A Z4 Tour of Mansions, Abandoned and Not

[Rick F.]

With a stress fracture in my left foot and strict orders to stay off of it as much as possible, I decided to limit this BMW Z4 tour to just half a day. Carroll County (Maryland) was calling me, and I thought I would see how many mansions I could find in what is practically my own back yard. Despite the abbreviated time, this tour was far more fun than usual.

I started from Westminster, MD, and my first stop was the Loys Station Covered Bridge. Maryland was once graced by more than 50 such structures, but now Loys Station is one of only a handful still in existence. General George Meade and his army are believed to have crossed the this bridge in pursuit of the Confederate army following the battle of Gettysburg. It stood for 143 years before an execrable arsonist burned it in 1991. Fortunately, it has been rebuilt using many of the original beams and other materials, and it handles a significant amount of traffic with aplomb. It's a little hard to judge the size of the bridge without having someone there to give it scale, but it's about 90 feet long. Et très élégant, n'est-ce pas?



I set off for my next stop somewhat reluctantly, after the fun of seeing this "kissing bridge," as they used to be known (since sweethearts could enjoy a close moment while crossing the bridge, unseen by anyone else). As usual, having just washed the patient Z4, I ended up on a dusty, unpaved thoroughfare. (At least it was scenic.)



Eventually, I arrived at the Chambers Farm, visible here in the distance. This farm is not particularly old, scenic, or otherwise noteworthy, except that it belonged to Whitaker Chambers. As a young man in the 1920s, he joined the Communist Party and wrote for The Daily Worker. By the early 1930s, he had become an espionage agent for the Soviet Union, stationed in Washington, DC. After growing disillusioned by the actions of Joseph Stalin, he quit the Party and informed State Department officials of his role and the people in government with whom he worked—including Alger Hiss, a high-level figure at State. Remarkably, the investigation was ended after President Franklin Roosevelt expressed his belief that Chambers was a crackpot.



Years later, as fears of Communism increased, the FBI investigated Chambers' story, ultimately finding it to be accurate. A dramatic moment in the investigation came when Chambers led key Congressmen, including a young Richard Nixon, to the pumpkin patch on his farm and retrieved microfilm that had been hidden 10 years earlier in a hollowed-out pumpkin. It contained numerous documents in Hiss's handwriting and typed on his specific typewriter. Hiss was convicted, and Chambers went on to write a best-selling book about his experience, Witness. (Ronald Reagan credited this book as the primary cause of his converting from a Democrat to a Republican.) An excellent summary of the affair is available from the Maryland Historical Trust at Whittaker Chambers Farm.

With history ringing in my ears, I continued on in search of the Solomon Arter farm, which dates back to the late 1700s. I found the farm, right where it was supposed to be, in the background of this photo.



The pole barn dates from 1872 and appears to be in excellent condition. And that's an authentic 1800s hog pen (in case you were wondering).



But I was in search of Solomon Arter's original 1810 farmhouse, which is said to be very representative of the life of Pennsylvania Germans (even though this house is in Maryland; this historical stuff gets confusing from time to time…) As I walked down to get a better look (don't tell my doctor), I found two farmhouses, one obviously very old, and the other more recent. However, sometimes looks can be deceiving. In this photo, the white house partially visible on the left is the original one from 1810. Underneath the siding, it's built of logs. The much older-looking frame house in the center actually dates only from 1883; it was the residence for a tenant farmer.



Okay, but what about the mansions, you ask? A quick dash over to Taneytown revealed Antrim, once the Greek Revival home of Colonel Andrew Ege and now a restaurant and country inn. Not a bad-looking place, as mansions go, and beautifully furnished inside.



Just down the road from Antrim, you'll find the magnificent Trevanion. Back in 1817, it was built as a relatively simple farmhouse. If you look at the front of the house on the right in this photo, above the veranda, you'll see the upstairs windows and roof section of the original home, which continues to extend behind the tower and adjoining projection. These latter "Italianate" sections were added in 1855 by William Dallas, a prosperous local businessman with a mill along Big Pipe Creek. "Trevanion," incidentally, is Welsh for "meeting of the waters." The house is situated near the confluence of Meadow Branch and Pipe Creek.



