Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1914-09-10
The Key Celebration.
Model of Key Mansion Will
Be In Parade Today.

NloNSA Va AA&J NA"o
Be In Parade Today.
While not much has been said in regard
to the part the citizens of Thurmont are
taking In the Star Spangled Banner Gel
ebration at Frederick this week, those
who attend the celebration will see for
themselves that our citizens have not
been idle nor asleep on the job.
Perhaps in no other town in the county
resides citizen so thoroughly familiar
with the home of the illustrious Francis
Scott Key, as in Thurmont. viz Mr..
l.. r. Waesche, and due to his memory
and enterprising spirit, thousands Of Wis.,
itors to the centennial celebration in
Frederick will have the privilege of view
ing reproduction of this historic home.
Considerable work and expense was
necessary to produce the model. The
house as it will be shown is one sixth the
size of the original building. A special
wagon was constructed to haul the house
to Frederick for the parade today.
With the above float, Thurmont ex-
poets to have about twelve or more dec
grated automobiles and many horsemen
in the parade.
The Key Mansion was sent to Freder-
lex yesterday over the H. & F. road and
also the wagon on which it will be haul
ed.
Thursday afternoon (today) is when
the big parade will take place, and when
everybody that can do so will 60 to Fred
erick and take part in the great centen-
NAL celebration.
A short history of the Key mansion as
remembered by Mr.. Waesche is as fol-
lows:
"Thurmont, or Mechanicstown district,
has built float which is representa-
ton of the house wherein Francis Scott
Key was born, or the home of John Ross
Key, who suppose built the house.
1.-THE Key home was situated on the
road from Keysville to Brucevile, for
merly Frederick county, but now part
of Carroll county, and known as Terra
Rubra'. The writer has distinct rec
election of every nook and corner in the
building; my mother bought the property
and we moved in it when | was seven
years old, and tore it down seven years
later. The building was SO feet front
with wing running back at each end,
the one wing being u feet deep and the
other So feet. There was double porch
extending the entire front, with columns
two feet in diameter built of brick and
moulded to form circle, and then plas-
tered. There was court paved with
brick inside the two wings, double
porch connecting the two wings. The
wings were built of brick and the center
was of frame, lathed and plastered out
side as well as inside.
During the summer of 1858 terrific
storm took off part of the porch roof
and a small portion at one end of the
house and also blew in a portion of the
brick gable and thinking the building
was unsafe, we made preparation to tear
it down and built the present house the
following year. Upon tearing it down
the timbers were found to be perfectly
sound and the framing much strong er
than that done at the present time. 1t
was relic that should have been pre-
served, as am sure it was the largest
and best framed house in Frederick coun-
ty. One window in the central portion
of the house had the names of John Ross
Key, and his children, and Philip Barton
Key and his family cut in the glass with
a diam ond
"A schoohouse, built of logs by John
Ross Key, was in a woods about half
mile from the mansion and where Keys
vile is now situated. In this school
house is where the writer got his early
education. The seats were made of slabs
with the bark side down. My first teach
err there was an inveterate smoker of
clay pipe and smoked during the entire
school hours"
Following is the program for the cele-
bration at Frederick for the remainder
of the week:
Thursday, Sept. 10th
3.OOP NJ, Trades Display and Indus
trial Parade.
8.OOP P. NJ, Band Concerts, Dance at
Braddock Heights.
Friday. Sept. l1th-Fraternal Day.
23O p. M, Fraternal Parade.
800 p. M, Band Concert.
$50 p. M, Grand Fraternal Ball.
Saturday, Sept. 18th.
800 p. M, Civic, Floral and Carnival
Parade.
500 p. M, Band Concert.
Monday, Sept. l4th.
HOO a. H., Military and School Chill
dren's Parade to Grave of Key.
1900 Noon, the National Anthem, sung
by the Massed Chorus of Frederick coun-
ty consisting of thousands of voices.
Engagement Announced.