Marshall Hall, Maryland
Encyclopedia
Marshall Hall, Maryland is the site of the Marshall family mansion. Marshall Hall is located near Bryan's Road in Charles County, Maryland
, next to the Potomac River
, more or less across from Mount Vernon, Virginia
, the home of George Washington
. The home was one of the finest built on the Maryland shore of the Potomac in the early 18th century. The Marshall family were minor gentry and owned as many as 80 slaves by the early 19th century.
Soon after the Civil War, the site became a highly frequented picnic ground because of its proximity to Mount Vernon. Steamship lines, originally established to ferry tourists from Washington D.C. and Alexandria to/from Mount Vernon, discovered a new source of revenue in the park across from the historic estate. In the 1880s, the Mount Vernon and Marshall Hall Steamboat Company ran large ships between Washington, Alexandria, Mount Vernon and Marshall Hall: the round-trip fare at that time was $1, and included admission to Mount Vernon. Washingtonians fled the summer heat of the city for all sorts of events at the picnic grounds, from exclusive catered events to popular cultural events such as a swimming exhibition given by the daredevil Robert Emmet Odlum
in the summer of 1878, seven years before his death at the Brooklyn Bridge
. Marshall Hall
later became one of the first amusement parks in the Washington, DC area in the 1890s, offering numerous "appliances of entertainment" (as one deed described them) for visitors who wanted to do more than picnic, many of them arriving by river boat. By the early 20th century, annual jousting tournaments took place at the site. New attractions were added throughout the 20th century, and gambling
became a major draw for a while after World War II. Between 1949 and 1968, the Southern Maryland
area offered the only legal slot machines in the United States outside of Nevada.
The National Park Service
gained control of the park after Congress, acting upon a request from the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association
, mandated that the views from Mt. Vernon had to be protected and returned to something resembling the days when George Washington sat on his colonnaded porch and looked across the Potomac. The term "historic viewshed
" was coined for this act of preservation. The Park Service tore down all vestiges of the amusement park in 1980, whose popularity had declined due to competition by much larger, newer parks. A fire destroyed much of the colonial house soon after. In January 2003, a truck driver slammed his rig through the remaining hulk. The damage done to the brick shell was repaired the following year.
It is now part of Piscataway Park
operated by the National Park Service
.
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...
, next to the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
, more or less across from Mount Vernon, Virginia
Mount Vernon, Virginia
Mount Vernon is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Nearby CDPs are Fort Belvoir , Groveton, Virginia and Hybla Valley, Virginia , and Fort Hunt, Virginia...
, the home of George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
. The home was one of the finest built on the Maryland shore of the Potomac in the early 18th century. The Marshall family were minor gentry and owned as many as 80 slaves by the early 19th century.
Soon after the Civil War, the site became a highly frequented picnic ground because of its proximity to Mount Vernon. Steamship lines, originally established to ferry tourists from Washington D.C. and Alexandria to/from Mount Vernon, discovered a new source of revenue in the park across from the historic estate. In the 1880s, the Mount Vernon and Marshall Hall Steamboat Company ran large ships between Washington, Alexandria, Mount Vernon and Marshall Hall: the round-trip fare at that time was $1, and included admission to Mount Vernon. Washingtonians fled the summer heat of the city for all sorts of events at the picnic grounds, from exclusive catered events to popular cultural events such as a swimming exhibition given by the daredevil Robert Emmet Odlum
Robert Emmet Odlum
Robert Emmet Odlum was an American swimming instructor. He was the brother of women's rights activist Charlotte Odlum Smith. Odlum was the first person to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge, and was killed doing so.- Early life :...
in the summer of 1878, seven years before his death at the Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. Completed in 1883, it connects the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning the East River...
. Marshall Hall
Marshall Hall (amusement park)
Marshall Hall was an amusement park at Marshall Hall, Maryland, next to the Potomac River, more or less across from Mount Vernon, Virginia, the home of George Washington. The site of a small amusement park dating from the 1890s, a modern amusement park was constructed there in 1966 and operated...
later became one of the first amusement parks in the Washington, DC area in the 1890s, offering numerous "appliances of entertainment" (as one deed described them) for visitors who wanted to do more than picnic, many of them arriving by river boat. By the early 20th century, annual jousting tournaments took place at the site. New attractions were added throughout the 20th century, and gambling
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
became a major draw for a while after World War II. Between 1949 and 1968, the Southern Maryland
Southern Maryland
Southern Maryland in popular usage is composed of the state's southernmost counties on the "Western Shore" of the Chesapeake Bay. This region includes all of Calvert, Charles and St. Mary's counties and sometimes the southern portions of Anne Arundel and Prince George's counties.- History...
area offered the only legal slot machines in the United States outside of Nevada.
The National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
gained control of the park after Congress, acting upon a request from the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association
The Mount Vernon Ladies' Association
The Mount Vernon Ladies' Association is a non-profit organization that preserves and maintains the Mount Vernon estate originally owned by George Washington.-History:...
, mandated that the views from Mt. Vernon had to be protected and returned to something resembling the days when George Washington sat on his colonnaded porch and looked across the Potomac. The term "historic viewshed
Viewshed
A viewshed is an area of land, water, or other environmental element that is visible to the human eye from a fixed vantage point. The term is used widely in such areas as urban planning, archaeology, and military science...
" was coined for this act of preservation. The Park Service tore down all vestiges of the amusement park in 1980, whose popularity had declined due to competition by much larger, newer parks. A fire destroyed much of the colonial house soon after. In January 2003, a truck driver slammed his rig through the remaining hulk. The damage done to the brick shell was repaired the following year.
It is now part of Piscataway Park
Piscataway Park
Piscataway Park, located southwest of downtown Washington, D.C., near Accokeek, Maryland, protects Marshall Hall and the National Colonial Farm. The park is located across the Potomac River from George Washington's Mount Vernon estate....
operated by the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
.
External links
- Marshall Hall Foundation, official website
- Marshall Hall Historical Marker Database
- Marshall Hall, State Route 227 at Potomac River, Bryans Road vicinity, Charles County, MD: 6 drawings, 1 data page, at Historic American Building Survey