Evening star., 1934-09-15
CHANDLER'S HOPE
( IS NOTED FOR AGE.
Parts of Home Near la
Plata 285 Years 0Id-0ne
Belonged to Nuns.
BY HELEN FETTER COOK.

BY HELEN fEI1Eh COOk.
One of Southern Maryland's oldest
and most interesting homes is Chand-
ler's Hope. a quaint place command
ing an impressive view from a steer
hill above Port Tobacco, near La
Plata. The house, only about 35 miles
from Washington, is owned by Mr.
and Mrs. Sydnor Bohannon, both well
known in the Capital.
In this year of Maryland's tercen-
tenary celebration, there is added in
terest in recalling that the site for
Chambers Hope was found almost by
accident by Leonard Calvert and his
friend, John Lewis.
They left ST. Marys City one day
on an exploring trip. Back home in
England, Job Chandler, a friend of
Calverts, had asked him to keep an
eye open for good spot for Chandler
to build home in the new country
for his large family So when Calvert
saw this hill with its superb view over
Port Tobacco, he exclaimed to his
friend, Lewis:
There's just the place for Job
Chandler! I'll write him about it,"
Part of House Original.
The result was that Chandler came
over, built his house in l649, and
called it Chambers Hope. His grave
can be seen today on the terrace be-
fore the house.
The oldest part of the building now
standing is a portion of the original
house, built 285 years ago. This part
has become known as "the Monastery
Kitchen" because the house, at one
period. was turned over to several
nuns for their home. At that time it
belonged to Charles Neale, brother of
Leonard Neale, who founded George
town University and was first arch
bishop of Baltimore. Both the Neale
brothers were born at Chambers Hope.
The reason most of the present
house is only 200 years old, rather
than 285, is that a fire broke out
while the sisters were occupying the
place. The occupants climbed from
the bed rooms over the low roof of
an areaway to the kitchens and so
reached the ground, where row of
nuns formed a bucket brigade from
the well to the house. They sue
ceeded in putting out the fire. Some
deeply charred beams between the
old and new parts of the house are
still there.
Has Oldest Fireplace.
The Monastery Kitchen, which is
the oldest standing house in Charles
County, has the oldest fireplace in
Southern Maryland. It is huge, be-
ing feet inches long and feet 6
inches in depth. Bricks of the fire.
place and chimney were made at a
kiln on the place. The iron kettles
and equipment are mostly original,
and Mrs. Bohannon has had hand
wrought iron fixtures to accord with
the old equipment. The beam that
forms a mantel above this fireplace
is feet long, foot wide and 8
inches deep. 1t is the solid heart of
q walnut tree. The walls have orig
inal pine paneling, which, like the
old doors with treir hand-wrought
hinges and the door frames, have
never been touched with varnish. but
are stained by time and smoke to a
glowing, deep reddish color.
n ClOCk Oi1 tllC uIdlAtcl bClOi1ScO W
President James Buchanan, whose
mother was related to some of Mrs.
Bohannon's ancestors. The Bohan-
mons also have a sturdy, small, four
poster bed in one of their guest
rooms that was President Buchanan's
when he was boy.
Beams Are Pegged.
Going up two steps from the mon
astery kitchen into the dining room,
one stoops involuntarily beneath the
smoky, deep-hanging beams of the
older part of the house. They are
tied In old tx" style with square wood
pegs instead of nails.
In the dining room Is an old ma
hogany sideboard, hand-carved in in
tricate beading designs. Mrs Bohan-
non says this piece is at least $50 years
old.
The most beautiful of the many
nantels, one judged to be among the
best in Maryland, is the graceful,
carved piece 200 years old which
adorns the fireplace in 12-year-old
Elizabeth Bohannon's room. During
the Civil War this room was used as
q hospital ward.
There also Is evidence Of a secret
underground passage through which
runaway slaves were smuggled, some
times buried In loads of hay, to get
them across the Potomac at Popes
Greek.
4a Natives Fear Ghost.
The Bohannons have owned Chand-
ler's Hope for IL years. They have
lived there while doing the gradual,
careful restoring needed to make the
place completely liVable the year
round. Several friends in the vicinity
tried to disuade Mrs, Bohannon from
buying the place because of reputed
ghost. and she says that for the first
nine years they were unable to get
any local help at all
Most interesting Of all Chambers
Hope ghosts" to the owners. however.
Is one who stumbles up the steps. The
Bohannons have consulted a number
OF people who speak with authority
regarding ghosts. and none of them
has ever heard before of a ghost that
stumbled.
But the Bohannons have heard it
stumble for as many as 10 nights in
row, up the front stairs of Chan
dler's Hope. Always the ghost comes
at the same time and stumbles on
the same step. This step is the short
top step, which is only inches deep
instead Of inches, like all the others
Mr.. Bohannon has sat up, fashlight
In hand, and has heard the steps
coming up the stairs, but has seen
nothing.