My World Tuesday - Francis Scott Key

Francis Scott Key is probably the best-known person from Frederick County. He was born 1 Aug 1779 at the Key home "Terra Rubra". Some sources list his date of birth as 1780. This section of Frederick County became a part of Carroll County when that county was formed in 1837. Francis studied law at St John's College in Annapolis and practiced law in Georgetown, MD (now part of Washington, DC). He died in Baltimore 11 Jan 1843 and was buried at Old Saint Paul's Cemetery in Baltimore. In 1866 his remains were moved to the Key family plot in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Frederick. The monument pictured above was erected in 1898 and both his and his wife's remains were placed in a crypt in the base of the monument.

He is known for a poem he wrote in September 1814 during the War of 1812. The British Army had captured and burned Washington and the fleet was sailing to Baltimore. The British had captured a well know physician, Dr. William Beanes. Francis Scott Key went with Col. John Skinner to meet with British officers aboard the HMS Tonnant to negotiate the release of Beanes. They gained his released, but were prevented from returning to Baltimore until after the British attack on Fort McHenry. The next morning, after 25 hours of shelling, Key saw the large stars and stripes flag still flying and drafted a poem on "The Defence of Ft McHenry". After returning to Baltimore, he finished the poem and it was printed and circulated in Baltimore. It then appeared in newspapers and was sung to the tune "Anacreon in Heaven". The song became popular as "The Star spangled Banner" though it was not until 1931 that Congress officially declared it to be the National Anthem. The flag from Ft. McHenry is now in the Smithsonian.

Francis Scott Key's birthplace "Terra Rubra" is near Keymar, Maryland. The present house is not the original one built in the 1770's for his father. After Key died, the house was sold and deteriorated. It was demolished after further damage by a storm and the present brick house was built. Terra Rubra was listed in the Maryland Historic Trust in 1978.

Buildings, bridges, schools, shopping malls, roads and a US submarine have been named for him. One of his namesake bridges spans the Baltimore harbor near where the British anchored to shell Ft. McHenry in 1814.

My World Tuesday - Late 1800's housing

The original plan for the town contained 340 lots. Most of this area is now designated as a Historic District and in addition to regular government zoning and permitting, a historic review is required when a building is renovated or repaired. The object is to preserve the architectural and archeological heritage of the site. Last week I posted a photo of a 1756 house. These today were built in the late 1800's. Originally the buildings were residences, but now some are businesses. The architectural style of these houses was prevalent throughout other US cities during 1870 - 1900.

Interesting details on the front of this 1895 building with two residences

An appropriate use for an old building

The Trail Mansion is now a funeral home

My World Tuesday - German heritage

Although there were settlers in this part of Maryland in the early 1700's, the founding of Frederick City was by a German immigrant group led by Johann Thomas Schley in 1745. They also established a German Reformed Church (now the Evangelical Lutheran Church) and public school. In the late 1700's Pennsylvania Dutch (also originally from Germany) migrated south through Maryland and the Shenandoah Valley to Virginia and North Carolina. Many settled in the Frederick area. German was the language in those years and English did not become the major language until the Irish immigration after the potato famine. This German heritage is evident with street names and an official sister city connection with Morzheim and Schifferstadt.

Evangelical Luthern Church

The Schifferstadt house is the oldest house still standing in Frederick. It was built by Joseph Brunner in 1756 and named after his childhood home. It is now a museum.