A few years later, Dallas added extensively to the back of the house, as indicated in this photo from the side, and there are somewhere between 27 and 40 rooms in total. The house has changed very little since these additions were made in the mid-1800s, and it is an extraordinary place in the middle of an otherwise subdued rural area. I fell in love with it immediately. It sold recently as a "fixer upper" for about $275,000. The new owners are apparently working hard to renovate Trevanion, and I fervently hope it will be restored to its original glory.



Did I mention that it was a beautiful day, with bright sunshine and warm temperatures? There's nothing like having a fast, open sports car on a day like that.



Working my way back east, I went through the little village of Uniontown. (Perhaps to keep Union forces from harming their property, a significant number of towns in this area include the word "union.") I quickly found the Weaver-Fox house and its Italianate-Victorian design. It was built by a local physician, Dr. Jacob Weaver, about 10 years after the Civil War. The "Fox" part of the house's name is for Dr. Grace Fox—the granddaughter of Dr. Weaver. Dr. Weaver's records are housed in the Carroll County Historical Society, and they show that he was paid $0.25 for a house call and $5.00 for delivering a baby.




The current owners of the Weaver-Fox house had decorated it for Halloween. I especially liked this addition:



Just down the street in Uniontown, I found the former St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church. It was built in 1874 and operated through 2003 before closing its doors.



South of Uniontown, the headstones of the massive Pipe Creek Cemetery were casting long stadows, even at 3:00 in the afternoon. The somber setting was fully in keeping with the approach of winter.




Linwood, MD, dates back to the 1860s when it was a major area of agriculture and an important stop on the Western Maryland Railroad. The town still has its late-1800s appearance, even though the trains no longer stop and the railroad station is gone. This photo of the grain elevator and loading station benefits from having the sun behind me, low on the horizon.



Conversely, shooting toward the sun and the freight warehouses, the photo is much more "compressed" in terms of its dynamic range—even with a beautiful Z4 in it!



A little further south, in search of the elusive McKinstry's Mill, I stopped for a photo of this unusual log home, with bricks filling in the spaces between the logs. (Into the sun, once again.)



You ever have the feeling of being watched? Well, sure enough…



Just across the road from the log home, the Linwood Brethren Church has presided on its hilltop since 1905.



In the distance, I spotted another indication of Linwood's former prosperity, in the form of this grand farm mansion. Needless to say, I had to investigate further and was pleased to find a closer location. Now that's a proper house.




A little further on, I went through Union Bridge, MD, much as I had done a number of times previously by motorcycle and car. I'd stopped once before, to see the railroad station, which is now a museum. This time, however, I felt the urge to stop and look at the houses and other buildings. The town is just barely within Carroll County, and it became a significant commercial center when the Western Maryland Railroad expanded its route here in 1862. The track through Union Bridge is still known as the "Hospital Track," since wounded soldiers were sent by railroad to hospitals in Baltimore during the Civil War. (The track is still in use, incidentally, by the tiny Maryland Midland Railway.)

A nearby farm happened to have a marble quarry in its midst. William Henry Rinehart was born there in 1825 and grew up preferring to work with the marble than in the fields. He became one of the country's most well-known sculptors. This is his depiction of Hero, waiting in vain for the return of Leander. (I believe the original statue is on the left, in plaster, and the other is one of several copies, in marble.)


As with many such small towns in Maryland, Union Bridge appears largely as it did in the 1800s (or it would if you replaced all the modern cars with horses and carriages).



I don't know what this old place was—perhaps a hotel?—but it was impressive. Its days may be numbered, however, without a major restoration effort in the near future.



This house is built around an unusual, octagonal central tower.



As long ago as 1735, Quakers in the area of Union Bridge held meetings at the home of William and Ann Farquhar. The couple later gave 2 acres of their property so that the Pipe Creek Meeting House could be built. It was completed in 1772 and has served the community well ever since (despite an interior fire in 1934). President Herbert Hoover's great-great-grandfather was a regular member, and the President himself attended at least one service here.



Even the trees around Union Bridge had interesting architectural features.



Not all the houses I encountered on my tour of Carroll County qualified as mansions. Some may qualify as haunted…



At long last I managed to find the hamlet of McKinstry's Mill. I believe this was the home of mill owner Samuel McKinstry, built in 1849. Some years ago, its current owner discovered a 9' by 9' room in the basement, hidden behind a cupboard; to reach the space, all of the cupboard's shelves had to be removed. Since Sam McKinstry was one of the few residents in the area not to hold slaves, the room is believed to have been used to hide escaping slaves as part of the Underground Railroad.



