ACHS SUliMARY FORM 1. Name: Cherry Grove ,-....2. Planning Area/Site Numbers 28/9 3. M-NCPPC Atlas Reference: Map 17 Coordinate D-2 4. Address: 17530 New Hampshire Avenue Ashton, Md. 5. Classification Summary , Category building Previous Survey Recording MNCPPC Ownership private Title and Date: Historic Sites Inventory Public Acquisition_ __N_ /_A__ _______ 1976 Status occupied Accessible no Federal_ ___ ____ Present us_e __ __ State__!_County~Local ag--r•1-cu--1t-u_r_e_/_p_r_I~v-a_t_e resi dence 6. Date: c. 1773 7, Original Owner: Richard Thomas 8. Apparent Condition a, good b. altered original site -------------------- C ·----------------------------- 9. Description: Built in 1773, the original house consisted of a four bay by two bay, two and a half story structure, constructed of locally fired brick laid up in flemish bond, and facing northeast. To the southeast there is a two bay by two bay one and a half story dependency now connected by a one bay section to the original structure. There are six-over-six double hung windows set into flat arches. There are three gabled six-over-six dormer windows on the northeast and southwest elevations of the kitchen dependency. The original house and kitchen dependencies have gable roofs with slate tile shingles. • 10, Significance : This fine house is associated with distinguished County families . Part of one of the earlr, tracts of land patented in the eastern County, "Snowden' s Manor Enlarged, ' a log house may have been built on this property around 1728 by John Thomas, son-in-law of Richard Snowden. John's son Richard received Snowden's Manor Enlarged and built the present Cherry Grove about 1773 to replace the original log house which was destroyed by fire in 1772. Richard Thomas became one of the largest .' landowners in the County. He was an active Revolutionary representing lower Frederick County in the Maryland Convention. At his death in 1806, his son William acquired Cherry Grove, and in 1865 William's son Samuel and his wife inherited the property. It was sold out of the family in 1927. Roger and Emily Farquhar lived there in the 1930s and operated a restaurant -- Old Colonial Kitchen. They sold it in 1942. The present owners, Mr. and Mrs. George H. Riggs, Jr. have held it since 1945, restoring the house to its original 18th century character. Candy Reed - Arch. Description Researcher and date researched: Geraldine Berkman 7/79 ~1. 12. Compiler: Gail Rothrock 13. Date Compiled: 10/79 14. Designation Approval_ 15. Acreage: 30 acres M: 28/9 MARYLAND HISTORICAL TRUST MAGI# INVENTdRY FORM FOR STATE HISTORIC SITES SURVEY 6NAME HISTORIC Cherry Grove ANO/OR COMMON flLOCATION STREET & NUMBER 17530 New Hampshire Avenue CITY. TOWN CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 8 Ashton VICINITY OF STATE COUNTY Maryland Montgomery DcLASSIFICATION CATEGORY OWNERSHIP STATUS PRESENT USE _DISTRICT _PUBLIC XOCCUPIED X....AGRICULTURE _MUSEUM XBUILDING(S) X...PRIVATE _UNOCCUPIED _COMMERCIAL __ PARK _STRUCTURE _BOTH _WORK IN PROGRESS _EDUCATIONAL X.PRIVATE RESIDENCE ~ _SITE PUBLIC ACQUISITION ACCESSIBLE _ENTERTAINMENT _RELIGIOUS ._OBJECT _IN PROCESS -YES: RESTRICTED _GOVERNMENT _SCIENTIFIC _:BEING CONSIDERED _YES: UNRESTRICTED _INDUSTRIAL _TRANSPORTATION ..XNO _MILITARY _OTHER: DOWNER OF PROPERTY NAME & Telephone #: 771+-7092 · Mr. Mrs. George H. Riggs, Jr. STREET & NUMBER . 