Evening star., 1901-05-27
HOME OF CALVERT FAMILY
MANSION BUILT ONE HUNDRED AND
FIFTY YEARS AGO.
Relics Consisting of Paintings, Family
Silver and Household Furniture
Charlotte Hall School.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

SPS~-oA SoiheSRohccuSeo VI tue Evening StAr
MARLBORO, Md, May q, 1901.
Comparatively few persons are aware
that the home Of a branch of the Calvert
family has been for the past $50 years at
Mount Airy. about midway between Col
lege Park and this place. The records state
that the building of the present mansion
at Mount Airy was commenced immedi-
ately after the purchase of tract of land
June 2, 1751 then commonly called His
Lordship's Kindness and consisting Of
1900 acres. as well as $500 acres on the
Fatuxent. In the deed of conveyance 1gnat-
ius Diggs, party of the first part, is termed
gentleman" which term is applied in old
English writings to every man above the
, rank of yeoman. Benedict Calvert, party
or the second part in the deed, was a son
of Charles, fifth Lord Baltimore, and was
at that time collector of the port of An
napolis.
1t is stated that every brick for :he
house was brought from England and paid
for in hogsheads of black tobacco. To-
bacco was the currency in those days for
ali imported goods. The house consists of
library, morning room. dining room,
kitchen and pantrieS in the right wing of
the lower floor. A large and spacious nall
connects these with the drawing rooms in
the left wing. At each end of the hail is
flight of stairs leading to the chambers
or sleeping rooms on the second floor. The
bricks of the old house have been meilow2d
In color by time. and green English IVY
has laid its clnSing fingers upon the walls.
The surroundings are beautiful and pic
tureSQue, with lovely landscape gardens,
welltrimmed lawns and large old oaks.
Old-fashioned box hedges bordering the
flower beds are still kept up. and the lower
lawn is separated from rose garden ny
a long althea hedge five feet high and
almost $50 years old.
About 5000 acres Of the Mount Airy es-
tate have passed into stranger hands. and
though the pressure Of time has necessarily
done much to mar the beauty of the old
mansion, there is no home IN this country
where there Is more in it's daily life to con-
meet it with the past than Mount Airy.
There is little to keep one in touch with the
present. In the beautiful old oak grove
back of the house the members of the Cal
vert family are laid to rest. Ten Of the
twelve children of Henry Edward Calvert
and Elizabeth Calvert are buried under
the shadow of the marble image Of Faith
which rises above their parents graves.
Paintings and Ancient Silverwnre.
In this old and historic mansion are pre-
served many very valuable portraits, much
old family silver and household furniture
which were deposited there by Benedict
Calvert in 1176 when the American TeVo-
luton came and he lost his position
collector of the port of Annapolis and made
his permanent home at Mount Airy.
On the walls of the drawing rooms hang
portraits of all the Barons of Baltimore.
At each side of the main entrance are por-
traits of Benedict and his wife. That Of
Benedict Calvert is full length, standing. in
rich velvet court dress. with ample wig
and lace frills and having the presence of
a courtly gentleman of his period. His
wife is seated. She is gowncd in a rich
satin dress. square in the neck. Her hair
is arranged high on the head revealing an
Intellectual brow and an unusually beauti-
full woman. On the drawing room wall is
a portrait of Eleanor Calvert in riding
habit. She has attractive, girlish face,
full of intelligence and animation. She was
a spirit ed horsewoman and used cften to go
hunting with Genera WaShingtonS aids.
She married John Parke Cussis in 1774. In
the pictures We usually see Of Mrs. Wash
ington she Is the young woman who stands
on her right. This portrait is copied from
a miniature painted by Benjamin West,
who saw her at a court ball in England
and asked permission to paint 1t. The
miniature of her is thought to be the only
one West ever painted.
Other portraits now at Mount Airy are
as follows: Charles, third Lord Baltimore
son of Cecil: Benedict Leonard fourth Lord
Baltimore, son of Charles; Charles, fifth
Lord Baltimore. son of Benedict Leonard.
one taken at the age Of sixteen, in Oxford
students dress, and one taken when he was
grown. The three last mentioned were
sent from England by Charles. fifth Lord
Baltimore. to his son Benedict, grand
father of the present owner of Mount Airy.
The family silver was sent at the same
time very little of which remains at Mount
Airy now. but there are several pieces
there with the Calvert crest on them.
Portraits painted IN this country and now
at Mt Airy, arc as follows: Bene-
dict, son of Charles, fifth Lord Balti-
more, by Woolastan; Elizabeth. his
vert; in this picture, which is painted by
Woolastan her daughter Rebecca, a child
four or five years old is standing by
the mother: Charles Calvert. son of Ben
edict and Elizabeth. who died at sea on
his way home from Edinburgh painted by
Prince. The portrait of Eleanor. daughter
of Benedict and Elizabeth, and wife of
John Parke Custis, the original of which
was painted by Edmund Brice of Annapo-
lis, had long since faded, but was copied
by King.
School Commencement.
The one hundred and twenty year
Of the Charlotte Hall School will close with
appropriate exercises on June 13. Prepara-
tions for commencement are under way and
the premises of the school have never look
ed more beautiful and inviting: The gym
nasium has been repaired and is now IN
excellent condition. The old White
House. built in 1868, has been undergoing
improvements and shows up well, notwith-
standing its age. The Sentinel, monthly
periodical to be conducted by the students,
will make it's first appearance June l. The
staff is composed of the following: F. d.
Chappelear. business manager; w. l..
Prout editor-in-chief; J. l. Sollars, H. H.
Young and E. w. Tracey, associate EDITORS,
j. f. Harrison, literary editor; w. NJ. Hol-
lyday, athletic editor: ]. r. Budd, alumni
editor, and w. Y. Coleman. town and
campus editor.
Final examinations will begin on June ]
and will continue for one week, and the
program for the commencement is as fol-
lows:
Monday, June 10-Fareweli meeting Of the
Young Mems Christian Association, PM;
addresses by Revs Walter A. Mitchell and
J. L. Smiley, the latter of whom has re-
Gently returned from the Philippines. Tues
day-Celebration Of the Washington and
Stonewan Society, pm. Wednesday-Tar
get practice, 10 am: competitive company
drill. 4:30 pm: elocutionary contest. pm.
Thursday-Commencem exercises, IL
am: alumni meeting in gymnasium, pm:
students ball. s pm.
The class Of 1901 is composed as follows:
H. H Young, Prince Georges county; ]. L.
Sollars, Garrett county; W. L. Prout, CAL
vert county: E. W. Tracey, Baltimore coun-
ty; F. D. Chappelear. Charles county; j.
E. Harrison, ST. Mary's county; W. NJ.
Hollyday Queen Annes county; ]. X. Budd,
Malott Park Ind: W. A. Jameson and +.
E. Jameson, Charles county.
The charter of this school was granted
ten wears before that of ST. Johns College
Annapolis, thus making it the oldest insti-
tuition of learning in the state.
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