Portland Manor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Portland Manor
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Portland Manor, March 2010
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 Location in Maryland
Location in the United States
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| Location | 5951 Little Rd., Lothian, Maryland |
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| Built | 1725 |
| Architectural style | Colonial |
| NRHP reference No. | 96000434 |
| Added to NRHP | April 18, 1996 |
Portland Manor is a really old and important house in Lothian, Maryland. It's a two-story building made of wood. The main part of the house was built in 1754. Later, around 1852, two more sections were added, making it bigger.
On the property, you can also find parts of a large, round ice house. There are also several other small wooden buildings. Portland Manor was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. This means it's recognized as a special place in American history.
Contents
The History of Portland Manor
Portland Manor sits on a fenced piece of land that is almost four acres big. This land was once part of a much larger area, about 2,000 acres. This huge piece of land was given to Jerome White Esq. by the second Lord Baltimore in 1687.
A Special Award
Even though the land has been divided many times since then, the house still has open farmland around it on three sides. The house has been carefully looked after and fixed up for 15 years, starting in 1997. An owner who was also an architect did this work. In 2001, Portland Manor won an award called the Orlando Ridout Prize. This award is given for doing a great job of preserving old buildings.
How Old Is It Really?
In 1997, scientists did a special study called dendrochronology. This is a way to find out the age of wooden buildings by looking at the tree rings in the wood. This study showed that the original part of Portland Manor was built in 1754.
Inside Portland Manor
The first floor of Portland Manor has several rooms for living. There's a large living room and a dining room. You'll also find a sitting room, an office that can be used as a library, and a small bathroom. There's also a big country kitchen.
Upstairs Rooms
To get to the second floor, you can use the main staircase in the middle of the house. There are also two other smaller staircases. Upstairs, you'll find four large bedrooms and three full bathrooms. There's also a room for laundry and storage.
Porches and Basements
Off the kitchen, on the east side, there's a large L-shaped porch. From here, you can see a garden with flowers and herbs, and a pond. On the west side, there's a screened porch. This porch offers views of the rolling farmland and beautiful sunsets. The house also has a partial basement.
The Grounds and Outbuildings
The land around Portland Manor has many old trees. There's also a special garden with boxwood plants. You'll find two other buildings on the property.
Old Buildings with New Uses
One building is a smokehouse, which is about 10 by 20 feet. Long ago, people used smokehouses to preserve meat. Today, this building is used as a garden shop. The other building is a barn, which is about 20 by 30 feet. This barn has been completely fixed up. It's now used as a workshop, a pottery studio, and a place to store yard tools.
Looking for More History
Future studies might help find where an old icehouse and other buildings used to be. The current owners have found different old items, or artifacts, on the property. These items are now part of a history display in the hallway on the second floor.
- Portland Manor, Anne Arundel County, including photo from 1993, at Maryland Historical Trust
Images for kids
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Colonel Henry Darnall of Portland Manor
 | Kyle Baker |
 | Joseph Yoakum |
 | Laura Wheeler Waring |
 | Henry Ossawa Tanner |
