Mount Welby Era Buildings

Built from 1800-1840, brick structures were the prominent structures on the farm. Anchors of this self-contained community, the brick buildings were a sign of wealth to be handed down from generation to generation. The desire for stability, order, and permanence, as represented in these core buildings, helped drive the generation that wrote and ratified the Constitution.

 

Historic Mount Welby

NPS Photo

White Farm House (1805), the oldest structure in the park, was the Debutts family home and was known as Mount Welby. The family owned the property from 1805 until 1843. Over this period of time the residents of Mount Welby witnessed many events such as The Battle of Bladensburg, the buying and selling of people under the institution of slavery, and a plague that took the lives of several residents.

 

1820 Brick Stables

NPS Photo

Brick Stable (1820) provides a focus for the farm’s main outbuilding cluster. In 1832, the Debutts family owned one milk cow, one heifer, 4 yearling and, 2 mules. The stable was their shelter. Today the stable is used to shelter the draft horses when they are sick or during severe weather conditions.

 

Root Cellar (1830) was built partially underground, to keep its contents cool. Before refrigeration, root cellars stored starchy vegetables that could last over the winter months without spoiling