry a small stream under the road, and a quarry site, 

where the stone for the culverts was probably excavated, have been located along the road 

trace that follows the river. A small house located near the old ferry crossing was demolished 

in the 1990s. This structure may have been located on the site of the dwelling near the ferry 

referred to in John Marshall’s 1803 will and/or may be where the Clifton “squatters” lived. The 

ford crossing and ferry landing remain visible at a point on the on the riverbank, just below the 

highway bridge. Since the portion of Clifton located east of I-270 is not owned by the NPS, 

further investigation was not possible.

CONCLUSION

Spurred by the threatening approach of suburbanization, concerned members of the community, 

local politicians, and NPS officials launched an effort that eventually resulted in the creation of 

Monocacy National Battlefield. What was once a 1930s concept, became a physical reality. 

In 1973, Monocacy National Battlefield was recognized as a national Historic Landmark. For 

the next twenty years, through fee simple purchases and scenic easements, the National Park 

Service gained control over the properties that held a prominent role in the Civil War battle, 

save one, the farm called Araby. Many of the properties also clearly demonstrated the 

historical development of agriculture in what was once the “bread basket” of America. Though 

the current characteristics of the properties reflect advancements in agricultural and 

transportation technology and changing market needs through the centuries, much remains to 

illustrate the farms’ and the mill’s collective history. Monocacy National Battlefield is a 

pastoral landscape where agricultural fields are marked by monuments to Civil War soldiers 

and crossed by fences of many types; panoramic views capture strategic battle points and the 

pragmatic spatial organization of nineteenth-century farms; and modern park trails follow the 

cuts of old farm roads. All these features are connected by a common use and shared past 

that come together at the historic crossroads along the banks of the Monocacy River. 

.

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Figure 10. Baker Farm, July 1999.

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Analysis & Evaluation of Integrity

Analysis and Evaluation of Integrity Narrative Summary:

Monocacy National Battlefield, located in Fredrick County, Maryland consists of 1,647 acres of 

farmland and woods. The battlefield is bisected by the relatively new interstate 270 and the more 

historic Maryland Route 355 also known as the Urbana Pike, which are the primary between 

Washington D.C. and Frederick, Maryland. Monocacy National Battlefield is owned and managed by 

the National Park Service (NPS). Located on the western edge of the piedmont, the site includes the 

floodplain of the Monocacy River and Bush Creek, a large tributary stream, as well as smaller 

unnamed tributaries. The land drains into the Monocacy, which flowing southward joins the Potomac 

River near the boundary between Frederick and Montgomery counties. It is a gently rolling upland of 

moderate relief, delineated by two prominent ridges, one of which is known as Brooks Hill. Primarily 

agricultural, it also contains the historic route of the former Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, which 

parallels Bush Creek and the river as it passes through this area. The pastoral landscape of this 

portion of the Monocacy River valley, where roads, railroad and the river come together, was the site 

of the July 9, 1864 battle that saved Washington, D.C. from serious attack by the Confederate forces 

of General Jubal Early. The action was later commemorated with five Civil War monuments, which 

memorialize the participants in the battle. The crossroads aspect of the area has been key in its 

development and its place in history. Based on a comparison of its historic and contemporary 

character, the integrity of the battlefield site to its two periods of significance (1860-1890 and 

1890-1934) remains very high

Location: The primary features marking the location of the Monocacy National Battlefield that serve to 

define the site–the wide bends in the river; the Bush Creek drainage; Brooks Hill; the terraced slopes 

and prominent ridge lines to the east; agricultural land use patterns; spatial organization created by field 

patterns; major extant farm building clusters; rail and road systems; and relatively intact vegetation 

patterns—are in their nineteenth-century locations. Integrity relating to the first part of the twentieth 

century is also high, due to the overall continuity of these features through a period of commemoration 

(1910-1915), the enactment of the park’s legislation in 1934, to the dedication on July 13, 1991. With 

the exceptions of the Araby farm, a significant privately held property within the park boundaries, and 

the physical separation caused by the route of Interstate 270 across the site, much of the scene 

associated with the battle event remains visible.

Design: The original spatial organization of the agricultural landscape, based on patterns of functional 

use for grazing or farming crops (pasture, and hay or grain production), residential and support 

purposes, milling local grain, and transporting farm-related products to market, is largely evident today. 

In turn, individual features of the farmsteads, the railroad junction, and the mill site exhibit elements of 

vernacular and pragmatic design solutions used historically to transform the area into a thriving 

agricultural community both before and after the Civil War. 

Setting: The landscape within the boundaries of the Monocacy National Battlefield possesses moderate 

to high levels of integrity in relation to its nineteenth- and early twentieth-century periods of 

significance. Areas of moderate integrity are those such as the railroad junction, the rail side 

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community, mill site, and the Clifton farm property, all of which have lost structures and outbuildings 

that contributed to the historic character of the setting. In addition new, non-contributing features have 

undermined the integrity of some the significant areas of the battle site. Among these are both the 

audio and visual disruption of the interstate highway, the additional parking required as part of the 

conversion of the mill property to a visitor center and a NPS training site, and the development of 

interpretative trail segments unrelated to historic circulation patterns. However, the most detrimental 

impact on the integrity of the setting is the contemporary suburban development occurring on adjacent 

lands that fall within the panoramic view shed of the park’s higher elevations and abut its boundaries. 

Materials: Many of the buildings located on the battlefield during the nineteenth century were designed 

and constructed of materials that reflect the architectural and land use traditions of three different 

groups: the Pennsylvania-Germans, who first migrated through the area in the 1740s; British 

merchants, who transformed the land according to Tidewater/English practices; and French refugees, 

who settled around Frederick in the 1790s. Araby Mill and Edgewood, Hermitage, Araby, Clifton, Hill 

Farm and Baker Farm illustrate the cultural traditions associated with the vernacular architecture of 

the properties. Many of the original buildings were constructed of log and stone. Existing utilitarian 

buildings are of frame construction. Three prominent residences, one on Araby farm, one on Araby 

Mills and the other on Clifton, are of brick, while the main house on Hermitage is a stuccoed multi-part 

stone brick and log structure. One of the most unique structures is the Hermitage stone barn. It is a 

rectangular structure set on a slightly raised landform or terrace, with a hipped-roof and walls 

constructed of flat courses of local stone. The overall form of the barn, its construction and materials, 

and its siting is indicative of French traditions (National Register Nomination 2000:7.5).

Besides structures, historic materials are also reflected in the fencing and secondary road surfaces, 

which are hard-packed dirt and gravel. For the most part the stone fences found on the Hermitage, the 

old locust fence posts located in the woods on Clifton and the segments of old living fence found on 

both Clifton and Araby are the primary examples of historic fencing remaining. Post and wire mesh 

fencing, in many cases overgrown with hedgerow vegetation, appears to date from the twentieth 

century and is the most prevalent type of fencing on the battlefield. Other contemporary fencing 

includes electrified wire fencing on Clifton, the Baker Farm and the Araby Mills properties, a line of 

reconstructed post and six-rail fence on Hermitage and pipe rail fencing around the New Jersey and 

Pennsylvania monuments.

Workmanship: The building clusters and individual structures remaining on the site reflect for the most 

part their agricultural and milling origins and functions. The integrity of the workmanship associated 

with the nineteenth and early twentieth-century landscape has been somewhat compromised due to the 

loss of historic character formerly revealed in the architecture of now missing buildings and in the 

spatial relationships missing at the Y-shaped railroad junction, the rail side community, the mill, and 

Clifton.

Feeling: The Monocacy Battlefield landscape possesses a distinct character that can no longer be 

found in many places in and around Frederick, Maryland. The buildings, structures, historic circulation 

systems, materials, organization, and open space all contribute to the historic agricultural, milling and 

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early twentieth century commemorative landscape feeling associated with the battle site.

Association: The association between the Monocacy landscape and the agricultural and milling industry 

has been slightly diminished due to altered site functions, adjacent suburban development, the 

separation and subdivision of farms by Interstate 270, and the increasing traffic volumes on both the 

interstate and Maryland Route 355. The integrity relating to the site’s association with the 

commemorative era remains high. However, the private ownership of Araby farm remains 

problematic. Presently, the park visitor can only “borrow” Araby through visual association in an 

effort to understand the events of July 1864 as they unfolded across the landscape. This situation 

undermines interpretation of the whole battlefield site, diminishing the integrity of association.

Although the deterioration of underutilized farm buildings, the growth of invasive non-native plant 

species, and the spread of suburban growth all threaten the historic character of the site, the landscape 

of the Monocacy National Battlefield landscape is in good condition, with its overall integrity intact.

Landscape Characteristic:

Archeological Sites

Although limited testing has occurred in selected areas within the study area, a systematic and 

thorough review of the archeological resources located on Monocacy National Battlefield has 

yet to be conducted. Identification of these sites as contributing or non-contributing was 

beyond the scope of this inventory.

Buildings And Structures

One or more clusters of vernacular buildings and structures mark each property associated with 

Monocacy National Battlefield. On Hermitage and Baker Farm the cluster forms the central 

core of the farm. On Araby, a tightly constructed central core characterizes Araby farm, while 

more loosely arranged structures and outbuildings distinguish Araby Mills and Hill Farm. Araby 

rail side community has no structures remaining, while Clifton has only a single brick residence. 

The more complete the historical structural relationships, the stronger the property’s integrity 

and the greater the property’s contribution to the overall landscape of the battlefield. 

Individual structures throughout the battlefield site have remarkable integrity. Among these are: 

Edgewood (listed on the National Register in 1985); the wagon barn/corn crib, spring house and 

residence on Hill Farm; the small secondary residence, stone barn, main house, smoke house 

and wagon barn/corn crib on Hermitage; and the house on Clifton. The structures on the 

Baker Farm collectively represent a complete cluster, with key structures that individually 

illustrate the long period of the farm’s development. The Historic Resource Study (1999), the 

National Register Nomination update (2000) and the List of Classified Structures (1997) 

thoroughly describe the individual contributing structures – main residences, mill, small houses, 

barns, sheds, springhouses, and silos – that comprise the architectural features in the park. 

One other important structural element on Monocacy National Battlefield is its system of 

fences. While Cultural Landscape Inventories usually assign fences to the small scale features 

category, in the case of Monocacy, where fencing is ubiquitous, the team viewed fencing as a 

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large scale structural element associated with defining spatial organization. 

Fence systems developed over time in response to the changing character of agriculture. As 

the Monocacy properties were subdivided, a variety of fence types were employed to mark 

boundaries, separate fields and create enclosures. As the nineteenth century progressed, wood 

fencing became less prevalent, as stone fences, living fences and post and wire fencing came 

into use. The change in fence types may signal agricultural innovation, may indicate that timber 

for fencing was not readily available or that local timber resources were depleted. The 

military’s use of existing fencing and their cutting of standing trees for short term encampments 

and Camp Hooker may have been a factor in this change as well. 

