Blandair Manor House
On April 18, 2004 a group from our church had a tour of Blandair Farm, a 300-acre farm right in the middle of heavily developed Columbia, Maryland.
The history of the farm goes back to 1757, but the last owner was an eccentric recluse and as she aged, she allowed the farm to run down. After she died, it was bought by the county and state to serve as a regional park, but the manor house was left unguarded and became a haven for unsavory youths, who did a great deal of damage. Now protected by a caretaker who lives onsite, the mansion and outbuildings will be restored.
Meanwhile, however, the farm is a marvelous trip through real history, and a wonderful example of the beauty that can be found even in neglect.
This gallery is a tour through the manor house, originally built in the 19th century, and last updated in the 1950s or '60s. My other Blandair gallery, Beauty in Neglect, takes you through to the outbuildings, fields, ponds and woods.
Read MoreThe history of the farm goes back to 1757, but the last owner was an eccentric recluse and as she aged, she allowed the farm to run down. After she died, it was bought by the county and state to serve as a regional park, but the manor house was left unguarded and became a haven for unsavory youths, who did a great deal of damage. Now protected by a caretaker who lives onsite, the mansion and outbuildings will be restored.
Meanwhile, however, the farm is a marvelous trip through real history, and a wonderful example of the beauty that can be found even in neglect.
This gallery is a tour through the manor house, originally built in the 19th century, and last updated in the 1950s or '60s. My other Blandair gallery, Beauty in Neglect, takes you through to the outbuildings, fields, ponds and woods.
What was once a proud, grand manor house, surrounded by utilitarian yet graceful outbuildings is now just a shell, to the casual eye. But if you have a good imagination, you can see the glory and the wonder of the past.
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