Woodlawn - back

Woodlawn - front

Woodlawn - front

Woodlawn - side

Thanks to David Jarvis for these photos from their trip to Cecil County, Maryland in September 2001! Click on the image to see a larger picture.

The following information was copied from the 275th anniversary booklet for St. Stephen's Episcopal Church (Earleville, Maryland) and Homes of the Parish Area. 1692 - 1967.

Woodlawn, the third house built on land patented by William Ward in 1681, is a spacious old, two story, brick home which has undergone many architectural changes over the years. Back of the house is a lovely old terraced boxwood garden descending to a reflection pool. Originally, the head waters of McGill Creek started here.

The property, first called Spry's Hill, later Neighbors' Grudge, and then Woodlawn, was the homestead of the Ward family for seven generations. The Ward holdings were vast, even including Mt. Harmon.

Woodlawn is described in the book "At the Head of the Bay." Woodlawn c. 1850--1860 and earlier, Earleville vicinity. "An examination of the exterior wall surfaces makes it obvious that Woodlawn experienced a major rebuilding in the mid-19th century. Remnants of a much earlier house appear in the brickwork on the gable ends but for the most part the present house dates from the later period. The wide center hall, featuring a heavily turned mahogany balustrade and stair, divides a basic four-room plan. The rectangular brick house is capped with a heavy modillioned cornice and rooftop balustrade. Another midcentury feature is the single-story front porch with Doric columns. The surrounding garden, dating in part from the mid-19th century, is an excellent example of the picturesque ideal sought after in the early Victorian period." Thanks to Alice Davis Cates for this information.

Since the ownership of the Ward's, the farm has passed through several hands, today being owned by Mr. Thomas Greer, whose daughter, Mrs. Jean Crawford, manages and operates it as a dairy farm.