White's Hall

White's Hall, also referred to as Whitehall or White Hall Farm, is a historic mansion and birthplace of famous Maryland native Johns Hopkins located in Crofton, Maryland.

Not to be confused with Whitehall (Annapolis, Maryland).
White's Hall
Location of White's Hall in Maryland
Location2173 Johns Hopkins Road
Gambrills, Maryland 21054
Coordinates39°01′15″N 76°40′20″W
Area13 acres (5.3 ha)
Built1784
Architectural style(s)Georgian Architecture
Governing bodyPrivate

History

White's Hall was originally part of an 1,800 acre land grant to Colonel Jerome White in 1665. The home itself was constructed between 1784 and 1792 according to records.[1] The home was designed as a two-story, brick side passage double pile plan dwelling, and was listed under the Maryland Historic Site inventory in 1969.[2]

Johns Hopkins

Johns Hopkins was born at the home soon after on May 19, 1795 to Samuel Hopkins (1759–1814) and Hannah Janney (1774–1864).[3] Hopkins would grow up on the property until he reached the age of seventeen in 1812, when he would leave for Baltimore. As a family of Quaker beliefs, the Hopkins family emancipated their slaves in accordance with their local Society decree in 1807.[4]

The property would remain in the Hopkins family until 1910 when it was sold off for inheritance.[5] Today, the previous manor house is surrounded by residential development and the Walden Golf Club.[5]

Demolition or restoration

In 2016, Millersville-based housing developer Polm Companies planned to demolish the historic home for additional space for residential lots.[6][7] Following the news of potential demolition, preservation and historic activists worked with the developer in an effort to save the mansion.[8] As a result, the home went on the market for a listing price of $700,000.

Still without a buyer in 2017, plans have been called to re-purpose and retrofit the structure into a future museum, restaurant, and inn.[9] An unsuccessful Kickstarter campaign was launched to raise funds for purchasing the home and project commencement.[10]

A group called The Johns Hopkins House, Inc., was organized in 2018 with the aim to restore White's Hall.[11] It is recognized as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.[12] The Johns Hopkins House, Inc., is operating under a rent-to-own agreement from Polm.[11][13] Current events include a weekly beer garden, while future plans include a museum and a country inn.[11][13]

See also

References
  1. "Johns Hopkins' Birthplace In Gambrills On Market For $700K". 15 April 2016. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  2. "Maryland Historical Trust" (PDF). mht.maryland.gov. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  3. Jacob, Kathryn A. "Mr. Johns Hopkins." Mr. Johns Hopkins. Johns Hopkins University, n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2013. <http://old.library.jhu.edu/collections/specialcollections/archives/jacob.html>.
  4. Hopkins Thom, Helen (1929), Johns Hopkins: A Silhouette, Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, retrieved 2009-10-04 — the first and only book-length biography on Johns Hopkins. Used as source by Jacob cited above, Findalibrary.
  5. "Development sprouts around first Johns Hopkins home". Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  6. Yeager, Amanda. "Demolition proposed for Johns Hopkins birthplace". Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  7. Inc., Donohue Consulting. "Polm Companies Recently Completed Home Communities in Crofton and Severn, Maryland". www.polm.com. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  8. Maryland, Preservation. "Preservation Maryland & Polm Companies Announce Joint Effort to Preserve Whites Hall, Johns Hopkins Boyhood Home". Preservation Maryland. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  9. Pacella, Rachael. "Campaign launched to turn Hopkins birthplace into a museum, restaurant and inn". Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  10. "Save Whites Hall: Johns Hopkins' Birthplace". Kickstarter. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  11. Krol, Melissa Driscoll (August 13, 2018). "Descendant of Whites Hall residents on mission to save Johns Hopkins' birthplace". Capital Gazette. Baltimore Sun Media Group. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
  12. "The Johns Hopkins House, Inc. Given Tax-Exempt Status by the IRS". The Johns Hopkins House, Inc. April 17, 2018. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
  13. "ABOUT US: A VISION ON A MISSION". The Johns Hopkins House, Inc. n.d. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
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