Fences on Monocacy currently range from historic remnants to extensive lengths of new post 

and electrified wire fencing (Clifton 1999). The team has identified historic remnants of post 

and six-rail fencing (Clifton), living fences of Osage orange (Clifton and Araby farm), and old 

stone fencing of different periods (Hermitage). New period fencing lines Route 355 in front of 

Hermitage. David Best’s claim for damages after the Civil War describes his loss of wooden 

post and six-rail fencing in this location. However, documentation analyzed thus far fails to 

substantiate the placement of the historic-looking split rail “worm” fence along the entrance 

drive to the visitor center.

Fences played an important role in the Battle of Monocacy. For example, intense fighting 

between Union forces under General Ricketts and the Confederate cavalry under General 

McCausland occurred along the fence line that marked the historic boundary between Araby 

farm and Clifton. However, soldier’s accounts do not describe the actual fence from the time 

of the battle. The present fence line remnant of a post and wire fence with trees and shrubs 

growing in it, marks this important section of the historic battle line. 

There are two distinct types of stone fences remaining on Hermitage. One wall, constructed of 

alternate courses of coarse and finely dressed limestone, appears to date to the same time as 

the stone barn, also constructed in a similar manner (1790s). A low L-shaped segment of this 

wall may have partially enclosed and delineated the area behind the southeast corner of the 

barn. A second stone wall, which extends eastward from the site of former kitchen garden, 

may date from after the Civil War. This wall, constructed of relatively coarse stones laid 

horizontally at the base and in an upright line on the top, has been partially buried by the build-up 

of the adjacent railroad embankment. The height of the wall was further extended some time 

ago by the addition of post and wire fencing. The posts used in the extension are shortened 

sections of the original American chestnut railroad ties used by the B&O in the nineteenth 

century.

Character-defining Features:

Feature: Brick Silo (Baker Farm)

Feature Identification Number: 95785

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

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Feature: Cellar Foundation (Araby Mills)

Feature Identification Number: 95786

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: Cellar foundation-possible Wallace HQ (Araby Mills)

Feature Identification Number: 95787

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: Dairy Barn (Baker Farm)

Feature Identification Number: 95788

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: Dairy Barn (Hermitage)

Feature Identification Number: 95789

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: Dam Wing Wall ruins (Araby Mills)

Feature Identification Number: 95790

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: Edgewood (Araby Mills)

Feature Identification Number: 95791

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

IDLCS Number: 45031

LCS Structure Name: Gambrill House-Monocacy Battlefield

LCS Structure Number: MONO-107

Feature: Fencing - Post and wire, barbed wire (All)

Feature Identification Number: 95792

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Fencing - Worm fencing (Araby Mills), Non-historic post and rail fencing 

(Araby Mills, Clifton), Post and wire electric and non-electric fencing (All)

Feature:

Feature Identification Number: 95793

Type of Feature Contribution: Non-Contributing

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Feature: Forebay Barn (Baker Farm)

Feature Identification Number: 95794

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: Forebay Barn (Hill Farm)

Feature Identification Number: 95795

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: Garage (Araby Mills)

Feature Identification Number: 95796

Type of Feature Contribution: Non-Contributing

Feature: House (Baker Farm)

Feature Identification Number: 95797

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: House (Clifton)

Feature Identification Number: 95798

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

IDLCS Number: 45030

LCS Structure Name: Worthington House-Monocacy Battlefield

LCS Structure Number: MONO-106

Feature: House (Hermitage)

Feature Identification Number: 95799

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: House (Hill Farm)

Feature Identification Number: 95800

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: Metal Equipment Shed (Baker Farm)

Feature Identification Number: 95801

Type of Feature Contribution: Non-Contributing

Feature: Metal Service Building (Araby Mills)

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Feature Identification Number: 95802

Type of Feature Contribution: Non-Contributing

Feature: Milk House (Baker Farm)

Feature Identification Number: 95803

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: Pole Barn (Hermitage)

Feature Identification Number: 95804

Type of Feature Contribution: Non-Contributing

Feature: Pump House (Araby Mills)

Feature Identification Number: 95805

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: Secondary House (Hermitage)

Feature Identification Number: 95806

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: Small House Foundation (Clifton)

Feature Identification Number: 95807

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: Smoke House (Hermitage)

Feature Identification Number: 95808

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: Springhouse (Hill Farm)

Feature Identification Number: 95809

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: Stone Barn (Hermitage)

Feature Identification Number: 95810

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: Stone Fencing (Hermitage)

Feature Identification Number: 95811

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Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: Stone mill (Araby Mills)

Feature Identification Number: 95812

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: Summer Kitchen (Baker Farm)

Feature Identification Number: 95813

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: Trench Silos (Baker Farm, Hermitage)

Feature Identification Number: 95814

Type of Feature Contribution: Non-Contributing

Feature: Wagon Shed/Corn Crib (Hermitage)

Feature Identification Number: 95815

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: Wagon Shed/Corn Crib (Hill Farm)

Feature Identification Number: 95816

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Landscape Characteristic Graphics:

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Figure 18. Edgewood (Gambrill House), 1985.

Figure 19. Nineeenth-century farmhouse at Hill Farm, 1997.

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Figure 20. Stone and log secondary house on Hermitage. This structure may have been 

built as early as 1760,1999.

Circulation

The circulation system of the Monocacy National Battlefield derived from the topographical 

configuration of the landscape and is primarily based on vehicular use. The roads, drives, lanes, 

fords, bridges and road traces reflect the historic agricultural landscape where circulation 

developed to accommodate planting, harvesting, care of livestock and the transportation of 

products to markets. 

The first documented road through the area is the portion of the old Indian trail that was 

incorporated into the route of the old Georgetown Road, later called the Georgetown Turnpike. 

The Indian trail was part of a larger network of north-south trails established by Native 

Americans and later adapted by colonial settlers for their use. The segment of the old 

Frederick to Georgetown road that pertains most to the study area is that which follows the 

route of the old turnpike across Hermitage farm, across Araby and along the route of today’s 

Araby Church Road.

Undoubtedly during the early settlement, a small number of interior lanes and roads developed 

to serve the tenants on properties such as “Locust Level.” Thomas Johnson’s iron forge 

operation on Bush Creek also probably had road or lanes associated with it. However, once 

the two manor properties of Hermitage and Araby were established around the turn of the 

nineteenth century, internal roads or lanes probably developed at a faster rate. Bush Creek 

ford road and roads paralleling the Monocacy River may have developed at this time. Roads 

along the river probably served to connect the various fording locations, such as the one near 

the mouth of Ballenger’s Creek (Arcadia/McKinney’s), the one subsequently named Middle 

Ford, as well as Bush Creek ford. 

The first half of the nineteenth century saw a further refinement of the road network. A 

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wooden covered bridge carried the turnpike road to Georgetown over the Monocacy. The 

turnpike itself was chartered in 1805, while a firm date for the construction of the bridge has 

not yet been established. Just north of the study area, the National Road, which incorporated 

an older turnpike linking Frederick and Baltimore, was completed by 1818. Bush Creek ford 

road served as the primary connection between the National Road and the Georgetown Pike in 

the area just east of the Monocacy River. Because of this connection, the Bush Creek ford 

road proved later to be the best retreat route for the Union troops after the Battle of 

Monocacy. Because of its strategic location, the wooden covered bridge also figured in the 

battle, and as a result was burned. The wooden bridge was replaced after the battle, but the 

historic flood of 1888 (the same flooding that devastated Johnstown, PA) destroyed it. An iron 

bridge was then constructed (Davis Photos 1893). An early twentieth-century highway bridge 

now marks this historic crossing.

Development of the main line of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad through the Monocacy River 

valley began in 1830. A series of rail bridges were constructed where the line crossed over the 

river from the high east bank to the lower river bottom on the west side. At least two new 

bridges have been constructed because of improvements undertaken by the B&O on the entire 

line. Other construction occurred because of the damage caused at various times during the 

Civil War, including during the 1864 battle.

Each time the Monocacy properties were further subdivided, additional entry roads and internal 

lanes developed. Hermitage was subdivided once by a change in owners. It was also 

subdivided by the passage of the B&O across the eastern portion of the property. Araby was 

subdivided according to changes in ownership several times. Lanes connecting Clifton and 

Araby, as well as John Worthington’s entry road may have developed as a result of these land 

transactions. The 1843 surveying of what would become Baker Valley Road may have also 

occurred as a result of the creation of Baker Farm and Hill Farm out of the Araby manor 

property.

Over the years shifts occurred in the alignment of Georgetown Pike. One shift may have been 

necessary when the road was moved to align with the bridge once its construction was 

complete. Because the ferry landing just downstream from the bridge crossing continued to 

operate, the old road alignment probably remained in use. In 1923 Frederick County improved 

the surface of the turnpike from a rough hard packed stony surface to a paved one. Significant 

realignment took place at this time, when a new section of the road was created. The new 

section required cutting into the hills south of the study area. The old section of the road was 

renamed Araby Church Road. Shortly thereafter the Georgetown Pike was officially called 

Maryland Route 355. Field analysis suggests that Araby Church Road has shifted as well, 

although this slight realignment may not be related to the 1923 road improvements. An original 

section of the road is visible in the spatial relationship established by the hollow near the entry 

drive to Araby farm, in the remnant fence line behind the Vermont Monument, and in the 

lens-shaped area now marked by a small twentieth-century house (Aerial Photos 1937, 1952).

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The most significant change in the pattern of vehicular circulation across the battlefield site 

happened with the construction of Maryland Route 240/Interstate 270 in the early 1950s. The 

permanent disruption caused by this four-lane highway forever altered the pastoral character of 

the area and seriously undermined its integrity. Its advent severed the Hill Farm in two, created 

an artificial boundary between Clifton and Araby, brought high levels of noise and increased 

automobile traffic, and encouraged the wide-spread suburbanization of Frederick. 

The surfaces of the internal farm lanes that remain in active use vary according to the level of 

use they receive. Often the lanes that follow the fence lines between fields are simply two 

parallel hard-packed dirt tracks. On Hermitage, a lane that once crossed the northwest fields in 

a diagonal line has now faded away from lack of repeated use. Only a mow line makes the 

distinction between the two areas. However, with heavier use internal farm lanes can become 

a solid band of packed dirt. Some lanes, especially the entry drives at Hermitage, Hill and 

Baker farms have been packed down with stony rubble such as limestone (at Hermitage) or 

with slatey gray stone (from Brooks Hill). A typical crusher run of bluestone has been 

distributed along the entry drive to Clifton and its visitor parking lot, at the parking lot next to the 

New Jersey Monument, and in the drive around Edgewood/ Historic Preservation Training 

Center. The entry drive and parking lot associated with the visitor center on Araby Mills have 

been paved with asphalt. 

