Marshall Hall, Maryland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Marshall Hall
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 Location in Maryland
Location in the United States
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| Location | 5 miles north of Maryland Routes 210 and 227, Bryans Road, Maryland |
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| Area | 10 acres (4.0 ha) |
| Built | 1725 |
| NRHP reference No. | 76000152 |
| Added to NRHP | May 12, 1976 |
Marshall Hall is a historic place in Maryland. It was once the home of the Marshall family. Today, it is part of Piscataway Park, which is looked after by the National Park Service.
Marshall Hall is located near Bryans Road in Charles County, Maryland. It sits right next to the Potomac River. It's almost directly across the river from Mount Vernon, Virginia, which was the home of George Washington. The Marshall family's house was one of the most beautiful homes built along the Maryland side of the Potomac in the early 1700s. The Marshall family was a well-known family in the area. They owned many people who were forced to work on their large property by the early 1800s.
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From Private Home to Public Fun
After the American Civil War, Marshall Hall became a very popular spot for picnics. This was because it was so close to Mount Vernon. Steamship companies used to carry tourists from Washington D.C. and Alexandria to Mount Vernon. They soon found a new way to make money by taking people to Marshall Hall too.
An Early Amusement Park
In the 1880s, a company called the Mount Vernon and Marshall Hall Steamboat Company ran large ships. These ships traveled between Washington, Alexandria, Mount Vernon, and Marshall Hall. A round-trip ticket cost $1 back then. This price even included entry to Mount Vernon.
People from Washington D.C. would escape the summer heat. They came to Marshall Hall for all sorts of events. These included fancy parties and popular shows. For example, a famous daredevil named Robert Emmet Odlum gave a swimming show there in 1878.
Marshall Hall later became one of the first amusement parks in the Washington, D.C. area. This happened in the 1890s. It offered many "appliances of entertainment," as one old document described them. Visitors who wanted to do more than just picnic could enjoy these attractions. Many people arrived by river boat.
Exciting Events and Attractions
Starting in the 1870s, annual jousting tournaments were held at Marshall Hall. Jousting is a sport where people on horseback try to knock each other off with lances. New attractions were added throughout the 1900s. For a while after World War II, certain types of entertainment involving money became a big draw. Between 1949 and 1968, the Southern Maryland area was one of the few places in the United States where these games were allowed.
Protecting the View
The National Park Service took control of Marshall Hall. This happened after the U.S. Congress made a special request. The Mount Vernon Ladies' Association asked for help. They wanted to protect the beautiful views from Mount Vernon. They wanted the view to look like it did when George Washington lived there. This idea of protecting a historical view is called a "historic viewshed."
The National Park Service removed all the old amusement park rides and buildings in 1980. The park's popularity had gone down because of bigger, newer parks. A fire destroyed much of the old colonial house soon after. In 2003, a truck crashed into what was left of the house. The damage to the brick walls was fixed the next year.
Images for kids
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Marshall Hall in 2003.
