Evening star., 1936-05-03
I HOMES OPENED
FOR GARDEN WEEK
Tradition of Two Centuries
Linger in Old Charles
County.
epeciai Dispatch to The Star.

turies will be revived in Charles County
during Maryland garden week, Mon"
day to Thursday, when seven his
torical houses and gardens Will be
thrown open to the public.
George Washington was intimately
associated with many of the FAM
lilies of the present Charles County,
particularly with those grouped about
Port Tobacco, the ghost town which
once ranked second only to St. Marys
City as a tobacco-shipping point. but
dwindled after the county seat was
moved to La Plata half century
ago. The Pennsylvania Railroad
touched La Plata, but failed to build
to Port Tobacco. A bitter county
seat fight followed. One night the
Port Tobacco Court House burned and
the records were spirited away to
La Plata.
But the disappearance OF the old
county town robbed Port Tobacco VAL
lev of none of it's charm. The Stones,
the Hansons, the Browns. the Craiks
and many other prominent Colonial
families had their estates in this lovely
valley leading to the Potomac ana
many of the old manor houses still
stand with their brick chimnevs and
sturdy walls as testimonials to the
honest masonry of pre-Revolutionary
days.
Homes of Physicians.
Three houses in this valley La
Grange, Rose Hill and Habre de Ven
ture, will be thrown open to the
public. La Grange. which was re-
Gently sold to James w. Wills OF La
Plata, was the home of DR.. Cralk.
one of the physicians who attended
Washington in his final illness. DR..
Gustavus Brown, the other doctor who
was with the first President during
his fatal attack of quinsy. lived at
Rose Hill. now the home of Capt.
and Mrs. Charles Grevenberg.
Habre de Venture was the home of
Thomas Stone. one of Maryland's four
signers of the Declaration of indie
pendence and member of Congress.
This house recently was sold to Charles
Stephenson Smith and is now under
going restoration Rose Hill has been
partially restored and possesses one
of the most beautiful lockwood gar
dens in America. La Grange has not
been restored as yet The three houses
afford students of Colonial architec-
ture examples of Maryland houses of
two centuries ago.
La Grange and Rose Hill are Of
similar construction. The ends of
both are of brick. with two massive
chimneys. while the sides are of frame
lined with brick. Habre de Venture
is a combination of brick and wood.
The central portion of the house is
of brick Thomas Stones law Office,
which is at the end of one apron.
is frame, brick-nogged, and at the
end of the other apron Is a service
house which has brick ends and frame
sides filled with brick. This ram
bling house on two levels is con-
structed on the arc of a circle. 1t
contains much of the furniture which
belonged to Thomas Stone. including
a complete parlor and dining room
set.
Has Dog Ghost.
Thomas Stone and his wife are
buried at Habre De Venture and the
body of DR.. Gustavus Brown lies in
q marble mausoleum on Rose Hill.
Washington frequently rode through
Charles County and was often enter
tanned at the homes of friends who
lived near the ferries he used in cross
Ing the Potomac.
Rose Hill has the most celebrated
ghost in Charles County. 1t is known
as the Blue Dog. This appartion is
supposed to make its appearance an
nually at midnight on the anniversary
of the murder of pedler more than
a century ago. The man drank freely
at tavern in Port Tobacco and in
discreetly displayed a well-filled wallet
Loafers followed and killed him for
his money but failed to shoot the
pedlers blue dog, which presumably
returns once each year and howls for
his master.
West Hatton Restored.
Araby, once the home of Anne FL
beck, wife of Senator George Mason,
who was probably Washington's closest
friend. also is to be opened. It re-
Gently was purchased by Capt F. j.
Fletcher U. S. NJ, and is under re-
construction. This house is on land
which once belonged to Lord Fairfax
near Indian Head.
West Hatton, Hard Bargain and
Mount Republican are three historic
mansions in the southern part of the
county whose owners will welcome the
public during garden week. West Hat
ton, which lies at the junction of
the Wicomico and Potomac Rivers. was
built by Maj. William Truman Stod-
oert, an officer in the Revolutionary
war and nephew of Gen. Smallwood,
who saved Washington's army in the
campaign about New York City. This
property has been restored by Mr..
and Mrs. Foster Reeder Mrs. Reeder
Is member of the Stoddert family.
Origin of Hard Bargain.
Hard Bargain and Mount Repub-
llcan. which belong to the estate of
the late Robert Grain, have not been
restored but are well preserved and
command magnificent views of the
Potomac. Hard Bargain has a box
WOOD garden. 1t was originally prop
erty Of the Harris family and ac-
Qulred its unusual name as a result
OF a difference between Gwynn Harris
and his younger brother. Tom. Gwynn
married girl whom his brother did
not like. At the wedding feast Gwynn
promised Tom to build him a new
house If he would drink a toast to
his new sister-in-law. Tom accepted.
The next day Gwynn regretted his
promise, but carried it out faithfully
although he grumbled that it was a
"hard bargain" Tom instantly seized
upon this expression as the name for
his new house.
Mount Republican, which overlooks