Traces of old roads and lanes now function as pedestrian paths. Some of these have been 

incorporated into designated trails at Clifton, on Brooks Hill, and along Bush Creek. One of the 

most visible old road traces is the grassy track below the visitor center/mill marking the passage 

of Bush Creek ford road between two fence lines. Some of the segments of the designated 

trails appear to be unrelated to the historic circulation patterns identified as part of this 

inventory.

Farm lanes on Monocacy battlefield site have passed in and out of use. The construction of the 

I-270 embankment across the battlefield caused some of this change. Some of the lanes along 

fence lines have become obscured by overgrown vegetation, as bands of trees, shrubs and 

vines along the fence lines have become more extensive. This phenomenon has caused newer 

lanes to develop in parallel locations on historic Clifton, Hill and Baker farms. Most of the lanes 

and traces have been noted on the site map prepared for this section on circulation. However, 

a more detailed description of those found exists in the records kept as part of this inventory.

Character-defining Features:

Feature: Araby Church Road (historic Georgetown Pike)

Feature Identification Number: 95817

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: Automobile bridge over Monocacy River (MD Route 355)

Feature Identification Number: 95818

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Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: Auxillary farm lane, adjacent to historic sunken lane (Clifton)

Feature Identification Number: 95819

Type of Feature Contribution: Non-Contributing

Feature: Baker Valley Road

Feature Identification Number: 97225

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: Bush Creek Ford

Feature Identification Number: 101520

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: Bush Creek ford road

Feature Identification Number: 101521

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: CSX railroad track

Feature Identification Number: 101522

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: Entry Drive (Araby Mills)

Feature Identification Number: 101523

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: Farm entry drive parallel to !-270 (Clifton)

Feature Identification Number: 101524

Type of Feature Contribution: Non-Contributing

Feature: Farm entry drives [2] parallel to I-270 (Hill Farm)

Feature Identification Number: 101525

Type of Feature Contribution: Non-Contributing

Feature: Internal farm lanes and entry drive (Baker Farm)

Feature Identification Number: 101526

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

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Feature: Internal farm lanes and entry drive (Hermitage)

Feature Identification Number: 101527

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: Internal farm lanes and portion of entry drive (Hill Farm)

Feature Identification Number: 101528

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: Interstate 270

Feature Identification Number: 101529

Type of Feature Contribution: Non-Contributing

Feature: Maryland Route 355 (historic Georgetown Pike)

Feature Identification Number: 101530

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

IDLCS Number: 45109

LCS Structure Name: Road of State Route 355

LCS Structure Number: MONO-113

Feature: Middle Ford

Feature Identification Number: 101531

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

NPS Trails [except those portions that follow contibuting historic segments] 

(Araby Mills and Clifton)

Feature:

Feature Identification Number: 101532

Type of Feature Contribution: Non-Contributing

Feature: Parking Lots (Clifton and Araby Mills)

Feature Identification Number: 101533

Type of Feature Contribution: Non-Contributing

Feature: Portion of farm entry drive [near house] (Clifton)

Feature Identification Number: 101534

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

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Feature: Railroad Bridge over the Monocacy River

Feature Identification Number: 101535

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: Road Trace on former Markell Farm (Araby Mills)

Feature Identification Number: 101536

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: Sunken lane to river (Clifton)

Feature Identification Number: 101537

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Landscape Characteristic Graphics:

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Figure 17. Bush Creek ford road on Araby Mills. The line of trees marks Bush Creek, 

September 2000.

Cluster Arrangement

Cluster arrangement on the Monocacy Battlefield had been determined by the site topography 

and the meanders of the Monocacy River. During the nineteenth century there were nine 

different building clusters. On Hermitage, Araby farm, Clifton, Baker Farm and Hill Farm 

these clusters were the central core of the farmsteads. Today, only Hermitage, Araby farm, 

Hill Farm and Baker Farm exhibit the physical integrity of their respective historic cluster 

arrangements. The four other clusters were the mill and it outbuildings, the rail side community, 

the cluster of structures within the Y-shaped junction, and the group of buildings developed in 

conjunction with Edgewood. 

The farmstead clusters consisted of the main residence, one or more barns, sheds, and other 

outbuildings and the spaces in between. Often the interior yard space contained areas for 

work, gardens, and paths for carts, wagons, or pedestrians. The historic cluster arrangement at 

Hermitage is mostly intact. The placement of the stone barn in relation to the main house and 

to the small stone house appears to be intentional. The Vincendieres may have desired this 

arrangement for the clear sight lines it afforded, for operational reasons, or because this spatial 

design was familiar to them. Other structures, added later in the nineteenth and twentieth 

centuries have extended the original building cluster to the north, creating a J-shaped 

arrangement.

The location and pattern of Araby’s buildings and structures in the landscape appears to have 

developed into a rectangular form. Both Clifton and Hill Farms, which were established around 

the mid-nineteenth century, had square-shaped arrangements. Our knowledge of Clifton’s 

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pattern is based primarily on the analysis of historic photographs, as its cluster arrangement has 

been lost due to the collapse and subsequent removal of most of its outbuildings. A curve in the 

farm road currently marks the site of the old forebay barn that was located southwest of the 

main house. Information about the cluster arrangement of Hill Farm, where some outbuildings 

are no longer extant, comes from a combination of site and photo analysis.

The linear arrangement of the buildings and structures at Baker Farm follows the base of the 

slope that rises toward Brooks Hill. The location of the structures on this farmstead may have 

a relationship to the pattern of development visible on neighboring Snow Hill farm, as two 

brothers, Daniel and Edward Baker, developed these farms at about the same time. Baker 

Farm represents the most intact historic cluster arrangement of those investigated thus far on 

Monocacy National Battlefield.

The arrangement of structures within the Y-shaped junction and at the rail side community can 

be discerned only from historic photographs, maps and the analysis of the remaining 

foundations. When the structures associated with these two areas were constructed, they 

were placed in the most pragmatic locations, based on function and the constricted areas 

created by the limits of the railroad’s right-of-way and the topography. 

The arrangement of the structures (mills, millrace, miller’s house, and barn) associated with 

Araby Mills has been lost because of the adjacent development of the Edgewood estate portion 

of the site that occurred in the first half of the twentieth century. During this period of 

development, most of the pre-Civil War structures were allowed to deteriorate. The support 

buildings associated with the development of the estate were subsequently removed in the 

1970s. As a result of these two events, the historic spatial relationship existing between the mill 

structures both before and after the construction of Edgewood has been lost. The relationship 

of the Edgewood cluster arrangement to the mill building cluster has been lost as well. 

Because of the disparate uses of the property today (visitor center, park office/maintenance 

facility, and NPS training center), the three remaining structures appear to have no visible 

relationship.

Character-defining Features:

Feature: Araby Mills

Feature Identification Number: 101538

Type of Feature Contribution: Non-Contributing

Feature: Baker Farm

Feature Identification Number: 101539

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: Hermitage

Feature Identification Number: 101540

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Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: Hill Farm

Feature Identification Number: 101541

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Landscape Characteristic Graphics:

Figure 21. Baker Farm building cluster, 1997.

Figure 22. Hermitage building cluster, July 1999.

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Constructed Water Features

Historically the water from springs was protected by springhouses, such as the one on Hill 

Farm, or collected in cisterns, such as the one located at the top of the hill behind Edgewood. 

The constructions of these relatively small features relate to longstanding concerns about 

reliable and safe water supplies. 

However, the most significant water features in the Monocacy area were those associated with 

the operation of Araby Mills. The head race, which originated on Bush Creek, the mill pond, 

and the tail race, which emptied into the Monocacy, are assumed to be part of the development 

of McPherson’s milling operation in the 1830s. However, these features may have been 

adapted from preexisting features excavated for James Marshall’s sawmill or its predecessors. 

In any event, the water channeled through these features powered Araby Mills until the end of 

the nineteenth century. What remains of the head race lies in wooded area and follows Bush 

Creek for about a third of a mile. It is visible under the canopy of the trees now growing along 

its old embankments. The historic millpond was drained and filled in; the new one below the 

mill/visitor center dates to the 1960s (Aerial Photos 1952; ca.1970). A portion of the mill’s old 

tailrace lies beyond the visitor center parking lot in a low wet area adjacent to the Bush Creek 

trail. Of these constructed water features, only the headrace has any considerable degree of 

integrity.

Character-defining Features:

Feature: Cistern (Araby Mills)

Feature Identification Number: 101542

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: Pond (Araby Mills)

Feature Identification Number: 101543

Type of Feature Contribution: Non-Contributing

Feature: Remnant millrace [tail and head] (Araby Mills)

Feature Identification Number: 101544

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Landscape Characteristic Graphics:

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Figure 24. Araby Mill remnant tailrace, September 2000.

Cultural Traditions

The architectural styles of the residential and functional structures in the study area exhibit the 

variety of cultural traditions associated with agriculture in western Maryland. Settlement 

cottages, forebay barns, the unique stone barn on Hermitage, and the Georgian style of Araby 

manor house all reflect the mix of Pennsylvania German, French, Caribbean and Tidewater 

English influences evident in the area.

Another cultural tradition lies in the physical legacy left by the commemorative military parks 

movement. The movement led by veterans groups was behind the establishment of military 

parks at several key battle sites just after the Civil War. Between 1890 and 1932, the War 

Department established, designed and managed these and other battlefield sites. The five 

commemorative markers and statues placed by Monocacy veterans and the United Daughters 

of the Confederacy at key points along the historic route of Georgetown Pike are part of this 

legacy. The War Department identified Monocacy battlefield as a potential National Battlefield 

site on March 1, 1929. War Department standards written in 1931 for sites such as Monocacy 

stated that the battlefields held “inspirational value to future generations.” In addition, 

battlefield parks served as an “outdoor textbook in strategy and tactics with the historic scene 

maintained as near to the condition at the time of the battle.” (Unrau and Williss 1983:40-41). 

Attitudes about the development of battlefields are reflected in the first conceptual plans for 

Monocacy National Battlefield and manifested in the physical configuration of the park.

Landscape Characteristic Graphics:

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Figure 13. Eighteenth-century stone barn at Hermitage. The main house can be glimpsed 

through the barn door, March 2000.

Figure 14. Nineteenth-century forebay barn at the Baker Farm, July 1999.

