National Register of Historic Places

Araby

Mason's Springs, Charles County, Maryland
Listed
July 24, 1974
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
74000947

About this property

Araby is a historic house located near Mason Springs, Charles County, Maryland. An example of Federal architecture, it was built in the mid-1700s and underwent extensive renovations a hundred years later. Much of the house remains unaltered from that time. Merchant William Eilbeck built the plantation house, where he lived with his wife Sarah. He was one of the wealthiest men in Charles County, and held the rank of colonel in the local militia, and by 1745 was one of the gentleman justices of the local court. Eilbeck also had another plantation nearby, but only one child, a daughter Anne. In 1750, planter George Mason married Anne. The young couple lived with the Eilbecks while constructing Gunston Hall on his Virginia estates, and continued to visit Araby from time to time. Another of Anne's former suitors, George Washington, who owned a nearby property, was a frequent visitor. Sarah Eilbeck survived her husband, so Araby did not pass to their third grandson William Mason (1757-1820) until her death in 1780, when he was 23 and an officer in the Fairfax militia. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

Location

Mason's Springs, Charles County, Maryland
38.57895, -77.11510

Categories

POLITICS/GOVERNMENTARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Mount Aventine
Listed
2.8 mi
McPherson's Purchase
Industrial
4 mi
Acquinsicke
Industrial
4.7 mi
Green's Inheritance
Industrial
5.2 mi
Habre-de-Venture; Thomas Stone National Historic Site
Industrial
5.3 mi

Nearby Battles

Cockpit Point Confederate Battery Engagement 1862
1862Civil War
6.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was Araby listed on the National Register?

Araby was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 24, 1974.

What type of historic resource is Araby?

Araby is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Araby?

The period of significance for Araby is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Araby?

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