• young visitor petting horse

    Oxon Cove Park & Oxon Hill Farm

    Maryland

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  • Changes to Visitor Service due to Sequestration

    Due to mandatory, across-the-board budget cuts, some visitor services in this park have changed. Please check the Plan Your Visit section for more information.

Godding Croft; A Hospital Farm, 1891-1959

william godding

William Godding, superintendent of St. Elizabeths during the late 1800s.

For nearly 70 years, the land that is now Oxon Cove Park, was a hospital farm. St. Elizabeths Hospital bought the property in 1891 to produce food for its ever-growing number of patients. The hospital was founded in 1855 to care for the mentally ill people of Washington, D.C. and the U.S. military.

St. Elizabeths was a bold project for its time. It was originally designed to hold 250 patients in the world's most modern hospital for the mentally ill. But, before the first building was completed, the outbreak of the Civil War forced the government to use much of the new hospital for wounded soldiers.

Dr. William Godding, superintendent of St. Elizabeths, established Godding Croft for patients with less severe disabilities to receive therapy from farm work. In turn, these patients produced food for the main institution at St. Elizabeths.

FYI: "Croft" is a Scottish term for a small farm.

 

Did You Know?

cider press

The oldest fruit tree in the National Park Service can be found at Oxon Hill Farm.  For centuries the making of cider from apples has been more than just pressing fruit to provide a delicious drink. Cider making was a social event for family and neighbors.