Montpelier Mansion
Encyclopedia
Located south
of Laurel
in Prince George's County
, Maryland
, United States
, Montpelier Mansion is a five-part, Georgian
style home most likely constructed between 1781 and 1785. It has also been known as the Snowden-Long House, New Birmingham, or simply Montpelier. Built by Major Thomas Snowden and his wife Anne, the house is now a National Historic Landmark
operated as a house museum. The home and 70 acres (28.3 ha) remain of what was once a plantation
of about 9000 acres (3,642.2 ha).
It was declared a National Historic Landmark
in 1970.
, where his family had settled for many years after originating in Wales
. Richard the immigrant had a son, Richard Junior (1719–1753), who had a son, Richard the "iron master" (d. 1763). Richard the iron master acquired much wealth through an iron forge, mining local iron. Richard then had a son, Thomas (1722–1770), who had a son Major Thomas (1751–1803), so called because of his service in the American Revolution
. Major Thomas married Anne Ridgely and built the Mansion circa 1783.
Their son Nicholas Snowden, who had been born at the mansion in 1786, was its next owner, until he died in 1831. The home then passed to Nicholas' daughter Julianna Maria who married Dr. Theodore Jenkins there in 1835. Dr. Jenkins died in 1866 and upon Mrs. Jenkins' later death, the mansion passed to her children who kept ownership in the family until 1890. The home was later owned by speculative investors W.P. Davis and Martin W. Chollar. In 1895, it was sold to Josephine D. Taylor of New York as a summer home. Its title went to Lewis H. Blakeman of New York in 1900, then to New York writer Edmund H. Pendleton who lived there from 1905 until his death in 1910, having made it his winter home. Pendleton's estate sold the mansion to Otto V. von Schrader in 1911.
After a succession of other owners, mansion ownership transferred in 1928 to Breckinridge Long
, Undersecretary of State under Franklin D. Roosevelt
and United States Ambassador to Italy
from 1933 to 1936. Long's daughter Christine L. Willcox, the mansion's last private owner, donated the property to the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission
in 1961. It was shown to the public as part of the U.S. Bicentennial celebrations in 1976, before being renovated in the 1980s with funds from a state grant
. The historic home was opened as a public tourist attraction in 1985, reflecting its ownership by Nicholas Snowden in 1830. The mansion can be rented for conferences and weddings and the grounds serve as a cultural center, hosting special exhibitions and performances.
. The two-story central block has a five-bay elevation, with a projecting three-bay pavilion topped by a pediment. The hipped roof features large projecting chimneys emerging about halfway up the roofline. The front and rear doors are similar in character, with flanking pilasters and an open pediment The interior features carved woodwork. The paneling in the drawing room conceals a secret doorway leading to a set of stairs.
In 1970, the house was set in formal gardens. Three terraces were outlined in boxwood
hedges and arranged as an allée
. A boxwood maze near the south wing was stated to be more than 200 years old. Most of the boxwood hedges have since been removed. A hexagonal eighteenth century summerhouse
is located at the end of the allée.
South Laurel, Maryland
South Laurel is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 20,479 at the 2000 census.-Geography:South Laurel is located at ....
of Laurel
Laurel, Maryland
Laurel is a city in northern Prince George's County, Anne Arundel County, and Howard County, Maryland, United States, located midway between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore. Incorporated in 1870, the city maintains a historic district including its Main Street...
in Prince George's County
Prince George's County, Maryland
Prince George's County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland, immediately north, east, and south of Washington, DC. As of 2010, it has a population of 863,420 and is the wealthiest African-American majority county in the nation....
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Montpelier Mansion is a five-part, Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
style home most likely constructed between 1781 and 1785. It has also been known as the Snowden-Long House, New Birmingham, or simply Montpelier. Built by Major Thomas Snowden and his wife Anne, the house is now a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
operated as a house museum. The home and 70 acres (28.3 ha) remain of what was once a plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
of about 9000 acres (3,642.2 ha).
It was declared a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1970.
History
Richard Snowden originally migrated to America in 1658 from Birmingham, EnglandBirmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, where his family had settled for many years after originating in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. Richard the immigrant had a son, Richard Junior (1719–1753), who had a son, Richard the "iron master" (d. 1763). Richard the iron master acquired much wealth through an iron forge, mining local iron. Richard then had a son, Thomas (1722–1770), who had a son Major Thomas (1751–1803), so called because of his service in the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. Major Thomas married Anne Ridgely and built the Mansion circa 1783.
