The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1889-04-05

about fifty acres of excellent land in high
state of cultivation. The dwelling is of brick,
40 by 80 feet, two stories high, substantially
built, aud with slight repairs could be made
one OF the best houses in the county both in
convenience and appearance. There is an
excellent stone spring-hOus a granary, a
smoke house and Il kitchen, in good repair,
and frame barn nearly new. Also, an
apple orchard of the best fruit, which bears
abundantly, besides great number of other
fruit trees. No property in the vicinity
holds outs so many inducements to a purch-
aser. The situation is beautiful There is
good spring near the house and the farm
is well wHtered. 1t is within lew hundred
yards OF Bel Air, in which there ia an
Academy of high character. Terms, cash"
About every one will recognize in this de-
scriplion the home of the late Henry w.
Archer, Esq, although since so greatly i'm
proved and beautified.
Rev. Reuben II. Davis, the famous Princi-
pal of the Bel Air Academy, must have
purchased it at this sale, for about two weeks
later, February 4th, 1881, he pelitioned the
Legislature, praying that IAN act be passed
To confirm to him the deed of conveyance
from the trustees of the poor of the aims
house and lands thereto belonging" Mr..
Davis remained in possession of this property
until bis death in 1885,
The Independent Citizen of March Goth,
1882, sets forth that the trustees of the poor
having some time since sold the almshouse
and farm under special act, had since bought
of Mr.. Ohio Scott farm on which the poor
are to be kept" The editor says: "The
purchase was illegal because the amount paid
exceeded that received for the old property"
Hence he has "no fear" he tells us, "that the
county will have to pay for Mr.. Scot's farm.
lie then denies the assertion of the Repu6i-
CdH, that the poor can be kept for $500 less
year on the farm than at the old almshouse
That which the editor has no fear would
happen took place notwithstanding; for in
March, 1888 an act was passed empowering
the County Comm ssoncrs to levy 81 900 for
two successive years, to pay Ohio Scott the
balance due him for the poor house property
| can find no further record about the
almshouse until 1853 when the Commission
ers directed their attorney, Henry w. Archer
Esq, to "file bill in chancery against Ohio
Scott TO recover title to the almsheuse pro-
perty, provided Mr.. Scott will not otherwise
convey" This, believe, is the present aims
mouse farm. Exactly at what time the old
"ramshackle" building, which so long did
duty there as shelter for the poor, gave
place to the present substantial structure, |
know not.
The contract for building the new Aims
house, of stone, was awarded by the County
Commissioners on the 22d of April, 1873, TO
Josiah Scarborough and Henry A. Silver, for
$S,4S4. II was completed by the 18th of
January, 1874, on which date an order was
passed that Charles Worthington, the Over
seer, occupy the new Amshouse building
and place in the rooms the furniture now on
hand and that the colored inmates occupy
the house now known as "rhe Almshouse' !"
Ed. hg&
have Just LEANED that Messrs. Ohio
Scott, Thomas A. Hays and Ramsay Nc
Henry constituted the committee for building
or remudeing the Jail as it now stands, aud
that nearly all the stone were hauled by
teams of Mr.. Scott and Frank Bosrman.
The whole bottom of the Jail says my inform
ant was packed with boulders three or
four feet in diameter, which were hauled by
swinging them to timber wheels and drop
ping them place. The interstices were then
filled with smaller stone and cemeat was
poured over the whole.