17530 New Hampshire Avenue CITY. TOWN STATE zip code 1 20702 Ash ton _ v1c1N1rv oF Maryland llLOCATION OF LEGAL DESCRIPTION Liber #: 971+ COURTHOUSE. Folio #: 183 REGISTRY oF DEEDs,ETc.Montgomery County Courthouse STREET & NUMBER CITY. TOWN STATE 20850 D Rockville Maryland REPRESENTATION IN EXISTING. SURVEYS TITLE & 1936 M-NCPPC Inventory of Historical Sites HABS - DATE 1976 X.FEDERAL x_STATEX_cOUNTY _LOCAL DEPOSITORY FOR SURVEY RECORDS Park Historian's Office CITY. TOWN STATE 20855 Rockville Maryland B [4:2~-9 DESCRIPTION CONDITION CHECK ONE CHECK ONE _EXCELLENT _DETERIORATED _UNALTERED .XORIGINAL SITE X..GOOD _ RUINS XALTERED _MOVED DATE. ___ _FAIR _UNEXPOSED DESCRIBE THE PRESENT AND ORIGINAL (IF KNOWN) PHYSICAL APPEARANCE This elegant brick Georgian-style house sits on a ridge facing north east. Built on fieldstone foundations, the original house consisted of a four bay by two bay two and a half story structure, constructed of locally fired 1 brick laid up in Flemish bond. The steep A-roof is accented by graceful chimneystacks which rise flush with the north and south end walls. This section has a rounded brick water table and between the first and second stories, a distinctive brick belt course. ~outheast of this structure, and connected by a narrow passageway, is the two bay by two bay, one-and-a-half story kitchen dependency constructed of locally fired brick laid up in common bond. This narrow passageway was enclosed and a window installed sometime later. The shed rooted porch on the main house was removed by the present owners. There is a simple brick stoop leading to the second bay from the north corner. There is an eight-paneled wooden door supported by heavy strap hinges and surmounted by a transom light. On the southeast elevation there is a six-paneled wooden door. There are six-over-six double-hung windows throughout the house, although those on the upper level are almost half the size of those on the ground floor. One original nine-over-nine window remains on the southwest elevation. The first story flat arches~-~ narrower than the existing windows. A large multi-paned, three-sided, one story bay window was installed on the southwest elevation. There are two small four-light casement windows in the northwest and southeast gable ends. There are three gabled, six-over-six dormer windows set into the kitchen roof on the northeast and southwest elevations. The main house and kitch n have separate gable roofs covered by slate 0 tiles. There is a massive interior and fieldstone chimney base with a brick chimney stack at the southeast elevation of the kitchen Wing. In addition there are two brick interior end chimneys at the southeast and northwest elevations of the main house. There is a basement under the main house, but only a crawl space under the kitchen wing. Entering the house from the northeast (front) door one enters into a large hall. Against the northwest exterior wall there fs a two run closed string stairway with turned balustersi a sycamore handrail and a Jacobean newel post. West of the hall is the ibrary, to the south is the dining room and to the southeast is the parlor. Southeast of the main house, the -_ old kitchen (with large fireplace and crane) is now used as a sitting room. Northwest of this room is a modern kitchen wing. To the northwest of the modern kitchen is a glass enclosed porch. Floors throughout the house are random width longleaf North Carolina pine with no subflooring. The parlor, library and dining rooms all_have full-field wooden paneling at the exterior end walls behind the fireplaces. This paneling includes built-in cabinets. Fireplace mantle pieces are all molded and each fireplace (except