National Register of Historic Places

Olney

Joppa, Harford County, Maryland
Listed
July 8, 1987
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
87001197

About this property

Olney, originally patented as Prospect, is a historic home and farm complex located at Joppa, Harford County, Maryland. It is a 264-acre (1.07 km2) working pony farm with a collection of 15 structures ranging in style, use, and elegance. The main building on the property is a 2+1⁄2-story brick house dating to 1810, generally called "the mansion." The house was evolved into a museum of Maryland architecture, with salvaged features from demolished buildings in Baltimore and Philadelphia. These include paneling from the Isaac Van Bibber house in Fells Point, Baltimore dating to 1815; the marble Ionic portico from William Small's Baltimore Athenaeum from 1830; and a marble bas-relief plaque designed by Pierre L'Enfant for Robert Morris's great 1795 house in Philadelphia. Also on the property is an early-18th-century, 2+1⁄2-story stone dwelling and a variety of still-functioning farm structures that in themselves range in style from simple stone stables and frame hay barns to an unusual two-story brick blacksmith's shop. In addition, the 1914 Wilna School was moved onto the property in 1980 and re-outfitted as St. Alban's Anglican Church. The property was developed by J. Alexis Shriver (1872–1951), a man prominent in local and state historical and agricultural matters who lived at Olney from 1890 until his death. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.

Location

1001 Old Joppa Rd.
Joppa, Harford County, Maryland
39.47882, -76.36928

Categories

AGRICULTUREARCHITECTURESOCIAL HISTORY
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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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
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LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
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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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Nearby Historic Sites

McComas Institute
Industrial
1 mi
Norris-Stirling House
Industrial
1 mi
Whitaker's Mill Historic District
Industrial
1.5 mi
Jerusalem Mill Village
Industrial
1.6 mi
Jericho Covered Bridge
Industrial
1.6 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of North Point, Maryland 1814
1814Early Republic
13.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was Olney listed on the National Register?

Olney was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 8, 1987.

What type of historic resource is Olney?

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

What is the period of significance for Olney?

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

Can I research the history near Olney?

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