National Historic Landmark

John Brown's Headquarters

Samples Manor, Washington County, Maryland
Listed
November 7, 1973
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
73000941

About this property

The Kennedy Farm is a National Historic Landmark property on Chestnut Grove Road in rural southern Washington County, Maryland. It is notable as the place where the radical abolitionist John Brown planned and began his raid on Harpers Ferry, Virginia (today West Virginia), in 1859. Also known as the John Brown Raid Headquarters and Kennedy Farmhouse, the log, stone, and brick building has been restored to its appearance at the time of the raid. The farm is now owned by a preservation nonprofit.

Location

Samples Manor, Washington County, Maryland
39.37982, -77.71528

Categories

POLITICS/GOVERNMENT
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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This page lists John Brown's Headquarters. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
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The Land
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Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
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Historical Maps
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Finds & Access
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Literature
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Spotlight
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Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
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Nearby Historic Sites

Magnolia Plantation
Industrial
2.4 mi
Clagett, Robert, Farm
Industrial
2.6 mi
Maryland Heights, Spur Battery
Civil War
2.7 mi
Antietam Iron Furnace Site and Antietam Village
Listed
3 mi
B & O Railroad Potomac River Crossing
Listed
3.9 mi

Nearby Battles

South Mountain — Pleasant Valley Skirmish
1862Civil War
2.6 mi
Harpers Ferry — Skirmish at Maryland Heights (September 13 1862)
1862Civil War
3 mi
Maryland Heights (Harpers Ferry)
1862Civil War
3.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was John Brown's Headquarters listed on the National Register?

John Brown's Headquarters was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 7, 1973.

What type of historic resource is John Brown's Headquarters?

John Brown's Headquarters is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is John Brown's Headquarters a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. John Brown's Headquarters has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for John Brown's Headquarters?

The period of significance for John Brown's Headquarters is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near John Brown's Headquarters?

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