Why Is This Barn Here?

Why Is This Barn Here?. . This building before you is one of the oldest standing wooden barns in Maryland. Known today a the Mackall barn, artisans built it in 1785 for John Mackall. After the capital moved to the Annapolis in 1695, John Mackall was the first in a family dynasty that came to own all of what had been St. Mary's City. For nearly two hundred years, this structure's primary use changed back and forth from storing grain to curing tobacco. Its last use began in 1946 as a stock barn for cattle. The most recent owner of the barn was Mr. J. Spence Howard, a relative of John Mackall. Historic St. Mary's acquired this land from the Howard family in 1980., No 17th-century barns survive in Maryland today. A few from the 18th century, including the Mackall barn, are still standing. Those from the 19th and 20th centuries are far more numerous but many are in poor repair. In 2001, a state "buyout" program encouraged farmers to stop tobacco cultivation. This left many barns, which are an important part of the Southern Maryland landscape, standing empty and decaying., [Captions:] , Harvesting tobacco in St. Mary's County., Threshing wheat on John Guy's farm near Loveville, Maryland, ca. 1925., No longer standing, this mid-1800s tobacco barn near Morganza, Maryland, was similar in form to the Mackall barn., Tobacco was harvested when it was still green. It was then hung in a tobacco barn to cure., [Aside:] , Ownership Through Time. , 1723. John Hicks arrives in Maryland., 1753. John Hicks dies. William Hicks inherits the property., 1774. William Hicks sells the property to John Mackall, Sr., 1813. John Mackall, Sr. dies. John Mackall, Jr. inherits the property., 1815. John Mackall, Jr. dies. His daughter, Margaret Mackall Brome, inherits the property., 1816. Margaret Mackall Brome dies. Her husband, James Mackall Brome, inherits the property., 1823. James Mackall Brome dies. His widow inherits the property., 1840. Dr. John Mackall Brome comes of age and inherits the property., 1887. Dr. John Mackall Brome dies. His son, James Thomas Brome, inherits the property., 1910. James Thomas Brome dies. His daughters, Susette and Jeanette, inherit the property., 1949. Susette Brome Bennett dies. Her share of the property goes to Jeanette Brome Howard., 1967. Jeanette Brome Howard dies. The property is inherited by her children, Thomas B. and J. Spence Howard, Jr., 1980. The state of Maryland acquires the property for Historic St. Mary's City.