Evening star., 1939-07-30
Legendary Scene
Of Uncle Toms
Cabin Is Restored
Three Years Are Token
To Make Old Home Into
Modern Residence
BY GRETCHEN SMITH.

BY GRETCHEN SMITH.
Material used by Harriet Beecher
Stowe in Uncle Toms Cabin"
was based on life on an old
plantation which is now the site
Of the remodeled home of Mrs.
Levina w. Bolten of the District
Board of Public Welfare, according
to legend.
Three years ago, Mrs. Bolten de-
cided to look for a home in the
country to escape the noise and
crowds of city life.
The place she found, far out on
the old Georgetown road near Rock
vile, would have appealed to any,
one with love of trees, grounds
and romantic setting, but the task
OF remodeling the ancient little
frame house on the place would
have dlsmayed the most ardent
home builders. Mrs. Bolten, how
ever, was so delighted with the set
ting of the house, in addition to
many quaint features, such as fire.
places. beamed ceilings and 14-inch
floor boards, that it was not long
before the sound of hammers and
saws resounded in and out of the
little building.
Mrs. Bolten, lover of antiques
and historical records, admits she
was somewhat attracted by the tales
Of Revolutionary days, of Jubal
Early's army and plantation days,
which are still recalled in the folk
lore Of the community.
Neighbor Recalls History.
From a neighbor, in her late 70s,
who had been born in the house,
Mrs. Bolten learned many interest
ing stories concerning the place.
The neighbor remembered tales re-
lated by her grandmother, who also
had been born and brought up
there.
Legend relates" said Mrs. Boil
ten" that shortly after the Revolu-
tionary War, young officer settled
here and built the original house.
Later, it became the scene of many
activities Of the Southern army and
my neighbor has told me how her
grandmother climbed into the old
loft above the kitchen, to watch
Early's soldiers gather calamus roots
by the run at the time they were
camped on the grounds on their
way to Washington"
Mrs. Bolten's neighbor also told
her of the old Negro, Uncle ST."
who had been slave on her grand
mothers plantation and who ran
away and was traced across the
Canadian border. Mrs. Stoves book
was published shortly afterward.
The Uncle Tom in her story had all
the characteristics of Josiah Hensen,
or Uncle Si, and Mrs. Bolten's neigh
Dor states that it was the belief of
her family that Uncle ST had
escaped through Ohio. The Stoves
were living in that State at the time
and were known to have been
friendly to runaway slaves and it was
believed Mrs. Stowe obtained from
Uncle 81 much of the material used
in her novel.
my neighbor told me that after
the Civil War, the old man returned
and when he was reproached by his
Old 'missus' for having told such
outrageous tales to Mrs. Stowe. he
denied having done so," Mrs. Bolton
said.
Apparently the legend of Uncle
Toms old home is known far be-
yond Maryland, as within the last
1ew weeks, Mrs. Bolton had two Wis
ltorS who told her their interest in
her place had been aroused through
reading a book supposedly written
years ago by Josiah Hensen. In
the book, description Is given of
Uncle Toms old home in MARYLAND.
which Mrs. Bolten said her visitors
Claimed fit her place.
AT the time Mrs. Bolten bought
the property three years ago, many
Old slave quarters and outbuildines
remained. The main building. the
one she has remodeled, was a simple.
clapboard, two-story house, with an
Old log wing, used as a kitchen.
,ihe COOK during slave days, slept |
IN loft above the kitchen. For
several generations, little had been
done to the house, until Mrs. Bolten
remodeled it two years ago.
Exterior Is Deceptive.
The exterior of the building is
deceptive, as it gives an impression
OF few rooms of small dimensions.
1t contains, on the contrary, a large
living room, where the ancient fire.
place OF original days still is in use.
There are two other living rooms
on the first floor, each with its
distinctive fireplace. The bedrooms
above also have attractive f1replaces
and old mantels, and the 14-inch
floor boards are the ones placed
there in its earliest days.
Mrs. Bolten has made clever use
OF interesting sections and various
parts of the original building. Cell
ing beams from the old kitchen
have been used as supports for
the roof above cozy brick-terraced
porch, built as q new addition to
the building. The only other new I
portion to the house q Q small wing