Several weeks ago, we talked about how in colonial times the economy of Maryland was founded and based upon the tobacco industry.
This fact is no more evident than with the Scott-Andrew house located on Luthardt Road near Carroll Island Road.
In 1725, a gentleman tobacco farmer by the name of Daniel Scott received a grant on 720 acres bordering Seneca Creek to continue his tobacco farming. He called his land “Scotts Improvement.” On his land, Scott constructed a 1.5 story gambrel-roofed dwelling.
According to Baltimore County Historian John McGrain, this house dates back to between 1725 to 1744. A small abandoned and overgrown graveyard sits not far from the house. Scott is listed on the 1737 tax rolls as owning two slaves and one white servant.
Scott’s farm grew and prospered greatly. In 1728, he was granted an additional 24 acres and in 1730, the farm grew by another 390 acres. The close proximity of Seneca Creek allowed for easy transport and shipping of the tobacco to many other ports of call. Upon his death, he bequeathed the land and house to his son, who promptly sold the property to William Andrew in 1744.
Andrew owned and operated the farm until 1784 when he left the land to his daughter Elizabeth Durbin and her husband Dr. John Simpson. Andrew’s name shows up on 1783 tax lists as owning 34 slaves, 36 horses and 52 head of cattle. The land changed ownership many times in the following years.
In 1801, Alexander Furnival purchased it. Furnival had served as a captain in the Army during the Revolutionary War and as postmaster for Baltimore. Furnival lost the property in 1803 due to bankruptcy, but he regained ownership a few years later.
In 1807, the property was sold to James Zwisler, a leather manufacturer. In 1810, Zwisler sold the property to Justis Hoppe who conveyed it to Lewis Giese in 1819. Giese was sued for default of mortgage and the property was auctioned off in 1827. The purchaser at the auction was none other than Robert Oliver, a wealthy Baltimore merchant who is responsible for the construction of the Robert Oliver House in Oliver Beach.
In 1852, the property came into the hands of Thomas and Stephen Wilkinson, whose heirs I believe still own the house. Sometime around 1925, the farm began to be subdivided and developed into small beachfront lots.
In 1957, the C. P. Crane Power Plant purchased some of the property for the construction of a railroad spur. Portions of the remaining acreage are still used for farming.
The house itself, which sits on a stone foundation on about 5 acres, is quite unique. There is a good chance it is the only surviving waterside cottage from the 18th century era of tobacco culture left in Baltimore County. Although I am not a student of early architecture, the style of the house appears to be very different from houses I have seen from the same era.
The two fireplaces and chimneys at either end of the house seem commonplace (remember fireplaces were the only source of heat in those days so a majority of homes from that period had two) but the style of the roof is extremely different from say the Somogyi Farmhouse or Ballestone with their pitched roofs.
The Scott-Andrew House has a gambrel styled roof that makes it look more like a barn than a dwelling. This might be attributed to the wealth of the tobacco farmers and allowed them to have a little more space to use than other houses. Although the interior of the home has changed somewhat, today one can visit the Maryland Historical Trust website to view their List of Historic Properties. There you will find some wonderful pictures of the interior showing the fireplaces and narrow stairs to the second story.
I caution sightseers that the home is still in private ownership. If you would like to view it, then please do so from either Carroll Island or Luthardt Rds. and do not trespass on the property.
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