Land Use

Throughout most of the eighteenth, the nineteenth and the first half of the twentieth centuries, 

the Monocacy area has been valued for its fertile soils. The overall character of the soil, as 

well as the combination of the rich river bottom lands and the gentle slopes have provided a 

physical environment conducive to agriculture. The adaptation of the landscape for various 

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forms of agricultural production has marked its physical development. Native Americans 

probably camped on the lower slopes when fishing and gathering foodstuffs. Tenants occupied 

the small settlement farms and experimented with tobacco cultivation. Industrious individuals 

established farm operations and mills devoted to the production of grain. Finally, many of these 

same farmers subsequently converted their operations to dairying. Industry and transportation 

systems grew in support of these agricultural developments. For example, Jenkins Brothers 

Food, Inc. operated Clifton as a truck farm in the 1950s and 1960s to support its canning and 

frozen food business (MD Department of Economic Development 1970:10).

All the NPS properties have some form of agricultural leasing occurring on them at this time. 

Most of the agriculture on these properties relates to activities in the dairy industry. The 

Geisberts operate Baker Farm under a life estate agreement. The Geisberts also farm the fields 

at the Hill Farm, which they once owned, and at Araby farm (not NPS). Keith Wiles, the 

former tenant at Hermitage, now leases the fields on that farm. The Wiles family tenanted 

Hermitage for three generations. The Herings lease fields on both Clifton and Gambrill. They 

have been leasing the Clifton fields since before NPS ownership. The current leasing 

agreements reflect a continuance of the management of the various Monocacy properties by 

just a few families. The strong links between the current farms date back the earliest 

eighteenth century patents and remain evident today in these leasing arrangements.

Historical, though short term, use by the military during the Civil War also figures in the 

significance of the Monocacy farms. In 1862, during the Antietam campaign, both Confederate 

and Union troops passed through the area and both sides camped briefly on Hermitage. The 

sequence of events associated with the “Lost Orders” found by Union soldiers in the wooded 

grove on Hermitage brings added significance to these temporary encampments. In the fall of 

1862, the Union army set up Camp Hooker on farmland north of the railroad tracks and the 

Araby rail side community and adjacent to James Gambrill’s mill property. The military 

adapted structures associated with the rail side community for its use. The 14th New Jersey 

occupied Camp Hooker for 9 months, but the camp remained in use until the end of the war 

(Post Return Files, National Archive). Part of the 14th New Jersey also camped on Hermitage 

in the triangular area formed by the railroad bridge, rail line and the Georgetown Pike (Bearss 

1978:92). In 1863, Union General Winfield Scott Hancock’s regiment camped on Araby for 

three days before moving on to the battle that would occur at Gettysburg.

Landscape Characteristic Graphics:

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Figure 11. Araby Mill, currently used as the park visitors center, September 2000.

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Figure 12. A NPS trail on Clifton, identified through markers, July 1999.

Natural Systems And Features

The Monocacy river watershed is the primary natural system in the area of the battlefield. The 

watershed includes the floodplain of the Monocacy River and Bush Creek as well as several 

smaller unnamed tributaries. These tributaries are mostly intermittent or seasonally inundated. 

One begins on Hill Farm, courses under Baker Valley Road and across the front of Araby farm 

to follow an original segment of the old Georgetown Turnpike. It then runs along the visitor 

center drive entry before emptying into the Monocacy just below the mouth of Bush Creek 

drive. Analysis of the 1937 aerial photograph suggests that the historic path of the Georgetown 

Pike lies parallel to the route taken by this stream. The stream’s route also supports the oral 

tradition that the road was developed from a well-traveled Indian trail, which, as the topography 

demonstrates, might have followed the course of the drainage. 

Another tributary, sometimes called Harding’s Run, begins on the eastern ridge outside the park 

boundary and flows across the front fields of the Baker Farm. It finally finds its outlet to the 

river by running around the base of Brooks Hill to the west. A third tributary runs northwest to 

southeast across the front fields of the Hermitage farm. Several springs are also located within 

the study area, including those near the visitor center, on the Hill Farm and at the southwestern 

corner of Brooks Hill.

In general, the lowlands and the surrounding terraces, slopes and ridges drain into the 

Monocacy River, which flowing southward meanders to join the Potomac River. Historically, 

the natural hydrology of the “well-watered” fields along the Monocacy added considerable 

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value to these agricultural areas. In addition, consistent water levels in the Monocacy, Bush 

Creek, and other associated creeks and streams allowed for the early development of mills for 

processing the resources of the region.

For the most part, the natural flow of the region’s watershed along the existing curves in the 

land has not been altered or diverted significantly from its historic configuration. Natural 

terraces rise from both sides of the river, with those on the east side of a larger scale and 

elevation. Small channels, ravines and gullies, which carry run off from the higher slopes and 

ridges, cross these terraces. The ravines and gullies found on the Hill Farm represent some of 

the larger drainage areas. In some cases, culverts have been constructed to allow for the 

passage of highways, roads and lanes over the smaller tributaries, small channels and ditches. 

Two large stone-faced culverts were constructed some time around 1860 to accommodate an 

older riverside road and a newer one cut by John Worthington to improve the route of the 

historic main Clifton farm road. This road ran along the south bank of the Monocacy between 

the main house and the turnpike bridge. However, access to this old road is limited as most of 

it runs across land not yet owned by the NPS. (Site investigation 04/27/2000). The culverts 

used today on active roads are non-historic metal or concrete pipe. These undoubtedly replaced 

earlier versions, which did not meet modern road and highway standards. The primary 

exception to this situation is the elevated berm of the roadbed for Interstate 270. Its 

construction in the early 1950s obliterated the natural drainage that lay in its path; the run-off 

from its paved surfaces necessitating even larger highway culverts to carry storm water toward 

the Monocacy River.

Monocacy National Battlefield is located in the Frederick valley, part of the piedmont lowlands 

of western Maryland. It is underlain primarily by limestone and also includes sandstone, shale 

and siltstone. The soils in the valley are generally medium to heavy in texture, slightly acidic, 

and, as mentioned above, well drained (Little 1995:35). In the early eighteenth century, this part 

of western Maryland was considered to be a “waste land” or “barrens” due to its meadows 

and open tree-less areas. It is, in fact, an area of fertile soils (Reed 1999:8). This impression 

of barrenness may have been in part due to the open areas of scrub left by Native Americans 

burning woodlands to flush out game in the open (Bruegger 1988:66). The Monocacy area was 

historically rich in natural resources, such as timber, quartzite, iron ore, brick and ball clay, and, 

most importantly, limestone. Fertilizer and building materials derived from limestone contributed 

significantly to the successful agricultural development of the area.

Analysis of events that have occurred in recent years revealed one unusual aspect about the 

area’s climate. Three storm-related microbursts have damaged or destroyed large trees and 

structures. Among the structures were a forebay barn and the roof of the main house on 

Hermitage and a wagonshed/corn crib on Hill Farm.

Landscape Characteristic Graphics:

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Small Scale Features

The small-scale features currently located on the landscape of Monocacy National Battlefield 

are primarily associated with visitor services. Most were placed on site as part of the National 

Park Service’s recent development of the site referred to as the Bush Creek tract (Araby 

Mills). Examples include the brown wooden entry and information signs, barrier gates, 

interpretive waysides, bluebird boxes and other site furnishings located around the visitor 

center. The site furnishings at the visitor center range from contemporary light standards, trash 

receptacles and benches to a single picnic table and a message kiosk.

Beyond the immediate area of the visitor center, small-scale features related to visitors have 

been installed at Clifton. These include: the trail head and trail stop markers for the 

“Worthington Farm Trail”, a portable toilet, and the signs, message kiosk, and barrier gate 

added to the auxiliary parking area located at the entrance drive and Baker Valley Road. The 

NPS had a set of wooden stairs with railings constructed to allow visitors greater ease of 

access to the New Jersey Monument. Before the building of these stairs, railway-tie steps set 

into the hill provided access (Susan Trail 2000; personal communication). This monument is 

located adjacent to MD Route 355 on land that used to be part of Hermitage.

The inventory team identified several important small-scale features of historic value that 

contribute to the historic character of Monocacy National Battlefield. Among these are the 

millstones that were placed adjacent to the entrance to the upper level of the mill building. A 

single pier constructed of limestone at the beginning of the entrance drive leading into 

Hermitage also contributes. It may have been constructed from the stone remaining from an old 

wall that had to be removed when the realignment of the Georgetown Pike occurred in 1923. 

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Another significant feature on Hermitage is a series of fence posts cut from American 

Chestnut railroad ties. These fence posts probably date from the nineteenth century. They 

have been incorporated into the stone wall that runs along the railroad line, south of the main 

house. A granite marker located near this same stone wall, close to the point where it 

intersects with the earlier turnpike alignment, appears to be related to the old turnpike. It should 

be considered in this category and researched further (Site Investigation notes 2000). The 

six-hole fence post representing the remnant of the old fence around the site of the rectangular 

enclosure found at Clifton is another significant feature that has contributed greatly to the 

team’s understanding of historic fencing at Monocacy. Although not original to the battlefield, 

the old artillery piece currently positioned at Clifton next to the house adds to the historic setting 

and is located on a spot documented during the battle (Worthington 1934:144-145).

The small-scale features with the most significance and integrity are the five commemorative 

monuments and markers. As described in the site history and in the cultural traditions section 

of the analysis and evaluation, these sculptural elements illustrate the efforts by veterans 

groups, as well as the United Daughters of the Confederacy, to commemorate specific military 

actions at Monocacy. They also reflect the widespread interest in memorialization in the early 

twentieth century. The monuments were placed on small plots of ground purchased from 

landowners and located near a related battle action. The first monument (1907) dedicated was 

the New Jersey Monument (14th New Jersey Regiment). The dedication of the Pennsylvania 

Monument followed in 1908 (67th, 87th, and 138th regiments of the Pennsylvania volunteers). 

The Vermont Monument was dedicated in 1915 (10th Vermont infantry). Confederate forces, 

which had fought at Monocacy, were honored on the 50th anniversary of the battle with a 

monument sponsored by the United Daughters of the Confederacy in 1914. The last monument 

dedicated to the battle was that of the Maryland Civil War Centennial in 1964. Each monument 

was placed at a relevant location along the route of the old Georgetown Pike: three on property 

affiliated with Hermitage; and the other two on Araby Church Road near the entrance to 

Araby farm. The physical attributes of each monument are discussed at length in the Historic 

Resource Study, the National Register Nomination and the List of Classified Structures. The 

landscape treatment surrounding the individual monuments ranges from non-historic 

contemporary ornamental herbaceous plantings at the Confederate and Maryland monuments 

and the New Jersey Monument to the simple historic pipe railing fencing around the 

Pennsylvania and New Jersey monuments.

