Historic Brightwood c.1802
Great Buying Opportunity – Priced more than $100k Below Appraisal!
This extraordinary property is considered one of the oldest and most significant historic estates in Washington County. Beautifully set on 15+ private acres, this 4-5 bedroom includes gorgeous landscaped grounds, formal boxwood gardens, brick patio with trellis’s, arbors and a white fence, 18th century fort, vintage smoke house, and spacious rooms, original floors, large country kitchen, main level in-law suite, master suite and more. This is a home of rare and beautiful distinction, close to shopping & entertainment, yet a world away.
FEATURED on ArchitecturalDigest.com – “18 of the Oldest Homes in America For Sale” (#17)
Storage shed
Vintage smoke house
The Fort
“THE FORT”
Colonial Thomas Cresap built this 2 story building (18′ x 12′) as a residence, trading post and fort from 1737-1741.
“Bell’s ‘History of Leitersburg District’ describes Colonial Cresap as residing at Long Meadows from 1738-1741 and erecting a stone building on the east bank of Marsh Run that served as a residence, fort and trading post. It is thought that the stones from this building were used to build the present “fort”. This building has a wooden addition on the east end that still carries the superstructure for a windmill. A long crank shaft runs from the windmill almost the whole length of the stone building at ceiling level and is fitted to serve a wide leather belt that would power machinery. It isn’t certain what machinery was run there.”
Architectural and Historic Treasures of Washington County Maryland – Patricia Schooley.
The stone wing of Brightwood is believed to be one of the oldest surviving houses in Washington County, although there is little physical or material documentation to substantiate this attribution. The log construction of the main block is unusual for a house of this size and relative degree refinement. Of further significance is the plan incorporating a stair tower and portico, and the decorative treatments applied to both the interior and exterior.
Brightwood is situated on a tract of land that was once a part of Long Meadow Enlarged, acquired by a Colonel Henry Bouquet in 1763. At that time the property was made up of several smaller tracts that were formerly owned, from 1738 to 1746, by Thomas Cresap and from 1746 to 1763 by Daniel Dulany.
According to a history of Washington County, Thomas Cresap, born in Yorkshire England, arrived in Maryland and settled on “a tract which he called ‘Long Meadows’ not far from Hagerstown.” The large stone spring house adjacent to the Brightwood House is locally referred to as “the fort” but the same reference above states that a house and stockade built by Thomas Cresap was demolished many years ago and the stones reused in constructing this domestic dependency. Cresap, a noted figure in Western Maryland history and folklore, is noted for his participation in the Ohio Company enterprise and his distinguished leadership during the French and Indian War.
Henry Bouquet immigrated to this country as a commissioned officer in the British Royal Service and, with Thomas Cresap, conducted various expeditions against the Indians, opening up Western Maryland and Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia for settlement.
In 1781 the property was acquired by Thomas B. Hart. One of his daughters, Lucretia, later became the wife of Henry Clay. From 1802 to 1829 the property was owned by Otho Holland Williams, to whom the building of the principal part of Brightwood has been tentatively attributed. In the nineteenth century, Brightwood was apparently well known throughout Washington-County as a scene of gracious hospitality and entertainment.
MHT more…
Brightwood is situated at the end of a private road, one-half mile east of Marsh Pike…
The main house is of unusually large dimensions for a log building, measuring fifty-seven feet wide, by twenty-five feet deep, by twenty-seven feet high. In addition to its generous proportions the house is further distinguished by elaborately carved embellishments in the Adams manner of the American Federal period. The principal facade faces south and is two and one half stories in height. The house has a large, two story, galleried portico that is centrally positioned on the. principal (south) facade. It covers a main entrance door decorated with fluted pilasters, and entablature with rope swags and reeded sunbursts on the frieze and a dentiled cornice. This entrance door, as well as a simplified version of it directly above, has flanking nine over six sidelights that are positioned flush to the sides of the pilasters. Flanking the entrance portico at each floor level are four twelve over eight sash windows. In a line with the principal windows of the facade are four pedimented dormer windows. The elaborate carvings of the eave cornice of the facade is carried over onto the cornice and pediment of the portico; the pediments of the dormers are similarly treated, though on a scale appropriate to their size. Within the pediment of the portico is a traceried half-round window. At each end of the roof ridge is a single chimney stack…
One of the more interesting features of this house, in regard to its plan is the use of a one room two story tower centrally positioned on the rear (north) facade. This small wing contains the main stair of the house and is a characteristic of a much earlier architectural style. (Another nineteenth century Maryland house, Sandy Point Farmhouse in Anne Arundel County (ca. 1820), possesses this same unusual feature.) From the east side of the stair tower, extending· to the northeast corner of this elevation, stands a one story stone wing that is believed to predate the main part of the house in its date of construction. One third of the roof of this wing, that part towards the main house, was raised early in this century to provide for a full second story bedroom in that area. The remainder of the roof remains basically unaltered except for what is believed to be a later chimney which interrupts the roof ridge about twelve feet from the north end. The wing is built of rough, uncoursed fieldstone and the five bay east facade is covered by a later shed roofed porch.
MHT more…
“Our house is in a country niche surrounded by luxury homes with acreage equal, or greater than ours; some of the acreage is farmed. We enjoy the quiet country living surrounded by fields and mature trees. Our private setting is unique for a historic home. It is centrally positioned on the 15+ acre parcel with Marsh Run forming our western property line, occupied by our own reclusive Blue Heron, for whom the lane is named. The quiet is deafening.”
Brightwood – Maryland Historical Trust
Brightwood – Architectural and Historic Treasures of Washington County
Maryland Monster – Thomas Cresap (1694-1787)
Thomas Cresap – The Cresaps of Maryland
Thomas Cresap and Maryland’s Colonial Frontier – National Park Service
Plat – Survey of Brightwood
Architectural Digest – “18 of the Oldest Homes in America For Sale”
*Grand Historic Estate
*Equestrian Estate or Farm
*Farming
*Home Business
Updated on January 9, 2019 at 11:44 pm
Historic Brightwood c.1802
