The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1878-09-14
Written for the baltimore County Union.
NOTES ON DULANY'S VALLEY, MD
BY AN EMILE.

o. =.
From the cupoa of the Court House at T0wson-
town, looking toward the northeast, fair view
may be had of Dulany's Valley; but a better one
from point on the road near Hampton gate, OF
from the north front of that fine old mansion
Glen Ellen also commands it handsomely and il
was from there that the once famous Baltimore
millionaire, Robert Oliver, on being asked if the
scene before him was not equal to the vale of
Evesham, England, is said to have exclaimed
"Evesham Valley be d--dr' But to. my mind a
finer prospect than any of these is obtained from
the high plateau back of Glen Ellen house, run
ming toward the Raven Rocks ON the GunpOwder
From there you look down into the very lap of the
vaey-near enough to bring all its features into
their proper relief, yet not near as to destroy
the enchantment of proper distance. / am per
suaded that when the improve ments connected
with the new water works shall be completed
especially the road up the canon of the Falls,
which must bring many visitors-there will arise
demand for villa sites on the noble surrounding
hills attractive for the exquisite scenery they
overlook, their proverbial healthfulness and abund-
ant supply of the purest water. 1t seems strange
indeed that inviting a region so near Baltimore
should up to the present time be almost unknown
and consequently unappreciated.
Dulany's Valley proper, as | understand it, lies
wholly on the east side of the Falls in the bend
the elbow of which is occupied by the bridge al
Meredith's Ford. It's longest axis extends from
that point to what used to be known as "Wilson'S
hill, which at present forms the splendid site OF
the country seat of Gen. Trimble. The area en-
braced between the GunpOwder and the wooded
hills the north and east, which constitutes the
valley, contains less than 5000 of the best
quality of limestone land, which if it had been
cultivated with the same care would not be ex-
celed in productiveness and agricultural reputa-
ton by the finest districts of York and Lancaster
counties pa If was alWa repardad very finf
wheat land while its rival, Long Green, on the
other side of Bull Ridge, was more celebrated fol
its meadows.
have frequently observed farms, advertised
for sale, described as lying in Dulany's Valley that
were not included within the limits l have here
assigned to it. Such attempts to palm off "places
on the ridge" or cover the falls" would have beer
regarded by the ancient inhabitants as no better
than the unconscionable devices of unscrupulous
real estate agents They were II conservative set
those old residents, looking down, if it be not a
bull, the hill people and in fact all others who
did not like themselves reside within what par er-
celience they were accustomed to call The Valley
The cold fields" on the ridge they scornfully said
were so poor the fences had to be opened to let
the killdeers. The "rdgers" retalated with cut
ting remarks about fogs and agues, but were for
given because it was known that such observations
proceeded from simple envy. Formerly, however
Dulanys bottom was commOner name for this
charmed spot than Duanys Valley. Bottoms
are or used to be common enough in Baltimore
cOunty-generally those beautiful pockets of lime
stone land which characterize the central portions
of it. This is sound old English for low-lying
land, but l never remember to have heard the
word so applied in the North-"hats" being there
often substituted. The Maryland traveller will
also be surprised to find never a hillside in all
New York or New England, but side-hHis abound
and look very much the same.
While Dulany's Valley is only what have here
defined, the old Dulany estate was much more ex-
tensive, spreading the falls and running up
''on the ridge" | believe it embraced some 5000
acres in all and was known in Gland office circles
as the ''Valley of Jehoshaphat." This at least
the official name of the principal tract but
there may have been others. | am not able to
say which Dulany was the first proprietor of this
land nor whether it was an original grant to him.
1 believe the most of it was. 1t is however Ger
tain that when the estates of the Maryland Tories
were confscated it was in the possession of Danl
Dulany, grandson Of the first Of that name and
eldest son of the Walter whom I have already
mentioned as the fageant of the Rer Bennett
Allen. Daniel Dulany held it, as ] have been
told by the right of male prOgeniture, then the law
of Maryland, which shows that it belonged to his
father. He and his brother Walter, who. us has
been said, married the widow of Lloyd Dulany,
were both officers in the British army when the
Revolutionary war broke out. They declined to
surrender their commissions, though they had
sufficient interest to procure their being sent on
some service in the West Indies pending hostili-
ties, as they desired not to actually fight against
their cOuntrymen. This modified hostility, how
ever, did not the land which was all drought
to the block" Before this occurred l think Dan
Dulany had died. 1t was represented by inhuen-
tial Wing friends of the Dulany family to the
Maryland Legislature that he had intended to
give each Of his three sisters 500 of land and
this intention the Legislature was liberal enough
to carry into effect by making direct grant of
500 acres, to be then selected out of the confsca-
ted estate, to each of the ladies aforesaid These
grants were all "ocated" in the Valley and were
afterwards known as the Windsor, Eppiag Forest
and Springfield estates. The first was assigned
to Mary Dulany, then Mrs. George Fitzhugh, the
second to Catharne, who afterwards married
lIorati0 Belt, and the third to Rebecca, who mar
ried Thomas Hanson.
Each of these tracts was beautiful and highly
valuable property Windsor lay the extreme
west, and from its long boundary on the beautiful
Falls-its embracing the fine, bold hill on which
the family homestead was afterwards built-and
being sheltered on the north by wooded slopes,
was probably the most attractive Gen. Ridgely,
of Hampton, used to say that if Mr.. Fitzhugh had
shown the same judgment in all his affairs which
he exhibited in the location of his wifes grant he
would nave been amore prosperous man. Epplng
Forest and Springfield were the opposite side
of the Valley and with the exception, believe, of
a single field, now belonging to Mr. D. NJ. Mat
thews. were both included in the land of which the
late Mr.. VIM. +. Peerce "died seized" Epping
Forest, or "Epping," lay adjoining Springfield to
the south, and with Windsor derived its title from
the "0ld Country while Springfield, like Pot
Spring, nearer Towsontown, was named from one
of those splendid limestone springs not uncommon
in Baltimore county, which rises in meadow
upon the place.
SO much for the Dulanys, whose connection with
the Valley ends here. No one Of the name has
ever held acre OF what once constituted this
large estate from that day to this, is there a
drop of their blood in the Valley which bears their
name save in the children of Mr.. Jeremiah Yelott,
who married granddaughter of Mrs. Geo. Fitz-
hugh of Windsor.
Prior to the Revolution the Dulany proprietor
intended and made some preparation to build
what would probably have been a residence in
some degree commensurate with the importance of
the surrounding estate The site chosen was the
high wooded hill on the Eppng farm back of the
present residence. With very poor taste it was
called Mount Panassus, where, think traces of
excavations for the walls may still be found. The
design was frustrated by the troubles which broke
up the estate in the manner described and gave to
the whole country an impetus in direction Who'll
ly different from the semi feudal tendencies of the
colonial regime.