Character-defining Features:

Feature: Artillery (Clifton)

Feature Identification Number: 101545

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: Barrier gates (All)

Feature Identification Number: 101546

Type of Feature Contribution: Non-Contributing

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Feature: Bluebird boxes (Araby Mills)

Feature Identification Number: 101547

Type of Feature Contribution: Non-Contributing

Feature: Civil War Earthworks (Araby Mills)

Feature Identification Number: 101548

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: Confederate Monument

Feature Identification Number: 101549

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: Flag Pole (Araby Mills)

Feature Identification Number: 101550

Type of Feature Contribution: Non-Contributing

Feature: Garbage Can (Araby Mills)

Feature Identification Number: 101551

Type of Feature Contribution: Non-Contributing

Feature: Granite turnpike marker fragment (Hermitage).

Feature Identification Number: 101552

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: Maryland Monument

Feature Identification Number: 101553

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: Message kiosks (Araby Mills, Clifton)

Feature Identification Number: 101554

Type of Feature Contribution: Non-Contributing

Feature: Mill Stones (Araby Mills)

Feature Identification Number: 101555

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: Monument fencing and steps

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Feature Identification Number: 101556

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: New Jersey Monument

Feature Identification Number: 101557

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: Pennsylvania Monument

Feature Identification Number: 101558

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: Picnic table and benches (Araby Mills)

Feature Identification Number: 101559

Type of Feature Contribution: Non-Contributing

Feature: Railroad tie fence posts (Hermitage)

Feature Identification Number: 101560

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: Remnent six-hole fence posts (Clifton, Baker Farm)

Feature Identification Number: 101561

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: Stairs at New Jersey Monument

Feature Identification Number: 101562

Type of Feature Contribution: Non-Contributing

Feature: Stone Entry Pier (Hermitage)

Feature Identification Number: 101563

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: Vermont Monument

Feature Identification Number: 101564

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: Wooden bridges (Araby Mills Clifton)

Feature Identification Number: 101653

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Type of Feature Contribution: Non-Contributing

Landscape Characteristic Graphics:

Figure 25. Pennsylvania Monument, 1997.

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Figure 26. Park entry sign and worm fence, September 2000.

Spatial Organization

Although influenced by the topography and natural systems, the historic ownership patterns 

determined by land grant, patent and deed have also affected the layout of the farms and other 

properties on both sides of the river. The Monocacy National Battlefield can be best 

understood as a collection of four individual sites, or component landscapes, that have 

developed through 200 years of subdivision and consolidation of ownership. The four sites 

described below are Hermitage, Araby Community, Baker Farm and Clifton.

HERMITAGE

Hermitage, also called the Best Farm for the occupants at the time of the battle, is located on 

the northwest side of the river. In 1993, the National Park Service acquired the property, 

which consists of 273.69 acres, from the descendents of the family that had purchased it in 

1835. The current property straddles the Route 355/Urbana Pike, or the historic Georgetown 

Turnpike, with its cluster of buildings located on the west side and a portion of its fields on the 

east. The historic main line of the old Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O), now a part of the 

CSX system passes across the southern portion of the Hermitage. At Hermitage, the main line 

joins the spur line to Frederick at the Y-shaped junction. The main line continues west and 

parallel to the river on one of the terrace levels that rises from the floodplain, while the spur 

follows the river towards the north. In general the Hermitage fields—which are delineated by 

roads, lanes, the rail line and fences and are planted in crops—mark the floodplain and fertile 

river bottomlands. The relationship of the fields to the whole property contributes greatly to this 

farm’s remarkable integrity of spatial organization. In addition the spatial relationship within the 

historic building cluster also appears intact.

 ARABY COMMUNITY

James McPherson, Sr. began to assemble the property that would become known as Araby in 

1812. At this time he oversaw the development of the manor, a grain mill and several tenant 

farms. These properties were all tied to the intersection and crossroads created by the passage 

of the Georgetown Pike over the Monocacy River and the Monocacy Junction of the Baltimore 

and Ohio Railroad. The road across Bush Creek was another link, although secondary, that 

also connected McPherson’s holdings. By 1832, the holdings of John McPherson, Jr, amounted 

to 1,100 acres. When subdivision of the properties occurred in the 1840’s, many of the internal 

connections remained, either through subsequent owners or through common uses. 

McPhersons’ Araby remained a crossroads community that continued to be loosely connected 

well into the twentieth century. Analysis of the contemporary cultural landscape suggests that 

the following named areas qualify as landscape features associated with the larger landscape of 

the Araby community. 

Araby (Mansion Farm)– This farm containing approximately 240 acres is located on the west 

side of Maryland Route 355 and south of the Monocacy River, opposite Hermitage. Araby 

remains in private ownership and has not been surveyed or evaluated properly for the purposes 

of the Cultural Landscape Inventory. The property has figured in the historical research and 

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has been visually assessed from the public-right-of-way. The main buildings are grouped in a 

loose T shape behind the large brick manor house and include a frame forebay barn, corncrib 

and wagon shed and various outbuildings. Among these secondary structures is a small stone 

building that appears to be similar to other early settlement period residential structures. A long 

formal entry drive, lined with a deciduous trees in varying sizes, emphasizes its historical use as 

a manor house and, later, as a country estate. The swimming pool and tennis court also 

emphasize its more recent use as a country estate (National Register Nomination 2000:7.5). 

Analysis of aerial photographs suggests that many of the historic spatial patterns and 

relationships remain.

Hill Farm – McPherson’s Hill Farm is located on the west-facing slopes above Baker Valley 

Road. Since the construction of Interstate 270, the farm has been divided into two portions. 

The northern portion holds the farmhouse, barn and outbuildings. The southern portion consists 

of rolling to steep slopes and wooded drainages that are utilized for crops. From the highpoints 

on both sections of the farm, one can see some of the most dramatic, sweeping and panoramic 

views of the battlefield as well as the sprawl of suburban of Frederick. The combined acreage 

of the two portions amounts to about 150 acres. While its boundaries, building cluster and 

overall field patterns remain largely intact, the route of Interstate 270 across the center of the 

property has seriously compromised this farm’s integrity. 

Araby rail side community – On the east side of the Monocacy River along the B&O Railroad 

sits a cluster of properties that were once part of the small community known as Frederick 

Junction, Monocacy Junction, or “Araby” (National Register Nomination 2000:7.13). These 

were the names given to the siding and related structures located near the eastern end of the 

railroad bridge across the Monocacy River and the junction. (The junction or split in the rail line 

was located west of the river, on land once part of Hermitage.) Since its establishment in the 

nineteenth century, the site of the old rail side community has lost its individual spatial 

relationships. No above ground structures remain and dense overgrowth covers their 

foundations. However, the old community’s boundaries are clearly defined by the rail line, the 

river and Bush Creek. Thus, the Araby rail side community has some integrity as a landscape 

feature of the larger Araby community. 

Araby Mills– Located on the east side of the Monocacy River and east of Maryland Route 355, 

this property consists of about 138 acres. It contains two significant buildings divided by an 

entry lane. The 1830 stone mill, now the park visitor center stands on the north side, and 

Edgewood, an Empire-style residence occupies a broad terraced level on the southern side. 

Edgewood now serves as the headquarters for the Historic Preservation Training Center 

(HPTC), a unit of the NPS. Bush Creek and the old millrace run east to west near the mill. 

Both historic and modern circulation (roads, lanes and interpretive trails) as well as fences (post 

and wire, wooden “worm” fencing, and post and six-rail fences) delineate the property. 

The National Park Service acquired the property in 1981. The NPS developed the visitor 

center with its associated parking lot, ornamental plantings and site furnishings between 1992 

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and 1993. HPTC began the rehabilitation of Edgewood in 1995. Because of the alterations 

made by owners in the twentieth century and because of the new contemporary NPS uses, the 

property reflects only partial integrity of its internal spatial relationships. However, the 

relatively stable property boundaries and other contributing characteristics give it integrity as a 

landscape feature of the Araby community.

BAKER FARM

The Baker Farm, containing approximately 254 acres is located on the west side of Baker 

Valley Road, with Clifton to the northwest and Interstate 270 making up its northern boundary. 

To the south is Snow Hill, the farm established by Daniel Baker’s brother, Edward. The Baker 

Farm buildings are arranged in a linear pattern, parallel to and set back from the road at the foot 

of Brooks Hill. The buildings include an early twentieth-century main house, a forebay barn, 

various types of silos, including one made of brick and several concrete block dairy structures 

dating from the early twentieth century. The historic entry drive divides the front fields of the 

farm. The fields (pasture and cropped) are further delineated by wire-and-post fences and 

farm lanes. The field system pattern dates at least to the 1930s and is probably older. The 

National Park Service acquired the farm in 1989, but the prior owners retain a life lease on a 

portion of the property and lease the remainder. The property boundaries and the internal 

spatial organization on this property are remarkably intact. The Baker Farm has a high degree 

of physical integrity, which reflects the history of agriculture in Frederick County. 

CLIFTON

Clifton is located immediately west of Araby farm, west of Interstate 270 and northwest of the 

Baker Farm. The portion purchased by the NPS in 1982 contains approximately 280 acres. 

The northern and western boundaries are formed by a curve the Monocacy River, with Brooks 

Hill forming the southern boundary. A thin neck of land, located entirely on the east side of 

Interstate 270, extends to the northeast from the main section of the farm, along the bank of the 

river. This corridor was created in the nineteenth century to provide access to the Georgetown 

Pike from the farm (National Register Nomination 2000:8.25). Apparently, the Worthington 

family did not sell this corridor when it sold the rest of the property (HABS MD-1052 

1991:23-24).

One structure remains on Clifton; the main brick farmhouse built about 1850. The historic 

cluster arrangement is no longer extant due to the loss of outbuildings. However, the field 

system and circulation patterns have substantial integrity, with the exception of the eastern 

portion where the construction of I-270 adversely impacted the historic eastern boundary of the 

farm. Post and wire fences and bands of woods mark the boundaries and delineate the fields 

of pasture and crops. Historically the field lines also included hedgerows and living fences of 

“Osage orange.” However, the bands of woods have increased in size over time and have 

diminished the size of the individual fields. 

In the past, owners used various types of fencing to mark boundaries between properties and to 

separate individual fields and uses from within. Frequently, the perimeter edges of these 

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spaces were discernable because of the line of a stream, the course of the river, or a public 

road right-of-way. Fencing further delineated these types of perimeters, making them even 

easier to read in the landscape.