These buildings sat abandoned and forlorn across Sam's Creek from the mill.



And speaking of Sam McKinstry's grist mill, it may be well past its prime, but it was quite impressive nonetheless. It was built in 1844, replacing an earlier mill on the same site. Local farmers would drive their wagons under the end of the mill, where their hay and other crops could be hauled up into the mill by pulley.





Okay, I couldn't resist.



Imagine how often the mill operators had to replace gears made of wood!



As it happens, McKinstry's Mill Road becomes Sam's Creek Road at the site of the mill, and Sam's Creek Road is home to my all-time favorite abandoned mansion. Needless to say, I had to swing by there and see how the old place was doing (even if it is in neighboring Frederick County). I was pleased to find the area little changed, although I keep hoping that someone will buy the land and restore the farmhouse. (Someone with a lot more money than I have!)



The old log house on top of the hill is still inhabited. It looks down on a veritable wasteland of Things Gone Wrong. What may have once been a mill has long since had a catastrophic cave-in, but the walls still manage to stand.



And, on the other side of Sam's Creek, the poor mansion house is continuing to slowly decay. I've never been able to find any history of this once proud farm. Since the property sits only a couple of feet higher than Sam's Creek, I've assumed that there was one flood too many.



Further along the creek, the farm's outbuildings are still largely intact. I used to think that the large barn's roof had partially collapsed, but, on this day, I realized that it was actually built as it appears, with the end of the roof considerably higher than the central part. I have no idea why.




Yep, the new and the old, the bright and the battered.



By now, the sun was well and truly on its way down, but I had one more stop in mind—the historic Avalon mansion. It was built in the very early 1800s by Francis Hollingsworth and is considered the best example of American Neoclassical architecture in Carroll County, with one and a half stories above an exposed basement level and a separate summer kitchen next to the main building. Jesse Slingluff, a Baltimore banker, purchased the property in 1813 as a safe place for his family to live during the War of 1812. Avalon remained in the Slingluff family until 1935. One of its most notable features is a freestanding or "floating" circular stairway. The only photo I could find of the staircase is from the National Park Service:



All I knew from my pre-trip research was that the house was about a mile east of New Windsor, at the end of a long, dirt road. Google Maps showed a few possibilities, but I would also need some luck. And a little bit of remaining daylight… I knew that the mansion looked like this (courtesy of the Maryland Historic Trust):



On my first try, all I found was this former schoolhouse or other small building. Scenic? Yes. Historic? Yes. Avalon? No.



On my next attempt, with the sun gone altogether, I ended up at an interesting, large old home on the grounds of the Shepherd's Manor Creamery, specialists in sheep cheese. On this late Sunday afternoon, they were closed, but the owner's son and his girlfriend were friendly and let me know that this wasn't Avalon. They knew of another old mansion, down a different dirt road, beyond a farm, and that Michael would know if it was Avalon.


Backtracking yet again and watching the light disappear, I found the dirt road and motored along it slowly, wondering if it was the right road, whether Michael would be around, and generally what in the heck I was doing. I approached the farm with a certain amount of trepidation.



In the shadows, I spotted a lanky fellow coiling a hose and looking at me suspiciously. I pulled up in front of him and, in my best, Brave Little Toaster voice, asked, "Would you be Michael?" As it happened, he was! Once I introduced myself and referred to his Shepherd's Manor Creamery friends, I was practically part of the family. And he knew that, yes, the old mansion farther down the road was in fact Avalon. He helpfully added that he'd seen a car there, so he thought the owners were home.

With further trepidation at the late hour, I crunched along the road and right up to the railroad tracks, where, at last, I found Avalon. With too little light, and no excusable reason to wander around on private property for a good vantage point, I cranked the Canon up to ASA 1600, aimed it out the window, and hoped for the best.



And then quickly turned around, drove back through Michael's farm (waving to him as I went), and headed off into the darkness—another anonymous seeker of History, Beauty, and Truth, returning to my den. As these trips go, it was much more fun than usual, despite its brevity and my limited on-foot mobility. Carroll County proved to be a beautiful, engaging, and altogether fun place to tour.

And I'll have to go back soon and find out what sheep cheese tastes like…

Rick F.