the kitchen's) has a soap stone hearth. The remainder of the walls and ceilj,r0 s are plaster over lath. Every door is a different height; all the doors l. ~ six wooden panels. They are supported in the door frames by HH and HL foliated hinges. Doors have rimlocks and brass knobs. (Continued on Attachment Sheet A) CONTINUE ON SEPARATE SHEET IF NECESSARY Attachment Sheet A M: 28/9 Cherry Grove The southwest elevation has been altered by the new kitchen wing and porch additions. At the second story, opening onto these wings, there are two French windows. The flat roof of the addition has a simple wooden railing at the outer edges. PERIOD AREAS OF SIGNIFICANCE --CHECK AND JUSTIFY BELOW _PREHISTORIC -ARCHEOLOGY-PREHISTORIC _COMMUNITY PLANNING _LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE --RELIGION _1400-1499 -ARCHEOLOGY-HISTORIC _CONSERVATION _LAW _SCIENCE _ 1500-1599 -AGRICULTURI; _ECONOMICS _LITERATURE _SCULPTURE _16o0-1699 XARCHITECTURE _EDUCATION _MILITARY _soc1AUHUMANITARIAN X..1700-1799 -ART _ENGINEERING _MUSIC _THEATER _ 1800-1899 _COMMERCE x_EXPLORATION/SETTLEMENT _PHILOSOPHY _TRANSPORTATION _1900- _COMMUNICATIONS _INDUSTRY X..POLITICS/GOVERNMENT _OTHER !SPECIFY) _INVENTION Richard Thomas? SPECIFIC DATES 1773 BUILDER/ARCHITECT .., STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE Local and family tradition maintains that the present Cherry Grove house replaced a log house which John Thomas built for himself and hii bride, Elizabeth Snowden, around 1728 or 1729. John married in 1727, and was well established in the Ashton are~ ~t least as early as the 1740s. Thomas' father-in-law was Richard Snowqen,, who in 1715 acquired 0 Snowden's Manor", one of the first tracts of land patented in the area. Snowden acquired more la~d, and in 1745 resurveyed the 9,265 acre nsnowden's Manor Enlarged". He apparently never lived in this part of Maryland. However, his three sons-in-law, James Brooke, samuel Thomas and John Thomas, 3 .,-t.rere among the first settlers 1n this region. ' . In 1747 Richard Snowden deeded to John Tho~as 549 acres, "part of a tract of land called Snowden•s Manor Inlarged", probably the land upon which John was then living. With his brother-in-law, James Brooke, John built a watermill on the nearby Rawlings River. The mill was referred to in John's will, probated in 171+9.' The will does not mention his oldest son Richard, or "Snowden's Manor Enlarged". Probably Richard's portion had already been given him: the Frederick County Debt Books for 1753 and 1755 list for "Mr. John Thomas•s Heirs" a 549 acge tract and a 1,480 acre tract; in 1755 a 318 acre property is also listed. By 1761, the estate having apparently been divided, Richard appears in the Debt Book as the owner of the 54-9 acre "Snowden's Manor".7 Throughout-the rest of his life Richard retained this tract (designated in the records either as "Snowden's Manor" or "Snowden's ,.Enlarged") upon which his home, Cherry Grove stood. In the 1783 Montgomery County Tax List !he tract "Snowden's Manor Enlarged" includes the "hull of a briQk house 32 x 38, 1 framed barn and _, house and sundry log From the dimensions given, the ~tobacco houses."