Poplar Hill Mansion
Encyclopedia
The Poplar Hill Mansion is a historic U.S.
mansion located at 117 Elizabeth Street, Salisbury
, Maryland
and is open to the public as a house museum.
purchased the estate and the mansion was placed in public trust in 1974 under the ownership of the City of Salisbury. In 1971, Poplar Hill Mansion was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
mansion located at 117 Elizabeth Street, Salisbury
Salisbury, Maryland
-Demographics:Salisbury is the principal city of the Salisbury-Ocean Pines CSA, a Combined Statistical Area that includes the Salisbury metropolitan area and the Ocean Pines micropolitan area , which had a combined population of 176,657 at the 2010 census.As of the census of 2000, there were...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
and is open to the public as a house museum.
History
Major Levin Handy purchased 357 acres (1.4 km²) of land outside of Salisbury in 1795 and began construction of this Federal-style building later that year. Due to lack of funds, Major Handy discontinued construction of the mansion and put it up for sale in 1803. In 1805, Dr. John D. Huston purchased the incomplete house and continued its construction. Sarah Huston, Dr. Huston's widow inherited the estate and sold some of the property for development in the late 1840s to early 1850s. In 1881, George Waller purchased the estate and his family lived there until 1945. In 1945, Fred A. Adkins purchased the property and renovated the house, to include modernizing it. In 1948, Mr. & Mrs. Ward A Garber purchased the estate. In 1970, Wicomico CountyWicomico County, Maryland
As of the census of 2010, there were 98,733 people, 37,220 households, and 24,172 families residing in the county. The population density was 261.7 people per square mile . There were 41,192 housing units at an average density of 109.2 per square mile...
purchased the estate and the mansion was placed in public trust in 1974 under the ownership of the City of Salisbury. In 1971, Poplar Hill Mansion was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
Architectural features
Some of the architectural features of the mansion include:- Tall proportions
- Bold gableGableA gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
-fronted facadeFacadeA facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face".... - Large sashSashA sash is a cloth belt used to hold a robe together, and is usually tied about the waist. The Japanese equivalent of a sash, obi, serves to hold a kimono or yukata together. Decorative sashes may pass from the shoulder to the hip rather than around the waist...
windows - Delicate & intricate Federal or neoclassicalNeoclassical architectureNeoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
style woodwork - Finely detailed PalladianPalladian architecturePalladian architecture is a European style of architecture derived from the designs of the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio . The term "Palladian" normally refers to buildings in a style inspired by Palladio's own work; that which is recognised as Palladian architecture today is an evolution of...
windows on the hall landing to the second floor & over the front door
Ghost Legend
According to legend, a slave girl named Sara perished in the house after her dress caught on fire in the second floor rear bedroom during the Huston period. Sara now appears as a "consoling" spirit.External links
- Poplar Hill Mansion (official website)
- Poplar Hill Mansion, Wicomico County, Inventory No.: WI-8, including photo in 1996, at Maryland Historical Trust website
- Poplar Hill Mansion, 117 Elizabeth Street, Salisbury, Wicomico County, MD: 1 photo and 1 data page, at Historic American Building Survey