[antennahead]

Great stuff, even if it was cut short by a hairline fracture

John

[Spaceman Spiff]

Your posts make my life feel so boring!
Great as always.

[Rick F.]

Originally Posted by antennahead

Great stuff, even if it was cut short by a hairline fracture

John

John,

Thanks--maybe without the stress fracture and cane I could have tried for a better photo of Avalon!

Rick

[Rick F.]

Originally Posted by Spaceman Spiff

Your posts make my life feel so boring!
Great as always.

Spiff,

Good to hear from you, and I'm glad you enjoyed the write-up.

And BTW: If your life is anything like that of the original Spaceman Spiff, it can't possibly be boring in the slightest! (Long Live Calvin & Hobbes.)

Rick

[DaveL--2mnycars]

wonderful tale--except the stress fracture. Hope you're feeling better. Gladtosee the Z4 being put through its paces.
I'm fascinated with your knowledge and how well you share it.

Best
DaveL
Toronto

[Finnegan]

Originally Posted by 2mnycars

wonderful tale--except the stress fracture. Hope you're feeling better. Gladtosee the Z4 being put through its paces.
I'm fascinated with your knowledge and how well you share it.

Best
DaveL
Toronto

Like I always say, these threads are like a journey in and of themselves.

BTW, the Solomon Arter farm and pole barn photos, along with the fast little sports car and warm day references, started a little song playing in my head (from a certain band we both happen like)! It was a nice accompaniment to rest of the photos.

[Rick F.]

Originally Posted by 2mnycars

wonderful tale--except the stress fracture. Hope you're feeling better. Gladtosee the Z4 being put through its paces.
I'm fascinated with your knowledge and how well you share it.

Best
DaveL
Toronto

Dave,

The stress fracture is gradually getting better, thanks. It's not slowing me down too much.

I wish the Z4 could get a more frequent workout--it seems like work and other obligations are getting in the way of these weekend jaunts. I'll try harder in 2012!

Rick

[Rick F.]

Originally Posted by Finnegan

Like I always say, these threads are like a journey in and of themselves.

BTW, the Solomon Arter farm and pole barn photos, along with the fast little sports car and warm day references, started a little song playing in my head (from a certain band we both happen like)! It was a nice accompaniment to rest of the photos.

Finnegan,

Ha ha--you're right! I wish I'd thought of the similarities during the trip itself. Then after the trip I could have "dream[ed] with my uncle at the fireside."

Rick

[aftercorbu]

another fantastic rick f. post. ty.

[pathogen]

Inspirational for driving tours! Great stuff man!

[DaveL--2mnycars]

Originally Posted by Rick F.

Dave,

The stress fracture is gradually getting better, thanks. It's not slowing me down too much.

I wish the Z4 could get a more frequent workout--it seems like work and other obligations are getting in the way of these weekend jaunts. I'll try harder in 2012!

Rick

Cool!
we were in Midland for New Years. I need some of your sleuthing skills. There used to be a Leica plant there. I want to find the site. Regret never visiting the factory.
Had Leica systems twice film days.

Best
DaveL

[Rick F.]

Originally Posted by 2mnycars

Cool!
we were in Midland for New Years. I need some of your sleuthing skills. There used to be a Leica plant there. I want to find the site. Regret never visiting the factory.
Had Leica systems twice film days.

Best
DaveL

Dave,

Your wish is my command! I'm 99% confident that the current Raytheon optics facility in Midland is also the former Leica factory. As the "QED" finishing touch, note the name of the road leading into the plant: "Leitz Drive," as in "Ernst Leitz Canada." It's the large, silver-roofed building in this Google Maps image.



Any other assistance you need? (I'll trade you for the S5! )

Rick

PS: My sources tell me that there is an "unofficial" Leica museum in the factory, with numerous rare (and even unknown) Leica cameras and lenses. You should definitely go there!

[teezee]

Thanks! One of my favorite parts of this entire site are your travelogues!

[Loogey Clapp]

Originally Posted by teezee

Thanks! One of my favorite parts of this entire site are your travelogues!

Definitely!! Great pictures and narrative!

[DaveL--2mnycars]

Originally Posted by Rick F.

