Bowieville
Bowieville is one of the finest examples of the Federal style in Prince George's County. Features such as its symmetry, elliptical fanlights at the entry and between the parlors, tripartite windows, bowed rear porch, and other Adamesque details exemplify the Federal style. Bowieville reflects the prosperity of the tobacco economy of Prince George's County, as well as the prominence of the Bowie family. Bowieville once held 54 slaves.
The Bowie family had extensive landholdings in the county and were important politically. Bowieville was built in 1819-20 by Mary Wooton Bowie, daughter of Robert Bowie, Governor of Maryland, on property she inherited from her father, and is very similar in styling to his home, Mattaponi, which is also of brick covered with stucco.
After the death of Mary Bowie in 1825, the plantation was entangled in legal issues until the house was sold in 1846 to William J. Berry, one of the county's wealthiest planters.
Bowieville was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
- ^ "Bowieville". Maryland Historical Trust. Retrieved 2008-10-29.
- ^ "Bowieville, 522 Church Road South, Leeland vicinity, Prince George's, MD". Survey number HABS MD-644. Library of Congress. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
- ^ "Benjamin Duckett (b. circa 1831 - d. ?)". Archives of Maryland (Biographical Series). State of Maryland. Retrieved 28 June 2012.
- ^ "Registration Form, page 3" (PDF). Maryland Historic Trust. State of Maryland. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
External links
- Bowieville, Prince George's County, Inventory No.: PG:74A-18, including photograph in 1989, at Maryland Historical Trust web site
- Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. MD-644, "Bowieville, 522 Church Road South, Leeland vicinity, Prince George's County, Maryland", 25 photos, 16 data pages, 2 photo caption pages, supplemental material