National Historic Landmark

West St. Mary's Manor

Drayden, St. Mary's County, Maryland
Listed
April 14, 1970
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
70000854

About this property

West St. Mary's Manor is a historic house on West St. Mary's Manor Road in rural St. Mary's County, Maryland. Built in the 1780s according to dendrochronology and with a four-room center-hall plan, and is located on the first recorded English land grant in what is now Maryland. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1970. West St. Mary's Manor is located across the St. Mary's River from St. Mary's City, Maryland, the first capital of the Province of Maryland. It is a 1+1⁄2-story brick and frame construction. The gable end walls of the 40-by-31-foot (12.2 by 9.4 m) house are brick with double chimneys, while the front and rear walls are clapboard. A brick "chimney pent" is situated between the projecting chimneys at both ends. The front elevation, facing south, is five bays wide, while the north elevation is three bays. The interior comprises four rooms about a center hall running through the house. The main rooms are on the south side, with smaller rooms on the north. All of the first floor rooms have wainscoting and fireplaces. The chimney pents serve as closets for the main rooms. The center hall is divided by an arch, with a stair to the rear. West St. Mary's Manor originally included 2,000 acres (810 ha) granted to Captain Henry Fleete in 1634, the earliest grant recorded in Maryland. The house was believed to have been built between 1700 and 1730, possibly by the family of Daniel Bell who was one of 15 leaseholders for the larger property. However, tree ring analysis or dendrochronology established a later date in the 1780s. The house's architecture is typical of the transition from smaller earlier colonial houses, typically just two rooms, to larger homes with a center passage. The house has been renovated and expanded with historically sympathetic additions. National Register of Historic Places listings in St. Mary's County, Maryland West St. Mary's Manor, St. Mary's County, including photo in 2000, at Maryland Historical Trust Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. MD-97, "West St. Mary's Manor, West Saint Mary's Manor Road, St. Marys City vicinity, St. Mary's County, MD", 5 photos, 2 data pages

Location

Drayden, St. Mary's County, Maryland
38.18587, -76.44679

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
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.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about West St. Mary's Manor

This page lists West St. Mary's Manor. 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
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
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
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your West St. Mary's Manor report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Porto Bello
Industrial
0.8 mi
Cross Manor
Industrial
2.1 mi
St. Ignatius Roman Catholic Church
Industrial
2.7 mi
St. George's Protestant Episcopal Church
Listed
4.1 mi
Cecil's Mill Historic District
Industrial
4.9 mi

Questions about this property

When was West St. Mary's Manor listed on the National Register?

West St. Mary's Manor was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 14, 1970.

What type of historic resource is West St. Mary's Manor?

West St. Mary's Manor is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is West St. Mary's Manor a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. West St. Mary's Manor 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 West St. Mary's Manor?

The period of significance for West St. Mary's Manor is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near West St. Mary's Manor?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near West St. Mary's Manor will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in St. Mary's County

Historic places, battles, and census history across St. Mary's County.

Explore St. Mary'sCounty ›

More historic places in Maryland

Browse all historic places in Maryland.

View Marylandhistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Maryland history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Marylandhistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near West St. Mary's Manor will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report