WOODLAWN’S HISTORY, MANOR HOUSE & TIDEWATER BARN

 The colonial origins of Maryland began in March 1634. Five months later on August 30, Woodlawn, then named Trinity Manor, was established as the first deeded property in Maryland by Lord Baltimore II for his brother Leonard Calvert, the first governor of Maryland.

There is no historical record of what Trinity Manor looked like. The deeded Manor consisted of 600 acres on what was then designated St. Michael’s Hundred. Over time, Ridge Maryland became the southernmost village in St. Mary’s County and at the tip of Tick Neck, the place named Wynne grew to be the oyster fishing hub of the Chesapeake Bay. Woodlawn is easily sighted off of Wynne Road, one kilometer along a driveway that ends at a stately Manor House situated on Calvert Creek.

The property and buildings of Trinity Manor were plundered by the British during the Revolutionary War. On its footprint, Colonel Mathias Clark, who fought proudly for the independence of the Colonies, built Woodlawn. Spanning thirteen years from inception to completion, Colonel Clark sought a style of elegance befitting of the new republic. His boat, aptly named the New Republic, was harbored in Calvert Creek alongside his new Manor House. His daughter Mary’s scribblings are preserved in the house on the downside mantle and upstairs plaster, marking her presence in the house as it was being constructed.

During the American Civil War, Woodlawn became a safe house and shelter for Confederate soldiers who managed to escape from the Union’s Point Lookout prison. Legend has it that Confederate soldiers were hidden in secret “priest holds” and then ferried across the Potomac to Virginia in small boats. The priest holds were apparently built for another time and conflict, as 1792 was a yawning one hundred fifty years after Cromwell’s beheading of James I in England — a fair time passing since regular attacks against Catholic priests occurred. Yet four priest holds on the first floor of Woodlawn might persuade you that anxiety about the safety of Catholic priests was on at least one man’s mind. The largest priest hold is under the staircase in the closet marked Priest Hold & Archives, just off the main foyer. Take a peak inside to get a sense of the meaning of a priest hold, and enjoy the historical material artifacts found within the house and elsewhere along the farm as well.

The Priest Hold & Archives leads to the Office in the Manor House where you will find another reflection of the past. The Office of today is reminiscent of a notable late 19th century activity in the same room. Today it is the farm office, but even a hundred years ago it was the active banking operation for Wynne, Maryland. Skiffs would ferry up the creek, moor for a bit, and in the Woodlawn office watermen would exchange paper chits recording their day’s catch, tallied at the nearby fish and shellfish houses, for cash. Woodlawn became, in essence, the banking headquarters for a very active and profitable fishing and shellfish community.

Then early in the 20th Century Woodlawn fell into disrepair. Serial ownership, poor farmland and an isolated peninsular location led to its decline within a region that was also not prospering. The location of the Patuxent River Base in 1941 overlaying Jarboesville changed the fortunes of this area but progress was slow in the South County area and another thirty years would pass until, in 1971, Tom and Ginny Cox purchased Woodlawn and began its restoration. The Manor House had been uninhabited for over 20 years, its residents only squirrels and raccoons. An 18 year preservation project was launched, a true labor of love. In 1990, Woodlawn won the Great American Home Award for the historic preservation of the year and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Properties. In the office is a large painted bald eagle wall sculpture, carrying a ribbon inscribed with the Cox family name and the date 1971. In 2016 a new Tidewater Barn was added to the holdings at Woodlawn, in the same style of Maryland Tidewater Architecture which Tom and Ginny preserved. Built by Amish builders, the Tidewater Barn has large plank oak floors and wood plank walls from the nearby Mennonite mills.

