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.
White's Hall | |
---|---|
Location of White's Hall in Maryland | |
Location | 2173 Johns Hopkins Road Gambrills, Maryland 21054 |
Coordinates | 39°01′15″N 76°40′20″W |
Area | 13 acres (5.3 ha) |
Built | 1784 |
Architectural style(s) | Georgian Architecture |
Governing body | Private |
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 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
- Clifton, Hopkins's later home in Baltimore
- Linthicum Walks, another historic home in Crofton
References
- "Johns Hopkins' Birthplace In Gambrills On Market For $700K". 15 April 2016. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
- "Maryland Historical Trust" (PDF). mht.maryland.gov. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
- 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>.
- 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.
- "Development sprouts around first Johns Hopkins home". Retrieved 6 January 2018.
- Yeager, Amanda. "Demolition proposed for Johns Hopkins birthplace". Retrieved 6 January 2018.
- Inc., Donohue Consulting. "Polm Companies Recently Completed Home Communities in Crofton and Severn, Maryland". www.polm.com. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
- Maryland, Preservation. "Preservation Maryland & Polm Companies Announce Joint Effort to Preserve Whites Hall, Johns Hopkins Boyhood Home". Preservation Maryland. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
- Pacella, Rachael. "Campaign launched to turn Hopkins birthplace into a museum, restaurant and inn". Retrieved 6 January 2018.
- "Save Whites Hall: Johns Hopkins' Birthplace". Kickstarter. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
- 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.
- "The Johns Hopkins House, Inc. Given Tax-Exempt Status by the IRS". The Johns Hopkins House, Inc. April 17, 2018. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
- "ABOUT US: A VISION ON A MISSION". The Johns Hopkins House, Inc. n.d. Retrieved August 1, 2020.