Harmony Hall (Fort Washington, Maryland) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Harmony Hall
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Harmony Hall, Fort Washington, Maryland
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 Location in Maryland
Location in the United States
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| Location | 10711 Livingston Rd., Fort Washington, Maryland |
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| Built | c. 1769 |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| NRHP reference No. | 80000673 |
| Added to NRHP | June 06, 1980 |
Harmony Hall is a historic house in Fort Washington, Maryland. It is looked after by the United States National Park Service. This beautiful old home is part of the National Capital Parks-East system. It has been a National Park Service site since 1966.
Harmony Hall is a large, two-and-a-half-story house. It was built with red bricks a long time ago, in the 1700s. The house is designed in the Georgian style. This means it has a balanced and grand look. It sits on about 65 acres of land. This land is right next to Broad Creek, which flows into the Potomac River.
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A Glimpse into the Past
The house was built around 1769 by a man named Enoch Magruder. After he passed away, his daughter Sarah and her husband, Colonel William Lyles, received the estate. At first, the property was called Battersea. But its name changed to Harmony Hall after 1792.
This happened when two brothers, John and Walter Dulaney Addison, rented the house with their wives. The name "Harmony Hall" was chosen to celebrate how well the two couples lived together. The Lyles family sold Harmony Hall in 1850.
Over the years, the house had different owners. Around 1892, Robert Stein, his brother Richard, and their brother-in-law Joseph Adler bought it. They had moved from Silesia and grew vegetables and fruits for sale nearby. This is called truck farming. They lost ownership of the main house in 1929. Charles Collins bought it then. However, the Stein family continued to farm and run a general store in the area.
Restoring a Historic Home
A lawyer and writer named Charles Wallace Collins (1879–1964) began a big restoration project in 1927. He lived in Harmony Hall and spent his retirement making it beautiful again. Collins loved the house so much that he left it to the National Park Service when he died.
In 1985, a man named Frank Calhoun leased the mansion. He lived there and spent over $1 million on its upkeep. However, he fell behind on some renovations. In 1999, the Park Service asked him to leave. Since then, the property has been empty. It has slowly been falling into disrepair. The Park Service does send staff and students to clean the grounds. But Harmony Hall needs a lot of attention and money. It competes with many other historic places for these resources.
Harmony Hall Today
Harmony Hall was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. At that time, it was in "excellent" condition. As of 2010, Harmony Hall is closed to the public. This means visitors cannot go inside the house right now.
The Harmony Hall Community Center
There is also a community center nearby that shares the name Harmony Hall. This building is on land next to the historic house. The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission owns it. They use it as their main office for the southern area.
The community center has a fitness center. It also hosts many fun events. These include concerts, plays, art shows, and art classes. Scout meetings and other cultural programs also take place there. The building used to be an elementary school.
Gallery
- Maryland Historical Trust
