Belmont Estate

Overview

The Belmont Estate, now called the Belmont Manor Historic Park, has been associated with important personages from the late 17th century to the 20th century, including Dr. Mordecai Moore, Caleb Dorsey, Alexander Contee Hanson, and David K. E. Bruce. Built in the 1730s, it is one of the oldest colonial plantations in the region and one of the oldest sites in Howard County, Maryland. The plantation house, built in 1738, is one of the finest examples of Colonial Georgian architectural style in Maryland. The Belmont Estate now comprises approximately 68 acres, and adjoins Patapsco Valley State Park. Facilities on the estate include the Belmont Manor House, a carriage house, a cottage, a large barn, formal gardens, a pond, and an aqua garden.

17th-19th century

Dr. Mordecai Moore, Society of Friends in Maryland founder, received a tract of 1,368 or 1,662 acres of land above Elkridge Landing called "Moore's Morning Choice", which was granted by King William III's 1695 land patent. Moore's Morning Choice was situated on a ridge from which there are views of the lower Patapsco River Valley. Belmont Estate included part of that land.

Caleb Dorsey (1710-1722), of Hockley-in-the-Hole on the Severn River, was an early industrialist and farmer. He operated forges and iron furnaces along the Patapsco River, near Elkridge. About 1735, Caleb Dorsey purchased Moore's property, and an adjoining tract Rockburn, for his sons Edward and Caleb Dorsey, Jr. operating it as a plantation with up to 94 slaves providing agricultural labor. Caleb Dorsey, Jr. built his home, "Belmont", in 1738. A pig iron forge was operated onsite along with nearby forges at Avalon and Hockley in a Hole. Caleb Dorsey and his wife Pricilla Hill (died 1781) was buried onsite at Belmont. Caleb Dorsey, Jr.'s son Edward inherited the property and slaves. Edward later gave the property to his daughter, Priscilla, the wife of Alexander Contee Hanson, a United States senator. Following the American Civil War, Belmont became the social center of a new wealthy elite, notably the many lawyers who built homes at "Lawyer's Hill" near the Belmont property. From 1873 to his death in 1880, Charles Grosvenor Hanson allowed the house to fall into neglect following the death of his wife. A original reproduction portrait of George Washington painted by Gilbert Stuart in 1794 or 1795 hung in the mansion for a century and was sold in 1913 to a New York Collector for $15,000-$20,000 by the Hanson family. Howard Bruce, who bought the house in 1918, was the last owner to use it as a private residence.

Smithsonian Institution (1962 - 1982)

In 1962, the then owner of Belmont, the noted American diplomat, David K. E. Bruce, former ambassador to Britain, France and Germany, sold the property for $500,000 and then donated Belmont and 339 acres to the Smithsonian Institution for $5.00 as a philanthropic gift. The Smithsonian Institution maintained the property as a conference center.

The Belmont Conference Center was established in 1964 and was in almost continuous operation until 2010. Belmont hosted numerous conferences, social gatherings, weddings, meetings, and other functions. Examples of the numerous academic, government, and non-profit conferences held at Belmont include:

American Chemical Society (1982 - 2004)

In 1982, The [[Smithsonian Instituti sold the Belmont Conference Center and the majority of the Center's surrounding land to the American Chemical Society for $2 million. The American Chemical Society continued to maintain the property as a conference center.

In September 2001 the oldest structure in Howard County was situated on Warfeild's Range in North Laurel. The log cabin built in 1696 was moved to the Rockburn park to accommodate a Newburn development, and was destroyed by arson two weeks onsite.

The John Clare Society of North America held their first international John Clare Conference at the Belmont Conference Center on March 21–22, 2003. The Society is a non-profit literary organization devoted to the study, preservation, and publication of the works of English poet John Clare.

Howard Community College (2004 - 2012)

The American Chemical Society sold the Belmont Estate to Howard Community College (HCC) for $5.2 million in 2004. The Government of Howard County, Maryland, provided a loan of $2.6 million to the College toward the purchase of the Belmont Estate. The College used Belmont's facilities to provide educational programs for students enrolled in the College's culinary program, and to operate the Belmont Conference Center.

On September 30, 2010, Howard Community College announced that it could no longer afford to maintain and operate the Belmont Estate, due to the effects of the economic recession, and that it planned to sell the property. The Government of Howard County stated that they retained the right of first refusal based on their 2004 loan agreement with HCC. In June 2011, Howard County signed an agreement with HCC to purchase the Belmont Estate. During the period September 2011 through May 30, 2012, the Government of Howard County conducted a detailed study of the feasibility of purchasing and operating the property for public purposes.

Belmont Manor and Historic Park

On May 30, 2012, Howard County Executive Kenneth Ulman announced that the County would exercise their right of first refusal and purchase the Belmont Estate from the college. The $5.2 million dollar property was put up for sale, with public offers of half the purchase price eight years prior. The purchase included a debt forgiveness and $89,000 to the college. An additional 13 acres were sold for land development to subsidize the purchase cost, leaving only 68 acres of the original property. Howard County officially assumed the deed of the Belmont estate from Howard Community College on June 21, 2012.

In a radio interview on June 29, 2012, Kenneth Ulman stated that the Belmont Estate would compliment other Howard County nature attractions, including the Howard County Conservancy, located in Woodstock, Maryland, on a 300-year-old, 232-acre farm; and the James and Anne Robinson Nature Center, located in Columbia, Maryland, on 18 acres of land adjacent to the Middle Patuxent Environmental Area.

Howard County subsequently established the Belmont Manor and Historic Park in summer/fall 2012. The park is operated by the county's Department of Recreation and Parks, to be used as a conference center and a site for weddings, private parties, and environmental education programs. The Manor opened for public operations in April 2015.

Historic preservation

A number of organizations have played an important role in promoting, and advocating for, the historic preservation of the Belmont Estate. These include the Rockburn Land Trust, the Save Belmont Coalition, Preservation Howard County, Preservation Maryland, the Maryland Environmental Trust, the Friends of Patapsco Valley & Heritage Greenway, Inc, and the Land Trust Alliance.

Preservation Howard County's president, Fred Dorsey, a descendant of the original owners of the estate, has said that because of its experience, the county is the rightful owner to provide stewardship of the historic property. Maintenance issues are some of the challenges, including maintaining the exterior that had been coated with lead paint.

Historic designations

The original historic site nomination for Belmont was researched and prepared in the mid-1970s for the Maryland Historical Trust (MHT). Further research and updates by Howard County and the State of Maryland were carried out in 2010.

The Belmont Manor House and Estate are included on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), as part of the Lawyers Hill Historic District, Elkridge, Maryland, which was added to the NRHP on September 23, 1993.