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Homewood Museum records

 Collection
Identifier: COLL-0009

Scope and Contents

This collection contains architecural drawings of Homewood Museum (then Homewood House) from 1898 and records related to the restoration of Homewood in 1987.

Dates

  • Creation: Majority of material found within 1973-1986
  • Creation: 1898 - 1986

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is housed off-site and requires 48-hours' notice for retrieval. Please contact Special Collections for more information.

Collection is open for use.

Conditions Governing Use

Single copies may be made for research purposes. Researchers are responsible for determining any copyright questions. It is not necessary to seek our permission as the owner of the physical work to publish or otherwise use public domain materials that we have made available for use, unless Johns Hopkins University holds the copyright.

Biographical / Historical

Homewood Museum (formerly Homewood House) is a historic property located on the Homewood Campus of Johns Hopkins University. The Homewood Estate was offered as a wedding gift in 1800 by Charles Carroll of Carrollton, (1737-1832), the longest surviving signer of the Declaration of Independence, to his son Charles Carroll Jr. It occupied 140 acres in northern Baltimore and was first known as "Merryman's Lott." Carroll had purchased the parcel of land in 1794. Charles Carroll Jr. began construction on a stately and modern country home of his own design in 1801 and had mostly finished by 1808. It cost $40,000, four times the budgeted expense. For reasons both personal and political, "Homewood" led to a severe breach in relations between father and son. Ultimately, Carroll (Senior) bought the house from his son in 1824 and managed the "most improvident waste" until his son's death the next year. The house then passed to Charles Carroll III, (the grandson), who lived there until he inherited the rural landmark family estate, Doughoregan Manor (in modern Howard County), from his grandfather.

The house was the birthplace of John Lee Carroll in 1830, second son of Charles Carroll, III, who would become Governor of Maryland. In 1839, Charles Carroll III sold Homewood to Samuel Wyman, a Baltimore merchant, who lived there with his family until 1865. During the Wyman family's tenure, Wyman's son William commissioned Richard Upjohn to build an Italianate mansion on the grounds, named "Homewood Villa." The Villa was demolished by Johns Hopkins University in 1954; however, the gatehouse to the estate remains, and can be seen as an example of the villa design. On Samuel Wyman's death the property was divided between his sons. In 1897, Homewood House became the first Gilman School, known at its founding as The Country School for Boys. In 1902 the property was reassembled and given to Johns Hopkins University.

In 1916 the mansion became the University Faculty Club. In 1936, Homewood was converted to administrative offices. Johns Hopkins University now operates Homewood Museum, which opened to the public in 1987, and its Federal-style architecture, with its red brick and white marble, serves as the inspiration for the campus' design.

Extent

.24 Cubic Feet (1 full-sized letter box)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Homewood Museum (formerly Homewood House) is a historic property located on the Homewood Campus of Johns Hopkins University. This collection consists of material (bulk 1973-1986) related to the 1987 restoration and re-purposing of the structure as a museum.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

See series-level descriptions for acquisition information.

Related Materials

Related materials may be found in RG.10.001: Office of the Secretary records.

Bibliography

Historical information adapted from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homewood_Museum, accessed 2016 July 18.

Processing Information

See series-level descriptions for information about processing.

Title
Guide to the Homewood Museum records
Author
Jordon Steele
Date
2017
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
English

Repository Details

Part of the Special Collections Repository

Contact:
The Sheridan Libraries
Special Collections
3400 N Charles St
Baltimore MD 21218 USA