Darnall's Chance facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Buck House
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Darnall's Chance in July, 2007
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 Location in Maryland
Location in the United States
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| Location | 14800 Governor Oden Bowie Drive, Upper Marlboro, Maryland |
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| Built | 1742 |
| NRHP reference No. | 78003118 |
| Added to NRHP | April 20, 1978 |
Darnall's Chance, also known as the Buck House, is a historic home in Upper Marlboro, Prince George's County, Maryland. This old house is named after Colonel Henry Darnall, a rich landowner from the past.
The house itself was built around 1742 by a merchant named James Wardrop. He bought land from Henry Darnall's family. James Wardrop enslaved 32 people who lived and worked at the house.
Today, Darnall's Chance is a historic house museum. It opened to visitors in 1988.
Contents
History of Darnall's Chance
How Darnall's Chance Began
The land where Darnall's Chance stands was first claimed in 1704. It belonged to Colonel Henry Darnall (1645–1711). He was a wealthy landowner in Maryland. He also worked for the leader of Maryland, Charles Calvert, and was even a Deputy Governor for a while.
However, in 1689, there was a conflict called the Protestant Revolution. Colonel Darnall's group lost, and he lost his important jobs.
When Colonel Darnall passed away in 1711, he owned a huge amount of land. The Darnall's Chance property was passed down through his family. It eventually went to his granddaughter, Eleanor Darnall. She married Daniel Carroll I in 1727.
Their family grew up on this large property. Two of their sons became very important. Daniel Carroll became a politician and helped create the United States Constitution. John Carroll became the first Roman Catholic bishop in the United States and started Georgetown University.
In 1741, the Carroll family sold a small part of their land to James Wardrop. He was a merchant from Scotland. Wardrop quickly built a 15-room brick house. This is the house you see today. After living there alone for six years, Wardrop married 22-year-old Lettice Lee. Her father was part of the famous Lee family from Virginia.
Changes in the 1800s
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In the mid-1800s, the house was updated. It was changed from one and a half stories to two stories. It also got new designs that were popular at the time. These changes were likely made when Edward Grafton W. Hall owned the house, between 1857 and 1887.
Darnall's Chance Today
The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission bought the house and land in 1974. They planned to use it for offices. But later, they decided to fix it up and open it as a house museum.
Darnall's Chance was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The house was first officially called the Buck House. This was after a later owner named Harry Buck, Sr. After it became a museum, it was renamed Darnall's Chance. This name honors its very first owner, Colonel Henry Darnall.
In 1986, the second floor and roof were taken off. The house was rebuilt to look exactly as it did in the 1700s. Two years later, in 1988, it opened as the Darnall's Chance House Museum.
Darnall's Chance House Museum
The Darnall's Chance House Museum is a place where you can learn about history. It opened in 1988 and is run by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. When you visit, the tour often focuses on the life of Lettice Lee. She lived in the house for nearly 30 years and was an interesting woman for her time.
The museum also shares stories about other women who lived at Darnall's Chance. You can also learn about women in Prince George's County during that period.
The house is open for tours on Fridays and Sundays from noon to 4 pm. You can also make appointments to visit at other times. The museum offers fun programs like tea lessons and a "pirate-for-a-day" event. They also have an annual gingerbread house contest. You can even rent their outdoor patio for events.
Underground Vault Discovery
In 1987, something interesting was found on the property. Workers discovered an underground vault. When it was first found, it was filled with old trash from the 1700s and 1800s.
Underneath the trash, nine sets of human remains were found. These included three adults and six children. Later, experts found that five of these people were native-born Americans. It was believed that they had passed away from different illnesses.