Topography

The area included in the Monocacy National Battlefield is located on the western edge of the 

Maryland Piedmont. The landscape is river valley of gently rolling uplands of moderate relief, 

which are delineated by two prominent north/south ridges, the westernmost one known as 

Brooks Hill. Brooks Hill has a stony ground surface with shaley fragments. Ravines and 

gullies also mark individual slopes, where naturally occurring drainage channels have developed. 

From the beginning, these high and low points have influenced the alignment of the paths, trails 

and roads and the placement of structures. They have played a role in the layout and 

configuration of cultivated fields, meadows, pasture and patterns of use. 

During the course of the 1864 battle, the topography influenced strategy and events as they 

unfolded. High ground on the east bank of the Monocacy River provided Union defenders with 

good locations for trenches, rifle pits and battery placements. General Wallace’s clear view of 

the turnpike and railroad bridges from his headquarters near the mouth of Bush Creek was key 

to the development of his defensive strategy. The slight rise extending across the western 

fields at Hermitage made a good platform from which to launch the Confederate attack at the 

turnpike bridge. The naturally occurring swales, hollows and low and high ridges found on 

Clifton and Araby afforded other protective positions for both sides in the battle. The 

“Worthington spring hollow” and Brooks Hill were two places that provided cover (Worthington 

1932: 137).

Much of the historic topographical conditions remain in place. The only changes have come 

from the construction of significant engineering projects such as the old millrace along Bush 

Creek, the railroad in the 1830s—historic in their own right—and the interstate highway in the 

1950s. These projects have associated excavations and embankments with them that also 

remain evident in the landscape. For example, a large borrow pit located on Clifton appears to 

be related to the construction of I-270 (Aerial Photo 1952; Field Notes 1999). Its bluff- like 

appearance is now covered with dense overgrowth.

Vegetation

Historically there were three primary types of vegetation that occurred on the landscape of 

what is now Monocacy National Battlefield. These were (1) managed woods comprised of 

primarily native vegetation, (2) agricultural crops, pastures and live fences, and (3) ornamental 

plantings associated with residential, commercial and later park development. In the vicinity of 

the battlefield, most of the woods were either clear-cut for iron and glass making or 

intermittently harvested for fuel and construction needs. Open grasslands were used for grazing 

or cultivated for crops. Fruit trees were planted for orchards and thorny ones planted for living 

fences. Although never extensive, the size of the orchards decreased over time, while the 

amount of space devoted to ornamental trees, shrubs and plants increased (Frederick Examiner 

1856 in HABS MD-1052 1991:7-8; Hotchkiss 1864; National Archives Civil War Damage 

Claims, RG 92; Aerial Photos 1937, 1952). Ornamental plantings were added around houses, 

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then monuments, and more recently around the park visitor center. However, unique natural 

areas remain in small remote pockets of the battlefield site. At these places, rare and 

endangered plants have been recently inventoried.

Prior to World War II, farmers used to control the vegetation that grew up between fields, 

along swales and in ravines by tight plowing and by culling. However, advances in 

mechanization and changes in farming practices that have occurred since World War II have 

altered the scale and level of management for individual fields and wooded areas. Currently at 

Monocacy wide bands of woody trees, shrubs and vines mark the edges of the fields and grow 

in the old fence lines. Some vegetation is riparian buffer growing along the river and streams 

(Aerial Photos 1937, 1952, 1988). Groups of deer foraging for food in the woods and in the 

bands of vegetation between fields have left distinctive browse lines that are visible along the 

edge of the fields on Clifton, Baker and Hill farms.

In the nineteenth century, the agricultural press promoted living fences as a replacement for 

expensive post and rail fencing. Living fences were praised for their beauty, for the protection 

and shelter they provided, and for their effect on the temperature and moisture levels of the 

climate. However, farmers did not need to use them in areas where stone was abundant (like at 

Hermitage) or where the topography created natural enclosures (like Brooks Hill). Osage 

orange, or “Maclura pomifera,” discovered growing on the plains of the mid-west, was brought 

east in 1803 to Philadelphia. Once recognized for its suitability as hedging (1840s), growers 

made it available commercially some time after 1850. Warder’s 1858 edition of “Hedges and 

Evergreens” promoted it as the hedge standard for the United States. At that time, Maryland 

fencing law required fences to be five feet high; and from the first of May until November all 

horses were to be “kept in good and sufficient enclosures,” with no brood mares “kept at 

large” (Warder 1858: 152). Significant stands of Osage orange remain in two different locations 

on Clifton and along Baker Valley Road adjacent to Araby farm. These trees may mark areas 

that were used for grazing, served as corrals, or by contrast needed protection from livestock.

Agricultural censuses list the products grown on the Monocacy farms during the second half of 

the nineteenth century. They also document the gradual shift from production of grains for 

market to dairy products and the production of grain as livestock feed. The farmers leasing 

from the NPS currently grow a variety of grains, corn and grasses for hay on Araby Mills, 

Hermitage, Clifton, Baker Farm, and Hill Farm.

Over time the ways in which grain and hay have been harvested have changed, as well. 

Shocks of corn and sheaves of wheat, oats, barley or rye figured prominently as features in the 

landscape of the battle. Their large forms provided cover to troops fighting on the recently cut 

fields of Clifton and Araby farms. They were also recorded in an historic survey and 

photographic reconnaissance conducted by the National Park Service in 1940 (Worthington 

1932:154; Bray and Porter 1940; Aerial Photo 1937). By the 1950s, farmers began to use 

square baling for hay. The large round bales, currently stored at the edge of the Monocacy 

fields, however, exemplify the preferred cutting method, which began in the 1970s 

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(Maintenance staff communication 6/23/99). 

The intentional planting of trees, shrubs and flowers to enhance properties is first documented 

in the formal entrance planting and the gardens at Edgewood on the Araby Mills property. The 

age of some of the individual trees located along the entry drive at Araby farm have yet to be 

determined, but they may predate those at Edgewood. One of the former owners of Araby 

may also have intentionally planted a line of several sycamores that continue to grow along old 

alignment of Georgetown Pike (now Araby Church Road). Aerial photography also indicated 

that groups of large deciduous trees shaded the residences associated with Baker Farm, Clifton 

and Hermitage. Large lilac shrubs growing on Hill Farm, Hermitage, and the rail side 

community and near Edgewood suggest that ornamental gardens may have been planted on 

these properties. Oral tradition holds that the tenant family on Hermitage laid out a large 

kitchen garden in the area south of the house and adjacent to the railroad tracks. Several 

young fruit trees growing here suggest that this practice has been continuing in this area. At 

one time the large rectangular wooded area southeast of the Clifton farmhouse was open and 

apparently enclosed with post and rail fencing and a living fence of Osage orange. This area 

may have been a kitchen garden similar to the one at Hermitage (Aerial Photo 1937; Field 

Notes July 1999; Site investigation 4/28/2000).

More recent attempts to aesthetically enhance the area have mostly occurred on the Araby 

Mills property. Sometime after the legislation passed in 1934 designating the Battlefield, several 

boxwood shrubs were planted at the commercial property known as Mom’s Place, a liquor 

store located in the southeast quadrant formed by the intersection of MD Route 355 and the 

Monocacy River. Although the structures are no longer extent, the shrubs mark the former 

location of Mom’s Place. The owners of Edgewood subsequently planted many fast growing 

white pine trees “Pinus strobus” to screen the commercial area associated with Mom’s. They 

planted another stand of pines along the eastern border of the property, which is adjacent to a 

large automobile repair facility. The perennial and annual beds containing iris, peonies and 

other seasonal flowers that was established around the old mill when it was converted into the 

park visitor center in 1992-1993 represents the most recent beautification efforts on this 

property. Ornamental crab apple “Malus sp.” and serviceberry trees “Amelanchier arborea” 

were also planted in areas along the parking lot, the pond and behind the mill at this time.

The present character of the vegetation on each of the four component landscapes is a mix of 

crops, native species and non-native exotic species. The riparian vegetation and the wooded 

slopes still retain significant numbers of native trees and understory, such as tulip poplar 

“Liriodendron tulipifera”, sycamore “Platanus occidentalis”, sassafras “Sassafras albidum”, 

maple “Acer sp.” and ash “Fraxinus sp.”. However, the areas along the highways, railroads 

and in the internal fence lines along fields contain a variety on non-natives trees, shrubs and 

vines. Among these are: “Ailanthus altissima”, mulberry “Morus sp.”, multiflora rose “Rosa 

multiflora” and honeysuckle “Lonicera sp.”

Character-defining Features:

Feature: Ailanthus on I-270 berm (Hermitage)

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Feature Identification Number: 101654

Type of Feature Contribution: Non-Contributing

Feature: Crop/Pasture

Feature Identification Number: 101655

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: Fence line vegetation (all)

Feature Identification Number: 101656

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: Mature sycamores on Araby Church Road

Feature Identification Number: 101657

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: Ornamental shrubs - lilac bushes "Syringa vularic" (Hill Farm, Hermitage)

Feature Identification Number: 101658

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Ornamental trees, shrubs, perennials, and annuals (VC area Araby Mills, NJ 

Monument and Confederate/Maryland Monument area)

Feature:

Feature Identification Number: 101659

Type of Feature Contribution: Non-Contributing

Feature: Remenant Osage orange "Machura pomifea" living fence lines (Clifton)

Feature Identification Number: 101660

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: Remnant tree plantings from Gambrill era (Araby Mills)

Feature Identification Number: 101661

Type of Feature Contribution: Contributing

Feature: White pines "Pinus strobus" Araby Mills)

Feature Identification Number: 101662

Type of Feature Contribution: Non-Contributing

Landscape Characteristic Graphics:

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Figure 15, Corn and hay field on Hermitage. Note vegetation along the railroad line to the 

left and along MD Route 355 in the distance. The NJ Monument is seen in the middle 

distance, July 1999.

Figure 16. Remnant Osage orange living fence along historic sunken road at Clifton, 

February 1999.

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Views And Vistas

Historically, the views and vistas associated with this pastoral landscape were expansive and 

open. Farmers had cleared land for agricultural use and the owners of the earliest industries 

had cut trees for their operations. With the farmsteads and the mill property developed by 

mid-nineteenth century, the landscape was one of cultivated fields, meadows, pasture, 

occasional woodlots and a few orchards. Most of the land was classified in the agricultural 

census as “improved.” The views then and today, could best be appreciated from high points, 

such as Brooks Hill, the hills behind Araby Mills and the Hill Farm, and the bluffs above the 

railroad crossing. Slight elevations also afforded excellent views. Most of the farmstead 

building clusters were constructed on rises for this reason. General Lew Wallace remarked 

extensively in his reminiscence that one of the significant vistas, or direct views, was from 

Araby Mills where the turnpike and railroad bridges were in clear sight (EDAW 1993: 4-12). 