~ "hull of a brick house" is Cherry Grove. According to tradition, the original house was destroyed by fire in 1772 and Richard built the present brick house in its stead; perhaps it remained unfinished in 1783. Richard Thomas enlarged his landholdings to become one of the chief landowners in Montgomery County. He was an active Revolutionary, for feiting for this period his membership in the Society of Friends. In 1774 he was among those elected at the Hungerford Tavern meeting to repre- Lower Frederick in the Maryland Convention held in response to ~ent Co~ty · '1e "Intolerable Acts". In 1788 he was elected as a Federalist to the ~aryland Convention to ratify the Constitution.IO (Continued on Attachment Sheet B) CONTINUE ON SEPARATE SHEET IF NECESSARY Attachment Sheet B M: 28/9 Cherry Grove He died in 1806, his will providing for the manumission of his 112 slaves. Richard's will provided for the division of his equ~~ estate two sons Richard and William. William acquired betwee~3his Cherry Grove, and resided there the remainder of his life. Upon his widow's death in 1865, their son Samuel P. Thomas inherited the property. Samuel died in 1898 1+and his widow Elizabeth retained Cherry 1 Grove until her diath in 1909. It then passed to his grandnephew Samuel P. Thomas, ~ who lived there until 1927. In that yea1 samuel sold the estate to Frank L. Hewitt and Frederick N. Zihlman, 6 who sold it to Emily Jean Adams (later Farquhar) in 1928.i'l During the 1930's Roger and Emily Farquhar operated a restaurant- The Old Colonial Kitchen--in the house. Members of Congress and other political figures involved with the Roosevelt administration were frequent guests. l8 The Farquhars sold Cherry Grove in 191+2 to David A. Shober, who resold it to the present owners in 1945. Mr. and Mrs. Riggs, both architects, have over the years restored the house to its original 18th-century style. FOOTNOTES: 1. Minutes, Cliffs Monthly Meeting of the Society of Friends, 1677-1771. Micro Reel M605, Rockville Library. May 11+, 1727. 2. Patent, BY & GS No. 1+/577 (171+5); Maryland Hall of Records. 3. Cook, William G., Montpelier and the Snowden Family, p. 221+. 1+. Prince Georges County Land Records, BB/382 (February 20, 171+7). 5. Frederick County Wills, A/15, Frederick County 171+9 (November 21+, 171+9) (pro.). 6. Frederick County Debt Book, 1753, p. 4; 1755, p. 6. 7. Ibid., 1761, Richard Thomas. 8. Montgomery County Tax List, 1783. 9. MaeMaster, Richard K. and Ray Eldon Hiebert, A Grateful Remembrance, P• 31. 10. Ibid., P• 76. 11. Montgomery County Wills, E/340. Also Estate Inventories, 1807. January 5, 1807. December 15, 1806 (pro.). 12. Ibid. 13. Land Records of Montgomery County, Md. 0/368 (November 14, 1809). 11+. Annals of Sandy Spring, V. 4, p. 25. 15. Montgomery County Wills, GCD12/120, December 27, 1898 (pro). 16. Land Records, Op. Cit., 422/62 (March 5, 1927). 17. Ibid., 458/471 (March 3, 1928). 18. Ibid., 877/209 (April 29, 1942) • . --~~~ IJMAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES See Attachment Sheet C CONTINUE ON SEJ;>AMTE SHEET .If NECESSAAY ll!JGEOGRAPHICALDATA 30 acres (approximately) ACREAGE OF NOMINATED PROPERTY VERBAL BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION The Riggs property is bounded on the northeast by New Hampshire Avenue, on the east and south 'by F.E. Mars, and on the west and north by M.A. and L.c. Hogan and E. L. and M.J. Riggs, respectively. LIST ALL STATES AND COUNTIES FOR PROPERTIES OVERLAPPING STATE OR COUNTY BOUNDARIES STATE COUNTY STATE COUNTY mroRM PREPARED BY Candy Reed NAME I TITLE Geraldine Berkman Architectural Description ORGANIZATION DATE Sugarloaf Regional Trails July 7, 1979 STREET & NUMBER TELEPHONE Box 87 926-4-210 CITY OR TOWN ST.TE Dickerson Maryland 20753 The Maryland Historic Sites Inventory was officially created by an Act of the Maryland Legislature, to be found in the Ahnotated Cod,e of Maryland, Article 41, Section 181 KA, 1974 Supplement. The Survey and Inventory are being prepared for information and record purposes only and do not constitute any infringe- ment of individual property rights. 