Brick Mansion

July 8, 2023 -- While out driving one day, Mom and I stopped at Ferry Hill Mansion in Sharpsburg.  Mom and I were disappointed that the museum was no longer open to the public. It was closed due to the pandemic and its state of disrepair. However, we were free to scroll around the grounds. So I did. The house sits on a cliff, high above the Potomac, overlooking Shepherdstown.

Ferry Hill  Mansion

Ferry Hill Plantation was built between 1812 and 1820 by John Blackman. It consisted of approximately 700 acres of land, a tavern, and a ferry. It was a slave plantation, with a workforce of 18. During the Civil War, Union and Confederate forces occupied the home and grounds at various times.  Ferry Hill is best known as the home of Henry Kyd Douglas, Confederate Officer and author of his Civil War personal account, "I Rode With Stonewall."

Rural federal-style design

In 1973, Ferry Hill Manion was sold to the National Park Service. Because of its location along the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, it served as the headquarters of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park from 1979 until 2001. It's a shame that the mansion is no longer being used for anything. I suppose it is too expensive to restore it. But left alone, it will continue to deteriorate. So sad. Why don't rich people restore these historic properties?!