Today, a thick band of riparian vegetation along the river obscures the historic view from 

Wallace’s vantage point. Tall vegetation blocks other views and vistas across the river that by 

implication existed in the nineteenth century at the time of the battle. These would include vistas 

between Clifton and Hermitage, from the blockhouses at the railroad bridge and from the rifle 

pits. 

According to accounts of the 1864 battle, some large structures, stands of trees and 

topographical features did screen or block strategic sight lines that related to the events of the 

battle. Since that time, the embankment of Interstate 270 has since become the most prominent 

feature to obstruct the historic views across the fields of Clifton and Araby that formed the 

center of the battle. 

 

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Today, the enjoyment of unique panoramic views of the battlefield and of the scenery of the 

Frederick valley is possible from the east side of Brooks Hill, from the hills behind the HPTC 

training center (Edgewood) and both sections of the Hill Farm. Of these four locations, only 

Brooks Hill is the only park land accessible to the public and probably provides the most 

historically relevant view. The public can best appreciate the panorama of the valley from the 

state’s scenic overlook, which is just outside the park and accessible from northbound I-270. 

Although viewing the expanse of the battlefield landscape was the primary reason for 

constructing the overlook, the unintended view of the suburban sprawl surrounding Frederick in 

the near distance interferes with the visitor’s understanding of historical events and emphasizes 

the adverse impact that adjacent development is having on the integrity of Monocacy National 

Battlefield.

Landscape Characteristic Graphics:

Figure 23. View of Baker Farm from the ridge on Hill Farm.

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Condition

Condition Assessment and Impacts

Condition Assessment: Good

Assessment Date: 09/30/2013

Condition Assessment Explanatory Narrative:

This Condition Assessment Date refers to the date that the park superintendent concurred with the 

findings of the 2013 condition assessment.

Condition Assessment: Good

Assessment Date: 09/26/2007

Condition Assessment Explanatory Narrative:

This Condition Assessment Date refers to the date that the park superintendent concurred with the 

2007 condition reassessment.

Condition Assessment: Good

Assessment Date: 10/02/2001

Condition Assessment Explanatory Narrative:

This Condition Assessment Date refers to the date that the park superintendent concurred with the 

findings of the CLI including the original condition assessment.

Impacts

Type of Impact: Adjacent Lands

External or Internal: External

Impact Description: The small semi-suburban development that has taken place in the 

triangular area between MD 355 and Araby Church Road (the 

original route of the Georgetown Pike), if developed further, 

would detract from the historic integrity of the site.

Areas of commercial and residential outside the boundary of the 

park negatively affect the integrity of historic views and vistas.

Type of Impact: Impending Development

External or Internal: External

Impact Description: The nearby suburban development in Urbana, Maryland 

continues to expand.

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This suburban growth will eventually lead to the widening of 

I-270, which will impact the park’s landscape negatively.

Type of Impact: Structural Deterioration

External or Internal: Internal

Impact Description: The pumphouse on Araby Mills requires stabilization to maintain 

its integrity.

Type of Impact: Flooding

External or Internal: Internal

Impact Description: Regular flooding impacts Araby Mill due to its location in the 

Monocacy River and Bush Creek floodplain.

Type of Impact: Microclimate

External or Internal: External

Impact Description: The site area is prone to microbursts (localized windstorms), 

which cause damage to structures and vegetation and threaten 

their integrity.

Type of Impact: Planting Practices

External or Internal: Internal

Impact Description: The ornamental plantings near Araby Mill are not appropriate to 

either period of significance.

Type of Impact: Vegetation/Invasive Plants

External or Internal: External

Impact Description: Invasives on site threaten the integrity of historic views and 

vegetation.

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Stabilization Costs

Landscape Stabilization Cost: 322,020.00

Cost Date: 09/20/2007

Level of Estimate: C - Similar Facilities

Cost Estimator: Regional Office

This cost is the sum of the park's 2007 stabilization projects in PMDS.

Emergency Stabilization of PA, VT, and Confederate Monuments:

$18,000 - #134562

Emergency Stabilization of Thomas Farm Blacksmith Shop Ruins:

$25,799.60 - #13231

Stabilize Deteriorated Historic Best Corn Crib:

$194,220.00 - #62383

Prune/Remove Trees:

$9000 - #63620E FY 2008

$12,000 - #63620F FY 2009

$13,000 - #63620 G FY 2010

Maintain Historic Treelines and Fencelines:

$50,000 - #13231 

The last two funding requests (tree work) are partially intended for stabilization and partially for 

rehabilitative treatment. 

Funding has not been determined nor requested to stabilize the Pumphouse at Araby Mills, and thus is not 

included in this total.

Landscape Stabilization Cost Explanatory Description:

Treatment

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Monocacy National Battlefield

Treatment

Approved Treatment: Undetermined

Approved Treatment Costs

Level of Estimate: C - Similar Facilities

Cost Estimator: Regional Office

Landscape Approved Treatment Cost Explanatory Description:

The park's General Management Plan is pending official public review. The plan specifies rehabilitation as 

the prefered treatment.

Bibliography and Supplemental Information

Cultural Landscapes Inventory Page 130 of 144
Monocacy National Battlefield

Monocacy National Battlefield

Bibliography

Citation Author: Bray, Oscar S.

Citation Title: A Report on a Proposed Road on the Monocacy Battlefield

Year of Publication: 1940

Source Name: CRBIB

Citation Number: 012156

Citation Author: Thompson, Harry T.

Citation Title: A Report on the Monocacy Battlefield

Year of Publication: 1937

Source Name: CRBIB

Citation Number: 012158

Citation Author: Smith, Howard

Citation Title: Battle of Monocacy

Year of Publication: 1934

Source Name: CRBIB

Citation Number: 012162

Citation Author: Graham, Ruth

Citation Title: Battle of the Monocacy, July 9, 1864

Source Name: CRBIB

Citation Number: 012161

Citation Author: Edaw, Inc.

Citation Title: Cultural Landscape Evaluation and Archeological Evaluation, 

Monocacy National Battlefield

Year of Publication: 1993

Source Name: CRBIB

Citation Number: 450258

Cultural Landscapes Inventory Page 131 of 144
Monocacy National Battlefield

Monocacy National Battlefield

Citation Author: Van Huizen, Ann

Citation Title: DCP/EA, Monocacy National Battlefield-Bush Creek Site, 

Maryland

Year of Publication: 1986

Source Name: CRBIB

Citation Number: 013639

Citation Author: Graham, Ruth

Citation Title: Field Investigation, Monocacy National Battlefield

Year of Publication: 1935

Source Name: CRBIB

Citation Number: 012159

Citation Author: Reed, Paula, S.

Citation Title: Historic (Cultural) Resource Study: Monocacy National Battlefield

Year of Publication: 1999

Source Name: CRBIB

Citation Author: Stauffer, Alvin P.

Citation Title: Monocacy Battlefield Site, Information Literature

Year of Publication: 1936

Source Name: CRBIB

Citation Number: 012160

Citation Author: Staff

Citation Title: Monocacy National Battlefield, Land Protection Plan

Year of Publication: 1983

Source Name: CRBIB

Citation Number: 012155

Cultural Landscapes Inventory Page 132 of 144
Monocacy National Battlefield

Monocacy National Battlefield

Citation Author: Porter, Charles W. Langley, Harry Little, W. E.

Citation Title: Report of Field Investigations Relating to the Monocacy National 

Military Park Project

Year of Publication: 1940

Source Name: CRBIB

Citation Number: 012157

Citation Author: Staff

Citation Title: Worthington House Historic Structure Report: Physical History 

and Condition Assessment, Monocacy National Battlefield, 

Frederick, Maryland

Year of Publication: 1995

Source Name: CRBIB

Citation Number: 017004

Citation Author: Bearss, Edwin C.

Citation Title: "Documentation Troop Movement Maps:Battle of Monocacy"

Year of Publication: 1978

Source Name: DSC/TIC

Citation Author: Pendleton, Philip E.

Citation Title: HABS No. MD-1051, Gambrill house

Year of Publication: 1991

Source Name: HABS

Citation Author: Pendleton, Philip E.

Citation Title: HABS No. MD-1052, Clifton farm

Year of Publication: 1991

Source Name: HABS

Cultural Landscapes Inventory Page 133 of 144
Monocacy National Battlefield

Monocacy National Battlefield

Citation Author: Warder, J. A.

Citation Title:

Hedges and evergreens. A complete manual for the cultivation, 

pruning, and management of all plants suitable for American 

hedging; especially the Maclura, or Osage orange...To which is 

added, a treatise on evergreens

Year of Publication: 1858

Source Name: Library Of Congress/Dewey Decimal

Citation Author: Winter, Susan E.

Citation Title: "Antietam Furnace: A Frontier Ironworks in the Great Valley of 

Maryland" in Historical Archaeology of the Chesapeake, Shackel 

Paul A. and Barbara J. Little, editors

Year of Publication: 1994

Source Name: Library Of Congress/Dewey Decimal

Citation Author: U.P.A. Hedrick

Citation Title: A History of Horticulture in America to 1860

Year of Publication: 1950

Source Name: Library Of Congress/Dewey Decimal

Citation Author: Hotchkiss, Jedediah

Citation Title: Battle of Monocacy

Year of Publication: 1864

Source Name: Library Of Congress/Dewey Decimal

Citation Type: Graphic

Citation Location: Geography and Map Division, LoC

Citation Author: Stephen R. Potter

Citation Title: Commoners, Tribute and Chiefs: The Development of Algonquian 

Culture in the Potomac Valley

Year of Publication: 1994

Source Name: Library Of Congress/Dewey Decimal

Cultural Landscapes Inventory Page 134 of 144
Monocacy National Battlefield

Monocacy National Battlefield

Citation Author: Schildt, John W.

Citation Title: Drums Along the Monocacy

Year of Publication: 1991

Source Name: Library Of Congress/Dewey Decimal

Citation Author: Worthington, Glenn H.

Citation Title: Fighting for Time

Year of Publication: 1932

Source Name: Library Of Congress/Dewey Decimal

Citation Author: Williams, T.J.C. and Folger McKinsey

Citation Title: History of Frederick County Maryland

Year of Publication: 1910

Source Name: Library Of Congress/Dewey Decimal

Citation Author: Scharf, Thomas J.

