The Brewer Farm: The Mysteries at Rosehill
By Rande Davis
Travelers and commuters have been watching the development of the
Soon horses hooves will kick up the dust and the view of those structures will become a bit obscured from those of us traversing Route 28. Yet the imaginative historian might sense the spirits of George Washington, J.E.B. Stuart, and Confederate General Jubal Early galloping their horses along the ridgeline. Those historic legends have since departed, and today, the only occupants of the buildings are the pigeons that perch in a door opening of the crib barn on the property of our mystery history focus: the Brewer Farm.
The Brewer Farm is a section of the original 1,102-acre land grant known as Woodstock Manor. It is that parcel of 583 acres of land that was left after 519 acres of Woodstock Manor were sold to George Washington on
Dr. William Brewer, who held a medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania Medical School, was from a German family originally from
William George Brewer married Ida White on Mary 16, 1872 and moved into the farmhouse shortly after their marriage. The colonial-style home, no longer there, perched directly in front of the cluster of buildings visible from Route 28. While their family had the house built for their marriage, it was not completed until sometime after the wedding. In fact, when the couple returned from their wedding trip, the Brewer family held the reception in the foundation of the partially-constructed house.
It is easy to imagine that festive gala today since the reception would have been just in front of the stone buildings that are there now.
In the 1860s, Charles Johnson along with Harriet Carr and her four children were slaves on the Brewer Farm. Some report that log structures, originally located directly south of the manager’s house, served as slave quarters. On the other hand, the descendants always referred to this tenant house as “the quarters” which lends credence to the theory that it was actually the slave quarters. The mystery as to which theory is right will have to continue for now. By 1870, Mary Johnson and her five children were servants on the farm. Interestingly, Mary’s husband, Charles, left the farm much earlier to fight in the Civil War.
The most intriguing structures still standing are two Seneca sandstone buildings. The larger one is referred to as the tenant (manager’s) house and the other is a springhouse. The construction date is estimated to be around 1861. These structures are excellent examples of our agricultural heritage and of Seneca stone construction. In the 1700s and 1800s, the
The largest remaining structure is the decaying crib-barn, a wooden-framed structure that had the hay hoisted into the loft above, while placing animals or goods in the cribs below.
Walter and Audrey Prichard, Dickerson residents and the last family to properly care for the home, lived in the farmhouse in the late 1960s and raised their four children there. Back then, the crib barn made a terrific basketball court according to Mrs. Prichard. Mrs. Prichard also reports uncovering many beautiful rose bushes in the yard which is understandable since the property at one time is reported to have been called Rosehill. After the Prichards moved out, the subsequent occupants did not take particularly good care of the home, and it decayed and was eventually torn down.
Many members of the Brewer family are buried in Monocacy Cemetery in Beallsville just a half mile south of the site. Getting a closer look at the Brewer Farm will become easier since soon the county will officially open the park and you will have a chance to explore the site for yourself.
Note: This article as well as all Mystery History stories would not be possible if not for the help of many people and organizations. In particular, we want to thank organizations like Historic Medley and the