Bladensburg in Prince George's County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Lowndes' Urban Plantation
Bostwick
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Shortly after the founding of the City of Bladensburg in 1742, wealthy merchant Christopher Lowndes purchased 4 one-acre lots on which to build Bostwick, originally referred to as Bostock. The prominent brick mansion house, completed in 1746, was surrounded by a detached kitchen, barns, and outbuildings such as a dairy and wash house, most of which are no longer standing. Eventually expanded to the 7.7 acres seen today, the site was never a large agricultural operation, rather the gardens, grazing fields, and an orchard were cultivated to support the house and the many people, both free and enslaved, who lived there.
From high on the hill, Christopher Lowndes could oversee his shipbuilding enterprise on the banks of the Anacostia River while conducting business in the front parlor of the house. Known today as an urban plantation, this kind of city house was common in Colonial American ports such as Charleston and Richmond.
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior; Scenic Byways Program, Maryland State Highways Administration.
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Location. 38° 56.253′ N, 76° 56.044′ W. Marker is in Bladensburg, Maryland, in Prince George's County. It can be reached from Quincy Street (Maryland Route 769C) 0.1 miles east of 48th Street, on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3901 48th St, Bladensburg MD 20710, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, and in the Mid-Atlantic. 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: Preserving the Past (within shouting distance of this marker); An Evolving Landscape (within shouting distance of this marker); Bostwick
Credits. This page was last revised on June 28, 2024. It was originally submitted on June 28, 2024, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 189 times since then and 15 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 28, 2024, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
