If you’ve traversed Route One before (as in, the literal road. Not me. That wouldn’t be cool. 😆), then you’ve passed this sign below before but have you ever taken the time to read what it says? (No judgments; it’s taken me over three years to do so.) Turns out, this sign on the triangle between Harrison Ave & Oliver Street (across from El Comalito) sits atop the “[s]ite of the gates at the original entrance to Riversdale or the Calvert Mansion.”
First of all, who knew? (Aside from everyone else who has seen this sign already….) And second of all, Holy Cannoli! So the gates to the original entrance were all the way by Route One? That’s H.U.G.E. I excitedly told the hubs, keen to drop some local history on his azz but he just looked at me with puzzlement in his eyes. (This happens a lot.👍 ) He muttered something about how the Calvert family pretty much owned this whole area back in the day and then something about how I should really listen to him more often. 😉
I’ve been to the Riversdale Mansion many times now; I guess I just never really soaked in how much of this area belonged to the Calvert family back in the day. A whopping 729 acres according to this post about the History of Riversdale House Museum. Hard to imagine anyone, really, owning that amount of land. Unless, of course, you’re a descendant of the fifth Lord Baltimore. No amount of puffery on my part can stake that claim.
Read more about the history of the Riversdale House Museum here.
Awe! Thank you, Aida! You just made my night (which is more than I can say for my husband. JKJKJKJKJKJKJKJK!)
This, like many of your posts, made me smile. You are so funny! Love the info and entertainment you provide 🙂
Good eye, Bobbi! Yes, sounds like perhaps a late wedding gift? Hey, I'd take it! 🙂 (As you note, a look at the page on the Riversdale Mansion site notes that Rosalie married in 1799, Stier bought the land in 1800, left it in 1803, Rosalie and George Calvert move in/complete construction in 1807. So, I'm going to run with late wedding gift! 🙂 Thanks for pointing this out!
Strangely, I think the sign has an error. I have read the book of Rosalee Stier Calvert's letters according to which her father built the mansion for himself but then returned to Belgium instead of living in it. Rosalee and her husband were already married at the time although I guess it might have been a late wedding gift although not planned for the purpose.