Citation Title: History of Western Maryland

Year of Publication: 1882

Source Name: Library Of Congress/Dewey Decimal

Citation Author: Bond, Isaac

Citation Title: Map of Frederick County, MD

Year of Publication: 1858

Source Name: Library Of Congress/Dewey Decimal

Citation Type: Graphic

Citation Location: Geography and Map Division, LoC

Citation Author: Bode, Carl

Citation Title: Maryland: A Bicentennial History

Year of Publication: 1978

Source Name: Library Of Congress/Dewey Decimal

Cultural Landscapes Inventory Page 135 of 144
Monocacy National Battlefield

Monocacy National Battlefield

Citation Author: Writers' Program, MD

Citation Title: Maryland: A Guide to the Old Line State

Year of Publication: 1940

Source Name: Library Of Congress/Dewey Decimal

Citation Author: Bruegger, Robert J.

Citation Title: Maryland: A Middle Temperament

Year of Publication: 1985

Source Name: Library Of Congress/Dewey Decimal

Citation Author: Roe, Alfred S.

Citation Title: Monocacy, A Sketch of the Battle of Monocacy, MD, July 9th, 

1864

Year of Publication: 1894

Source Name: Library Of Congress/Dewey Decimal

Citation Author: Tracey, Grace,l. and John P. Dern

Citation Title: Pioneers of Old Monocacy

Year of Publication: 1987

Source Name: Library Of Congress/Dewey Decimal

Citation Author: Hamill, W. S.

Citation Title: The Agricultural Industry of Maryland

Year of Publication: 1934

Source Name: Library Of Congress/Dewey Decimal

Citation Author: Goldsborough, Edward Y.

Citation Title: The Battle of Monocacy

Year of Publication: 1894

Source Name: Library Of Congress/Dewey Decimal

Cultural Landscapes Inventory Page 136 of 144
Monocacy National Battlefield

Monocacy National Battlefield

Citation Author: Fitzpatrick, John C., editor

Citation Title: The Diaries of George Washington, 1748-1799

Year of Publication: 1971

Source Name: Library Of Congress/Dewey Decimal

Citation Type: Narrative

Citation Location: `

Citation Author: Dilts, James D.

Citation Title: The Great Road

Year of Publication: 1993

Source Name: Library Of Congress/Dewey Decimal

Citation Author: Grove, William J.

Citation Title: The History of Carrollton Manor, Frederick County, MD

Year of Publication: 1928

Source Name: Library Of Congress/Dewey Decimal

Citation Author: Taylor, James E.

Citation Title: The James E. Taylor Sketchbook

Year of Publication: 1989

Source Name: Library Of Congress/Dewey Decimal

Citation Author: Noble, Allen G.

Citation Title: Wood, Brick & Stone, Vol.2, Barns and Farm Structures

Year of Publication: 1984

Source Name: Library Of Congress/Dewey Decimal

Citation Author: Robb, Frances C.

Citation Title: "Industry in the Potomac River Valley: 1760-1860"

Year of Publication: 1991

Source Name: Other

Cultural Landscapes Inventory Page 137 of 144
Monocacy National Battlefield

Monocacy National Battlefield

Citation Title: Unknown

Year of Publication: 1978

Source Name: Other

Citation Type: Narrative

Citation Location: Monocacy National Battlefield files

Citation Author: Thibault, Paul

Citation Title: "Late 17th and Early 18th Century People at the Confluence of the 

Monocacy and the Potomac Rivers; and Their Maps"

Year of Publication: 1994

Source Name: Other

Citation Author: McGuckian, Eileen S.

Citation Title: Historical and Architectural Guide to the Rockville Pike

Year of Publication: 1997

Source Name: Other

Citation Author: Varle, Charles

Citation Title: "A Map of Frederick and Washington Counties, Maryland.

Year of Publication: 1808

Source Name: Other

Citation Author: Caplinger, Michael W.

Citation Title: "Bridges Over Time: A Technological Context for the B & O 

Railroad Main Stem at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia"

Year of Publication: 1997

Source Name: Other

Cultural Landscapes Inventory Page 138 of 144
Monocacy National Battlefield

Monocacy National Battlefield

Citation Author: Besley, F. W.

Citation Title: Map of Frederick County Showing the Forest Areas by 

Commercial Types, Maryland Board of Forestry

Year of Publication: 1913

Source Name: Other

Citation Type: Graphic

Citation Location: LoC

Citation Title: Community Economic Inventory, Frederick County, Maryland

Year of Publication: 1970

Source Name: Other

Citation Type: Narrative

Citation Location: Monocacy National Battlefield, Cultural Resource Files

Citation Author: Kavanagh, Maureen

Citation Title: Archaeological Resources of the Monocacy River Region, 

Frederick and Carroll Counties, MD.

Year of Publication: 1982

Source Name: Other

Citation Author: United States Geological Survey

Citation Title: "Buckeystown, Maryland, Quadrangle"

Year of Publication: 1952

Source Name: Other

Citation Author: United States Geological Survey

Citation Title: "Buckeystown, MD, Quadrangle

Year of Publication: 1965

Source Name: Other

Cultural Landscapes Inventory Page 139 of 144
Monocacy National Battlefield

Monocacy National Battlefield

Citation Author: Griffith, Dennis

Citation Title: "Map of the State of Maryland, laid down from an actual 

survey..."

Year of Publication: 1794

Source Name: Other

Citation Type: Graphic

Citation Location: Cartographic Division

Citation Title: Farm Security Administration Photographs

Year of Publication: 1940

Source Name: Other

Citation Author: U.S. Dept of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service.

Citation Title: Aerial Photograph of Frederick County, MD.

Year of Publication: 1952

Source Name: Other

Citation Author: U.S. Dept of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service

Citation Title: Aerial Photographs of Frederick County, MD

Year of Publication: 1937

Source Name: Other

Citation Author: Tilberg, Frederick

Citation Title: Antietam National Battlefield Site

Year of Publication: 1961

Source Name: Other

Citation Author: Wheelock, Perry

Citation Title: Farming Along the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, 1828-1971: A 

Study of Agricultural Sites in the C&O Canal National Park

Year of Publication: 2000

Source Name: Other

Cultural Landscapes Inventory Page 140 of 144
Monocacy National Battlefield

Monocacy National Battlefield

Citation Title: List of Classified Sturctures, Monocacy National Battlefield

Year of Publication: 1997

Source Name: Other

Citation Type: Both Graphic And Narrative

Citation Location: National Park Service, National Capital Region

Citation Title: Monocacy National Battlefield: Natural Areas Inventory for Rare, 

Threatened and Endangered Plants and Selected Animals with 

Management Recommendations

Year of Publication: 1998

Source Name: Other

Citation Author: Little, Barbara

Citation Title: National Capital Area Archaeological Overview and Survey Plan: 

Occasional Report No. 13

Year of Publication: 1995

Source Name: Other

Citation Type: Narrative

Citation Location: National Park Service, National Capital Region

Citation Author: R. Christopher Goodwin & Associates, Inc.

Citation Title: Phase 1 Archaeological Investigations of the Proposed Urbana 

Sewer and Water Connector, Frederick County, MD

Year of Publication: 1996

Source Name: Other

Citation Type: Graphic

Citation Location: Monocacy National Battlefield, Cultural Resource Files

Cultural Landscapes Inventory Page 141 of 144
Monocacy National Battlefield

Monocacy National Battlefield

Citation Author: Haller, W. Harry

Citation Title: "The Red Man on the Monocacy"

Year of Publication: 1932

Source Name: Other

Citation Type: Narrative

Citation Location: Cultural Landscape Program Files, National Capital Region

Citation Author: Kessel, Elizabeth A.

Citation Title: Germans on the Western Frontier: A Social History of Frederick 

County, MD, 1730-1800

Year of Publication: 1981

Source Name: Other

Citation Author: Flynn, George J.

Citation Title: "Volunteer Hero of Monocacy Strides Alone"

Source Name: Other

Citation Type: Narrative

Citation Location: Cultural Landscape Program, National Capital Region

Cultural Landscapes Inventory Page 142 of 144
Monocacy National Battlefield

Monocacy National Battlefield

Supplemental Information

Title: " Proposal for Monocacy National Battlefield", circa 1928

Description: Watercolor of above. Located at Monocacy National Battlefield, Cultural Resource 

files.

Title: "National Military Park at Battlefield of Monocacy, MD. Hearings before the 

Committee on Military Affairs, House of Representatives, Seventieth Congress, First 

Session on H.R. 11722, April 13,1928”

Description: Xeroxed copy locatated at Monocacy National Battlefield, Cultural Resource files.

Title: "Sketch of Covered Bridge over the Monocacy River", circa 1864

Description: Sketch by Cornelius Harvey (14th New Jersey Regiment). Xeroxed copy located at 

Monocacy National Battlefield, Cultural Resource files.

Title: Aerial Photograph of Frederick County Maryland, 1988

Description: Monocacy National Battlefield GIS coverage

Title: Aerial Photograph of Monocacy National Battlefield, circa 1970

Description: Located at Monocacy National Battlefield, Map file.

Title: Civil War Damage Claims, National Archives, Record Group 92

Description: Located at National Archives, Washngton D.C.

Title: Davis Photographs

Description: Series of photgraphs taken of Monocacy National Battlfield in 1893. Copies located 

at Monocacy National Battlefield, Historic Photos file.

Title: Field Notes, Summer 1999

Description: Current conditions documentation. Located at Cultural Landscape Program, National 

Capital Region

Title: Kern Photographs

Description: Photographs taken of Monocacy National Battlefield circa 1900. Located at 

Monocacy National Battlefield, Historic Photos file.

Title: Logging Agreement between Baker and Geisbert, 1940s

Description: Xeroxed copy located at Monocacy National Battlefield, Tract files.

Title: Monocacy National Battlefield-Tract Map, 1995

Description: Located at Monocacy National Battlefield, Map files.

Cultural Landscapes Inventory Page 143 of 144
Monocacy National Battlefield

Monocacy National Battlefield

Title: National Register Nomination (Update)

Description: Final Draft, 2000

Title: Photograph of Araby Mill, 1815

Description: Photographer unknown. Located at Monocacy National Battlefield Historic Photos 

file

Title: Photographs from the B & O Archives. 1858, 1944

Description: Copies located at Monocacy National Battlefield, Historic Photos file.

Title: Reinhart Photos

Description: Two photos taken in 1934 for the Dept of the Interior. Located at Monocacy 

National Battlefield, Photos Files

Title: Site Investigation Notes, Spring 2000

Description: Located at Cultural Landscape Program, National Capital Region

Title: United States Agricultural and Manufacturing Census, 1850-1880

Title: United States Population Census, 1790-1850

Title: Water Treatment Plant Photographs, 1928

Description: Photographer unknown. Copies located at Monocacy National Battlefield, Historic 

Photos file. Orginals at Baltimore and Ohio Railroad archives.

Cultural Landscapes Inventory Page 144 of 144