Freedom, and a Cabin

Freedom, and a Cabin. Baltimore County Heritage Project. , Research indicated that the Jacob House log cabin was originally built in the 1840s by a former slave freed from the nearby plantation estate known as Hampton, owned by the Ridgely family, or from a smaller plantation known as Stevenson. , It is believed that the cabin was built on land now in the 400 block of East Pennsylvania Ave, approximately a quarter-mile from where it stands today., The cabin was relocated as part of the process to preserve it. In 2001, Baltimore County and the Northeast Towson Improvement Association sponsored a study of the cabin's origins. , The study dated the cabin to the 1840s, a finding consistent with the belief that the East Towson community was established by African Americans manumitted from the Hampton estate. , Although the legal details of the Jacob House's early ownership are unknown, historic records support the existence of an African American settlement in East Towson as early as the mid-19th century., The "African American Church and School", shown on the 1877 atlas to the left, was established to serve the needs of the rapidly growing African American community that began with the arrival of families seeking freedom, like the family who likely built the Jacob House., [sidebars] , Early Settlement - Above is an 1877 atlas prepared by G.M. Hopkins. The red arrow points to the noted "African church and school," a strong indication of East Towson's early roots. , More Recent Times - The photo above shows the Jacob House cabin prior to restoration on modern-day east Pennsylvania Avenue, attached to a larger house.