1~"' RETURN TO: Maryland Historical Trust The Shaw House, 21 State Circle Annapolis, Maryland 21401 ( 301) 267-1438 PS· I 108 Attachment Sheet C M: 28/9 Cherry Grove BIBLIOGRAPHY: Annals of Sandy Spring. Frederick County Debt Books. Minutes, Cliffs Monthly Meeting, 1677-1771. Land Records of Montgomery County, Maryland. Montgomery County Orphans Court Records Martha Nesbitt's research notes on Thomas family and Sandy Spring Meeting Interview, Eugenie LeMerle Riggs James Brooke Day Book --------------- 114 lI1sTOR1c MoNTOOMF.RY C0t:NTY, :\f ARYLAND turbanres of the Civil "-ar. A fow soldiers were On the second floor nre four bcclrooms u11d n buried on the plare, and somt' animals were bath. Tho date of th" honse and tlte 1urnw of stolen. Indian burial grounds, also, ha-\·e been th<' builder, ns usual, is unknown, hut it wns lo<'t\tNl on the prop!'rty. prohnbly hnilt hy the <•l<ll'r ChnrleR <l1'N'nl111ry Tiu.' house is of reel brit.-k 11muul'nc•t11r<'ll on Oriflith 1-1omcti1110 ul'ler !HOU . •\ :- h1• di1•cl i11 th<' pin<'<' with tlw fmnilin1· J•')P1t1ii4h hond np- HHi-1-, it muHt linv<' hC'l'll c·cmsid<·l'llhly twfnn• t 111· 1wnring in tlw front wnlls. 111 Ou• 11111i11 i:it•l•tion l 'ivil \Vur, 1u11I dl't11ilt1 i11clit-11t1• 1•1111,.11·111'1 i1111 you enter a lnrge douhlC' pnrlor with nn•plncca c>nl'I~· in the nin<'tl'<'lll h 1·1•nfltl'y. 1t Imel a ol1· in ent'h l'idc. lu th<~ win~ to the• l'i~d1f ol' f hiR, flle'lu•cl l<ifc•h1•11 with 11 hrc111~1•w11~· wh1•f'I• I Ii•• lt11\' ther<' ni·c a dining ruom, n kitf'h<'n mttl 1L p1111fry. wi 11clow i1-1 11ow lrn•11 tc•cl. Cherry Grove :\0. 16 1:-10 OHll~l::\AJ,J,Y li:l!I JOH~ TIIO~l.-\::5 HUR!'\ED AXD ~l.\l~ IIOU~E RF.lWII.T JlY n IGTT.\ RD TH01\1AS lii3 RRICK r: CATED on Parr's Ridge 525 fl'et above Pnrty," to replace a log houi:te l1Hilt on thl' same Tidewater half-a-mile south of Ashton on sit<' in 1729 which had hurned in 1772. Route 29 and 12 miles north of the The hrick house at C'hcrry GroYc was on<' of Distrit't of Columbia lin<', there ha~ stood for fonr built hy Ri<·har1l Thomas, (Mars<' Di<'ky}. 188 years one of the finc>st Colonial brick houses It was his own horn<'. The other thr<•1• wl're in western Ml\ryland. The Cherry Grove house Norwood, Mt. Airy, an<l Woodlawn. rrhc> Cherry .. was built in 1773, the y<'ar of the Boston "Tea Grove property remained in the hands of lhc H1sT01uc :\lo~TGO:\IERY Cou.NTY, ~lAH\'LANU 113 Thomas family for two lnmdre<l years from Patrick. 'rilliam was born iu De<0<'tnber, l 7il, r 17:!7 to Hl~i. H was on parts of Snowdcu's autl fom.ily tradition :states that whl'll th<• oltl .\clditiou to his ~hrnor, u grnnt of 9,:265 U('J'«'S Cherry Gron• horn:ic was in flatll<'1', t.he baby lo Hic·lturtl Hnow<ll'll Ill in 174:3 and on part of \Yilliam was lnmcllc<l up in blankets and pnt to S11owcll•n 's l\I n nor a grant of 1,000 urn•s in lil 5. slcC'p on th<' 'L'hornas s(•ttCl', at n safe plac•c• on l:ic·luml 'l'bn111as also a<·quin•d about ~,500 acres the lawn. 'l'his heuulil'11l family piece, a rare hy i1ilH•rituuc·e from bis futhcr, .John Thomas. antique mud<· hy t11c fnmons Q11uker cahiuet 'l'lll' lattc·r 111urri<•d (•;Uzul><'lh Snowden, a daugh mak<.