Dave,

Your wish is my command! I'm 99% confident that the current Raytheon optics facility in Midland is also the former Leica factory. As the "QED" finishing touch, note the name of the road leading into the plant: "Leitz Drive," as in "Ernst Leitz Canada." It's the large, silver-roofed building in this Google Maps image.
Any other assistance you need? (I'll trade you for the S5! )

Rick

PS: My sources tell me that there is an "unofficial" Leica museum in the factory, with numerous rare (and even unknown) Leica cameras and lenses. You should definitely go there!

Hat's off to you sir! I'm so impressed!
Thanks so much! I had an M4P made there...(though I didn't like it at all. The viewfinder was much harder to use than my M3; and I added a power winder, making film changing much more difficult for me) And I heard, but maybe not true--that the Noctilux was designed there. My favourite camera of all time was my Leica M3. I talked a friend named Albert W. into trying a Leica. So far...M3, M6, maybe another..., and M8.2 and M9 With an assortment of lenses.

So thanks so very much! And the S5 is my wife's car. It is a great car.

Best,
DaveL
Toronto
So I shall certainly go there some time when the doors are open to see what they may have.

[Rick F.]

Originally Posted by aftercorbu

another fantastic rick f. post. ty.

a.c.,

Hey, I'm really glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the feedback.

Rick

[Rick F.]

Originally Posted by pathogen

Inspirational for driving tours! Great stuff man!

pathogen,

Driving tours tend to come in two varieties--the ones where you charge all over creation, enjoying the turns and elevation changes, and the ones where you potter around seeing the sights. I try to combine both elements, although I end up spending a lot more time on the "pottering" part. (I guess that stands to reason, considering the average speed involved with each part!)

Anyway, I'm glad to help serve as a source of inspiration to get out there in your favorite Z and see what's waiting!

Rick

[Rick F.]

Originally Posted by teezee

Thanks! One of my favorite parts of this entire site are your travelogues!

teezee,

Great, glad to hear it! I'm still trying to catch up, so I've got 12/4/11 and 12/26/11 reports in the works... stay tuned.

Lots of good scenery, but no more biplanes. (As a side note, I ran into a women who knows the biplane pilot. When I described the dive-bombing of the old church, she said "That's exactly the kind of thing that he would do!")

Rick

[Rick F.]

Originally Posted by Loogey Clapp

Definitely!! Great pictures and narrative!

L.C.,

Thanks--I'm very glad that you enjoyed the write-up!

Rick

[Rick F.]

Originally Posted by 2mnycars

Hat's off to you sir! I'm so impressed!
Thanks so much! I had an M4P made there...(though I didn't like it at all. The viewfinder was much harder to use than my M3; and I added a power winder, making film changing much more difficult for me) And I heard, but maybe not true--that the Noctilux was designed there. My favourite camera of all time was my Leica M3. I talked a friend named Albert W. into trying a Leica. So far...M3, M6, maybe another..., and M8.2 and M9 With an assortment of lenses.

So thanks so very much! And the S5 is my wife's car. It is a great car.

Best,
DaveL
Toronto
So I shall certainly go there some time when the doors are open to see what they may have.

Dave,

From the time I could afford one, I used Nikon SLRs. When I made the big switch to digital cameras, I somehow ended up with Canon. I never owned or used a Leica, but I know they had an unparalleled reputation (and maybe still do).

When you get back to Midland, let us know if you're able to see the secret museum--it sounded fascinating.

Rick

[DaveL--2mnycars]

Rick, it's the images that count. I sometimes say, "There are only 2 people that care what gear I use. Me. Andthe person that sold it to me. And they stop caring when I leave the store." ;-)

My images were better with a Leica rangefinder and Leica lenses, them
they were with my F2/F3 and pro lenses. And I got more keepers. I do regret not getting a Hassy.

I used a Sony 828 for several years. It simplified my life. The Zeiss lens was incredible. I have had a couple of Nikon dslr's But have come close to buying Canon.

I really like your images in your tales. HDR is incredible and you do it well.

I had a chance to try Albert's M9. Sent shivers up and down my spine. I keep going to Rob Skeoch's site and checking out Zeiss lenses for my NEX5...

http://www.bigcameraworkshops.com/


I just don't have enough allowance left for that to happen. Only reason for me to change gear is whe the new stuff let's me take images I couldn't get with the stuff I have now.

Next while will be taken up with my Brother's care. MRI confirmed cancer. But it hasn't spread (fingers crossed)

DaveL