Their son Nicholas Snowden, who had been born at the mansion in 1786, was its next owner, until he died in 1831. The home then passed to Nicholas' daughter Julianna Maria who married Dr. Theodore Jenkins there in 1835. Dr. Jenkins died in 1866 and upon Mrs. Jenkins' later death, the mansion passed to her children who kept ownership in the family until 1890. The home was later owned by speculative investors W.P. Davis and Martin W. Chollar. In 1895, it was sold to Josephine D. Taylor of New York as a summer home. Its title went to Lewis H. Blakeman of New York in 1900, then to New York writer Edmund H. Pendleton who lived there from 1905 until his death in 1910, having made it his winter home. Pendleton's estate sold the mansion to Otto V. von Schrader in 1911.
After a succession of other owners, mansion ownership transferred in 1928 to Breckinridge Long
Breckinridge Long
Breckinridge Long was a diplomat and politician who served in the administrations of Woodrow Wilson and Franklin Delano Roosevelt.-Early life and career:...
, Undersecretary of State under Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
and United States Ambassador to Italy
United States Ambassador to Italy
Since 1840, the United States has had diplomatic representation in the Italian Republic and its predecessor nation, the Kingdom of Italy, with a break in relations from 1941 to 1944 while Italy and the U.S. were at war during World War II. The U.S. Mission to Italy is headed by the Embassy of the...
from 1933 to 1936. Long's daughter Christine L. Willcox, the mansion's last private owner, donated the property to the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission
Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission
The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission is a bi-county agency that administers parks and planning in Montgomery and Prince George's Counties in Maryland.-History:...
in 1961. It was shown to the public as part of the U.S. Bicentennial celebrations in 1976, before being renovated in the 1980s with funds from a state grant
Grant (money)
Grants are funds disbursed by one party , often a Government Department, Corporation, Foundation or Trust, to a recipient, often a nonprofit entity, educational institution, business or an individual. In order to receive a grant, some form of "Grant Writing" often referred to as either a proposal...
. The historic home was opened as a public tourist attraction in 1985, reflecting its ownership by Nicholas Snowden in 1830. The mansion can be rented for conferences and weddings and the grounds serve as a cultural center, hosting special exhibitions and performances.
Famous Visitors
- Abigail AdamsAbigail AdamsAbigail Adams was the wife of John Adams, who was the second President of the United States, and the mother of John Quincy Adams, the sixth...
- Franklin D. RooseveltFranklin D. RooseveltFranklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
- George WashingtonGeorge WashingtonGeorge Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
, at least twice (May and September 1787) on his way to and from Philadelphia as a delegate to the Constitutional ConventionPhiladelphia ConventionThe Constitutional Convention took place from May 14 to September 17, 1787, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to address problems in governing the United States of America, which had been operating under the Articles of Confederation following independence from... - Martha WashingtonMartha WashingtonMartha Dandridge Custis Washington was the wife of George Washington, the first president of the United States. Although the title was not coined until after her death, Martha Washington is considered to be the first First Lady of the United States...
, on the way to her husband's first presidential inauguration in 1789 - Woodrow WilsonWoodrow WilsonThomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
Description
Montpelier is a five-part Georgian country house with a central block and flanking end pavilions connected to the main block by hyphensHyphen (architecture)
In architecture, a hyphen is a connecting link between two larger building elements. It is typically found in Georgian style architecture, where the hyphens form connections between a large central house and end pavilions in the Georgian five-part house, which was in turn derived from Palladian...
. The two-story central block has a five-bay elevation, with a projecting three-bay pavilion topped by a pediment. The hipped roof features large projecting chimneys emerging about halfway up the roofline. The front and rear doors are similar in character, with flanking pilasters and an open pediment The interior features carved woodwork. The paneling in the drawing room conceals a secret doorway leading to a set of stairs.
In 1970, the house was set in formal gardens. Three terraces were outlined in boxwood
Buxus
Buxus is a genus of about 70 species in the family Buxaceae. Common names include box or boxwood ....
hedges and arranged as an allée
Allee
Allee may refer to:* Alfred Allee , U.S. sheriff.* J. Frank Allee , U.S. merchant and politician.* Warder Clyde Allee , U.S. ecologist, discoverer of the Allee effect.* Verna Allee , U.S. business consultant....
. A boxwood maze near the south wing was stated to be more than 200 years old. Most of the boxwood hedges have since been removed. A hexagonal eighteenth century summerhouse
Summerhouse
Summerhouse can refer to:*Summer house*Summerhouse, County Durham*"The Summerhouse", a song by The Divine Comedy...
is located at the end of the allée.
External links
- Montpelier Mansion official site
- Montpelier, Prince George's County, including undated photo, at Maryland Historical Trust
- Montpelier, Montpelier Drive & State Route 197, Laurel vicinity, Prince George's County, MD: 50 photos, 24 data pages, 2 photo caption pages, at Historic American Building Survey
- Montpelier, Garden House, 9401 Montpelier Drive, Laurel, Prince George's County, MD: 3 photos, 1 data page, 1 photo caption page, at Historic American Building Survey