Near Denton in Caroline County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
The Doncaster Dwelling: A Perfect Substitute
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), June 3, 2022
1. The Doncaster Dwelling: A Perfect Substitute Marker
The historic dwelling on on this site is not original to the tract of land first called Edmondson's Reserve. No original buildings survive from Edmondson's Reserve, which was first used as a private Indian Reservation, then as farmland where enslaved African Americans as well as White tenant farmers labored. Today, this part of the tract is the 4-H Park of Caroline County.
The Doncaster Dwelling was built in 1829 and originally located on an 800-acre tract called Doncaster one mile east of Edmondson's Reserve. The dwelling was relocated here to serve as an interpretive center for various subjects plus represent the one-room dwelling occupied by Period Still's mother on the day in 1806 that Peter and his brother were "sold South" by the owner of Edmondson's Reserve.
The Doncaster structure was chosen for three reasons.
1. It corresponds exactly with the "cottage" of Peter's mother in 1806, as Peter described it in his slave narrative, The Kidnapped and the Ransomed (1856).
2. It is a very good example of the one-room dwelling that were typically associated with the earliest period of European settlement throughthe mid-1800s, housing in the early 19th century roughly 85% of local residents.
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3. Professional architectural analysis plus land-record research indicates that the Doncaster Dwelling and the frame "cottage" of Peter's mother, belonging to the owner of Edmondson's Reserve, had a similar sequence of residents: enslaved African Americans, then White tenant farmers, and finally, independent farmers.
[Captions:]
Above: Shown on a modern tax map is the tract of land called Doncaster (green) one mile east of Edmondson's Reserve (yellow).
Far left: Doncaster Dwelling as restoration began.
Left: Restoration proceeds on a dendrochronology (tree-ring analysis) of the log floor joists that dated the dwelling to 1829.
Erected by Maryland Heritage Area Authority; project of Caroline Co. Historical Society & MD Heritage Area Authority.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Agriculture • Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the 4-H Youth Program series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1829.
Location. 38° 49.986′ N,
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), June 3, 2022
2. The Doncaster Dwelling: A Perfect Substitute Marker
Regionally, this marker is on the Eastern Shore. It is also in the American Mid-Atlantic, on the Delmarva Peninsula, and in the Tidewater. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies and also the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: White Tenant Farmers (a few steps from this marker); Early Commercial Agriculture (a few steps from this marker); Sydney Still: "Sydney's Choice" (a few steps from this marker); Peter Still: The Kidnapped and the Ransomed (a few steps from this marker); Edmondson's Reserve (within shouting distance of this marker); William Still: "Father of the Underground Railroad" (within shouting distance of this marker); The Food Sources of Enslaved Afro-Marylanders (within shouting distance of this marker); William Still Center (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Denton.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 4, 2022. It was originally submitted on June 4, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 271 times since then and 15 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 4, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
