Montgomery County sentinel., 1949-06-02

part Of the original grant of 5000
acres from the English Grown to
Daniel Carroll in 1865 which was
eventually divided into six farms,
the East Oakes Groves being once
chosen py Henry Young on which
to build this brick house. 1t has in
teresting antiques. Farther along
the Whites Ferry Road the visitor
reaches "Kilmain," now the home
of Mr.. and Mrs. Adam S. Shannon.
Almost 200 years ago it was the
home of Daniel Carroll who built
part of the present house. The old
kitchen is now no longer standing,
but wide fiagstones show the loca-
tion CT the floor. What was once a
ballroom, according to local report,
has a floor with boards laced to-
gether by withes of wood. This old
stone house has been described in
at least one book on Cavalier
homes.
Still farther towards Whites
Ferry is Johns Delight, another
interesting old home which has
been owned by the family since the
brick house was built. The little
son of Thomas c. Brown is the
seventh generation to live there.
An interesting slave quarter stand
ing near the house, was formerly
used as a kitchen. The builder,
Joshua Chiffon, lived to be well
over 80, survived three wives and
secured a license to wed the fourth
spouse but at the last moment was
Gissuaded by his children, so the
license was revoked.
Mt. Pleasant, home of Mr.. and
Mrs. G. Lee Walden, also of the
Whites Ferry road, much nearer
Poolesville, was built in 1876, by
an old Englishman, Alexander
Whitaker, who was so fond of
card games of chance, according
to tradition, that he had all the
windows built high and small so
his slaves could not look in upon
his vices. Later the house was
owned for a number of years by
the Cissel family.
Grayhaven Manor, home of Mrs.
Beryl E. Gray, was also built in
1876 of English brick, the date
and initials Of the founder being
set in foot-high letters of burned
brick in the north wall. The house
has very interesting hand-carved
woodwork, pegged floors and wide
boards. 1t is on the road from
Poolesville to Beallsville on land
known as Chiswcll's Inheritance, a
grant from Lord Baltimore to Ste
phen Newton Chiswell.
Near the Monocacy River bridge
on Rt. % is Rock Hall Manor, now
the home of Mrs. Joseph E. Har-
ris. The house, built in the early
1905, was owned by the Belt fam
lily. Being the point at which the
river was forded in the days be-
fore bridges, members of the fam
lily would often be called at night
to guide travellers across. The
stone quarry on the property fur
nished the stone for the house. A
very old iron furnace or foundry
was located there also.
Valhalla, on the road from Daw-
sonville to Poolesville, lovely old
stone house with log wing, is the
home of Major and Mrs. F. F.
BeYnsdorff. Formerly known as
Rosedale it was built by Mrs.
Sarah Jones after a disastrous fire
destroyed an older building about
1858. 1t is furnished with beauti-
ful antiques and family portraits
from a Virginia plantation.
Dalspring Farm, on Route 2S
from Jacksonville to BeallsVille, is
now the home of Mr.. and Mrs.
William b, Norton. The land was
once owned by Thomas Cramphin,
distinguished resident of the Coun-
" who served on the Orphans
Court from 1892 to 1902, on the
state Constitutional Convention to
ratify the Federal Constitution in
1888, and as a member of the
House OF Delegates in 1884. The
present house was built before the
Clvil War with one section of
earlier date.