August 2008
In Our Own Backyard
Rose Hill Manor Park & Museum
By Julie Bloss Kelsey
A slice of Maryland’s past is preserved at the Rose Hill Manor Park & Museum, an interactive hands-on history museum located on more than 40 acres of parkland in Frederick County. As my sons and I drove toward the manor house, I marveled that this antique structure could exist side-by-side with Frederick’s Governor Thomas Johnson High School.
When we walked toward the house and stepped onto its wide stone porch, I noticed the contrast of the black wooden shutters against the white brick walls. A docent, smartly dressed in a crisp gingham dress and cotton bonnet, greeted us and waved us inside.
Step Into the Parlor
Our first stop was the parlor. Our guide reminded us that, as common folk, we wouldn’t have been allowed in here when the manor was in its prime. A portrait of George Washington, hanging on the wall in the corner, sets the time period. America’s first president was friends with Thomas Johnson, Maryland’s first elected governor. Johnson once owned this property. His daughter Ann built the manor house in the 1790s; the governor spent his retirement years here.
Today, the parlor is filled with toys common to the post-colonial era. My boys, ages 6 and 3, scampered happily among the antique toy replicas, playing with wooden balls, corncob checkers and a miniature wooden stable. My younger son, who fancies himself a chef, enjoyed the child-size kitchen complete with tin plates and miniature ceramic dishes. As my children played (and I prayed my chef wouldn’t break anything), I looked around the parlor.
A framed sepia-toned print of Thomas Johnson and his family hangs over the stone mantle in the parlor. The parlor has high ceilings, tall windows and a wooden plank floor covered with braided rugs. The ornately carved paneling at the top of the walls serves as a reminder that this room was once the showpiece of the house.
For a photo opportunity, I suggest herding your children toward the back of the parlor to the benches piled high with 1800s-themed costume clothing. Outfit the boys in brightly patterned vests and black stovepipe hats. Girls can try on white aprons and cotton bonnets (delicate ones for indoors, sturdy ones for outside).
A trip to the parlor isn’t complete without a peek inside the white wooden dollhouse. This piece is a one-third scale reproduction of the original dollhouse used by the governor’s daughters. My younger son was enthralled with the tiny furniture. The walls are mustard-colored or papered in floral patterns common to the time; the floors are made of wood.
The Bedrooms
The second story of the manor house consists of four bed chambers, each with its own fireplace. The house has no running water, and my boys were intrigued by the chamber pots. We were startled to find a life-size mannequin named George resting in one of the rooms.
At the top of the stairs, there is a large wooden cabinet with a locked glass door. Several magnifying glasses are tied to the case. My 6-year-old loved looking through them at the artifacts found on the property, which included horse shoes, fragments of china and bottles.
Back Downstairs
Back downstairs, we headed into the former dining/family room, now filled with looms and seven stuffed toy sheep. Our docent taught the boys to card wool using wooden paddles with metal bristles. She described the different ways that wool was once dyed. (I shuddered when I heard that the dark red color came from crushed Mexican beetles.)
The kitchen is dominated by a massive stone fireplace and a stone oven shaped like a beehive. In the governor’s time, this fireplace was lit constantly. The boys sat down at a long plank table and kneaded a simple bread dough. We ate cookies and sipped mint tea, courtesy of the docents and their herbal garden.
Outside
The gardens behind the house include a small plot of kitchen herbs and another of medicinal herbs, along with rosebushes and fruit trees. My boys ran around the garden picking up sticks as I admired the original piled stone fences that surround much of the property. Older children might enjoy using sticks to roll wooden hoops across the grassy grounds.
A tiny log cabin from the 1850s, relocated to Rose Hill, serves as a poignant reminder of how most settlers lived during this time. Unlike the massive manor house, this restored one-room structure was home to eight people. Instead of beds, there were straw-filled pallets on the floor for the children. I found the cabin to be a surprisingly peaceful place to sit and relax, and my 3-year-old thoroughly enjoyed playing with the butter churn. My older boy was less enthralled with the personal wooden yoke, once worn across the shoulders by children to aid in carrying pails of water.
The Carriage House is a must-stop for kids who like cars. My 6-year-old favored the Roof Seat Break from 1885, a massive black carriage with red painted wheels over four feet high. My younger son petted the wooden goat, the only hands-on piece in this display, its dark head adorned with colorful painted flowers.
The nearby Blacksmith’s Shop is filled with everything metal – saws, horseshoes, wagon wheels. On special occasions, a blacksmith demonstrates how to use the equipment. Boys as young as 7 once worked as blacksmith’s apprentices, so I teased my 6-year-old about this potential job opportunity.
The Ice House, a deep hole lined with field stones, was formerly used to store blocks of ice from the Monacacy River, and served as a primitive form of refrigeration for the manor.
On our way out, we dropped by the gift shop and learned that proceeds directly benefit Rose Hill Manor. Offerings include wooden yo-yos, reprinted early Americana cookbooks, hand-dipped candles, copies of historical documents and penny candy.
During open hours, feel free to bring a sack lunch and eat at the wooden picnic tables behind Rose Hill Manor. A docent at the manor house may let you borrow a blanket to sit under the walnut and sycamore trees.
The buildings are only accessible through a tour. If your children are small, consider asking for the Charlie Tour, a shortened version that includes only the downstairs rooms of the manor house and the log cabin. If even a short tour is too long for your group, for a small donation to the manor house, you can let your children play in the parlor.
The docents enjoy their role in sharing history with children. As docent Anne Forder told me, “I love school tours because I love to be with children. One hundred kids have probably said to me, ‘This is the best field trip I’ve ever been on.’”
Julie Bloss Kelsey is a freelance writer and mother of two sons living in Germantown.
Things to know before you visit Rose Hill Manor Park:
Location: 1611 North Market Street, Frederick, MD.
Hours: From April 1 through October 31, the museum is open to the public seven days a week, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday – Saturday, and 1-4 p.m. on Sunday.
Cost: Free to visit the grounds. Tours of historic buildings are $5 for adults; $4 for children (ages 3-17) and senior citizens (55 and up). Children age 2 and under are free. Cost is $1 less for AAA members; docents from other museums may tour for free. Allow 1 ½ hours for a full tour. Reservations are required for groups of ten or more.
Parking: Free.
Food: The gift shop sells a few snacks and bottled drinks.
Website: www.rosehillmuseum.com
Phone: 301-600-1650; 301-600-1646 to schedule a group tour.
Handicap & Stroller Accessible: Some of the property, including the second story of the manor house, is not accessible. The grounds are mainly connected by paved or gravel walking paths.
Special Events: Enjoy ice cream, arts and crafts, and fun games at the Rose Hill Day Festival on August 17, 2008. A car show, featuring antique and classic cars, runs 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Ice Cream Social is from noon to 3 p.m. ($1 per scoop, 50 cents per topping).