•r, ... \nl houy Poulh wy, is now a prized pi<'ce l1•r of Hic·ltanl 811owd1•11 111. of furniture' in Ht mt ford, thC' Hohert K Lee '1'11<· lu•auty u11cl dPsirnhility of the site of this llomt•stNHI iu \' frgiuia. lilll' hou:-.l' l'illt .... l's onl' tu 111111·,·el thut the piom•cr 'rhc will of Hichanl 'l'homas, probated in Oc :-01•ttl1•r i11 tl11• wildl•rm•:-;s \\'a:; ahle to make such eeml>l.'1', 180<i, provitfod lhnt 112 slans be for a \\ isc• "hoic·c· for hi:-; hahitatio11. Thc> hoUSl' sih e\'t•r fn·c wlll'n all mall·s were O\'t'l' twenty-one on 1\ ridg<', lllc min from 0111• sitlc of the roof of years and all t'cmales over eighteen years of tl11· house flowi11~ into tli<• Potomac and from ago. 'rl1cn.• was a long line of sla\'C "a.bins run tlw othP1' sidr• into tllC' PatHX<.'llt Hin•r, although ning out fro111 the rcnr of the Cherry Orove at this point the two rin•rs ar<' tw<•nty mih•s houHl'. One old slu.n"' named ..\.hl', belonging to apart. l ll'r<' an• plc•asing 'iPws to tile north for \Villinm an<l :Jlartlu1 P. 'J'homas, wns a skilled liftc.•,•11 milt·~ 1111d to tl111 isoul Ii fo1· Jive rnilPs, <'OOJH'l', n11d wl111t wns 1w don ht lti8 "tul?.e" wns wliic·l1 an• dl'liglilful fratun•s of thl• plu<'e. The <lug up 011 tlw place iu rn:l2 ancl is 11 soun•nir pi11111•1·1· :-.c·ttl1•1· did 11ot o\'l'rlook tlu• qunlity of rctui1wd in tlic hous<'. Ohl .\be lh·ed as u pen 11H· soil. It is ( 'lwst1•r lom11, the lllORt cl!'Rirnlile tiioucr \\'<..•11 t·111•pcl for hy I ht• l'.uuil~, until mt l. in tlH· stut<• for ~<'1wral farmiug, for gTaius, lllustrutiug the wild t·omlitions existing in the grussc.•s, fruit:-. a11d mosl V<'A"<.'tahles. Blue grass eady <lays, it is rcpol'tc<l that a wildcat climbed spn•:uh; naturally . into a 8ct·onu story window au<l was killt•d in •\ l'tt•r their 111a1·1·ia~1· .John 'rltomns and I•;lizn one of the lwdrooms. Xu intidt>uts durinl--{ the liPlh :-;110w1l<•11 l111ilt thl'ir log-house lwre in 17'.W, \Vn1· hc•tw<'t'll tlw Hlal<'s disturhc•d the• S(•rpnity wlii1·h was m•nrly lluplie·utPd iu the t'hurl<'y l•'or of the ol<l <Juaker 110111<'. 'Ph,• only thing whi<•h <'sl hems<' huilt lll<' y,•ar lwforc hy ,Jumes Brooke seemed to iuvoh·<' the War 1wriocl wus noted by a111I llt•horah (811ow1le•11) Brooke. Elizul>C'lh and the nutl1or wlw11 ltc li\'cd 011 th<' fnrm. In one D1•horuh WCl'C both uuughters of Ric-hard 811ow row in the fnrnily apple on•hard there were two d1•n 111, the owrn•r of c:densin• lauds. Richard "Helwl" apple tn•<•s, urnl iu the opposite row a 'l'ho11ws who fig-url'd so notably in local history "Xorthcnt Hpy" apph• trl'c ! \\as born in 17:!8. lfo•hur<l Thomas was Ycry active in tl1e exC'it i11!.{ da~s just prior to the Rc,•olutionary \Vnr. lie· was one of the committee which met at Tiun g1•rl'onl 's Ta\'l•rn in what is now Hockville in J llJH', 1 /i.j., whhih ucfied the rl'own an<l <le nu111d<•11 tllat all cornm<'rcc with the ~father Country b<' hrok<'n off unlt•sH the Stump Act he rt•p<'all•d. lI<' took part in a similar meefo1g at .. Fr1•elPrick Court Hons<' h1 Xovcmhcr, 1774, wh<'!n h£' was uppui11tc>ll to c•atT~' into f>xecutioll 1he n•snln•s of llw ('onti1w11tul ( 'ongress. Iu a•ldi- 1i on 111 th<'st• puhlie· sc·n·i1·c•s lw is e•rNiit<.•d with lil'ing: I he• owuc•r of lhe 0111~· pair of high hootH in I he• 1·011111111111~·. whi1•h h1• oftc•n lollt1C?cl to 1wi;.rl1- h11rs, wli1•11 tlw\' luul lo 11111kc• • • th1• hn.znrdo11~ I rip" to .\mmp~llis. Hi1·hnrd Th011111" 111111Ti1•d Knruh l'onh• nbout r I i."in. 1111d 11111n1 his <l1•11th ilu• lnrjt<' plnntntiou <.'01.0:XJ.\L hlH'lll-.'.\. IH-.,1:-\A'.'>T Of ORICI'\ \L pas:wd to his son, \\1illiu111, who murrit•d Mnrthn ll0t·;.;E OF 1728