In the Yellow Room are tributes to the Cox’s Historic Preservation Award, as well as the deed from the London Exchequer for our sister farm, Jubilee Farm, dated 1737. Here is the Transcription (can you help us fill in the blanks?):

Maryland’s

Charles Absolute Lord and Proprietary of the Province of Maryland and Avalon Lord Baron of Baltimore: To all

Persons to whom these presents shall Come Greeting In our Lord God Everlasting know ye that whereas John Tunnehill of St. Marys

County by his Petition to our Agent for management of Land Affairs within this province has set forth that the Pot: as father Robert

Tunnehill heretofore by his humble petition to our then agent did set forth that there was Escheat unto us Two hundred Acres of Land

Lying in the said County Called Blake Creek Originally granted to one Richard Bennett and by him assigned and made over unto One Richard Watson who Dyed without Heirs whereby the same became Escheat unto us and the Petitioner being the first Discoverer

Thereof prayed to by Admitted to its purchase and that a warrant might be granted him to Resurvey the same according to its Intent Meets and Bonnds in order to have the True Quality Ascertained and Lastly that upon Return of a Certificate of Resurvey thereof upon

paying Our Agent for the same & Complying with all other Prequisites he might have our Letters Patent thereon which was Granted

him and knowingly a Warrant on the third Day of December, Seventeen hundred and Seventeed to him for that purpose did issue. In pursuance whereof it is Certified into our Land Office that the said Tract resurveyed by which it Appears that the whole now Contains the quality of Two

hundred, forty Acres for which the said Robert Tunnehill on the day of the Date of said Warrant paid & satisfied unto our then Agent & Receivor General the suns of Seventy pounds Sterling in part of the Purchase money agreed upon for said Escheat but before he paid the Remaining part

thereof or sued out our Agent he dyed and before this Death made his last Will and Testament & therein Divided the said Land unto the Petitioner being his Elder Son and Heir who has since paid & satisfied unto Daniel Dulany Esq our late Agent & receiver general for our use the Sums of

five pounds Ten Shillings Sterling being the remaining part of the purchase money for said Escheat & the Interest of the money the petitioner therefore humbly prayed that our Agent might now issue in his name for the same which we have thought fit to Condescend unto We Do

Therefore in Consideration thereof & other the premises hereby Give Grant & Confirm unto him the said John Tunnehill all that the af. Tract or
parcel of Escheat Land Called Blake Creek lying and being in the Dounty of. Bounded as followeth Beginning at a bounded white oak standing

on the east side of a Branch of Poplar Hill Creek & on the south side of the Road that leads to St Georges Running from thence down the said
Branch west twenty six porches South thirty one porches then west forty four degrees South Twenty light porches then west Twenty two degrees

South thirty porches then west forty five degrees South Eighteen porches then south thirty seven degrees East fourteen porches then South
Two hundred porches then north fifty one deg: past Twenty six porches then south nine deg: East thirty two porches then East Nineteen de: north one

hundred and seventy porches then East Eight deg: South Twenty porches then north forty three deg: East thirty porches thence with a Straight line
to the first Tree Containing & now laid out for Two hundred and forty Acres more or less According to the Certificate of Survey thereof Taen &

returned into our Land Office beating date of the Twentieth Day of December seventeen hundred Seeventeen and there remaining Together
with all the Rights profits benefits & priviledges there unto belonging (Royal ______Ecepted) to have and to hold the same unto
him the same John Tunnehill his heirs and assigns for Ever to be holder of us and our heirs as of our Monor of West Saint Marys in free and
Common Soirage by fealty only for all manner of Services Yielding and paying Therefore yearly unto us and our heirs at our Receipt:
At the City of Saint Marys at the Two most usual feasts in the year Viz: the feast of the Annunciation of the blessed Virgin Mary & St Michael
The Arch Angel by Even and Equal portions the rent of Nine Shillings & Seven pence half penny Sterling in Silver or Gold & for a fine
Upon Every Alienation of the said Land or any part or parcel thereof one whole years rent in Silver or Gold or the full value thereof in Such
Commodities as we & our heirs or such Officer or Officers as shall be appointee by us and our heirs from Time to Time to Collect & receive the

same shallAccept in Discharge thereof at the Choice of us & our heirs or such Officer or Officers af. Provided that of the said Supps for ___
for _______: Shall not be paid unto us & our heirs or such Officer or Officers ap. Before such__: the said Alien: Entered upon Record Either

the provincial Court or County Court where the same parcel of Land lyeth within one month next after such Alien than the said Alienation shall
be void of no ____ Given under our great Seal of our said Province of Maryland this fifteenth day of September in the twenty third year of our Dominion over said Province Anno Domini Seventeen hundred & thirty seven Witness our trustee and well beloved Samuel Ogle

Esq _____: General, Chief Governor ofour said Province of Maryland Chancellor and Keeper of the great Seal thereof__________