Parkside in Baltimore, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Furley Hall

Photographed By Laura Ashley Cooper

1. Furley Hall Marker

Inscription. On hill to the north stood the Georgian mansion built c. 1775 by Daniel Bowley II (1745–1807), Baltimore merchant and patriot of the revolution. He was a town commissioner, 1771–1778, and three times a State Senator. In 1814, British soldiers occupied the estate. It was purchased in 1847 by William Corse, Sr. (1804–1869), whose garden was a favorite of his friends Enoch Pratt and Johns Hopkins. Damaged by fire in 1906, Furley Hall was razed in 1953.

Erected by Maryland Bicentennial Commission, Maryland Historical Trust, Maryland State Highway Administration.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Colonial Era • War of 1812 • War, US Revolutionary. In addition, it is included in the Maryland Historical Trust series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1775.

Location. 39° 19.431′ N, 76° 33.669′ W. Marker is in Baltimore, Maryland. It is in Parkside. Marker is at the intersection of Parkside Drive and Boehms Lane on Parkside Drive. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4434 Parkside Dr, Baltimore MD 21206, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. World War I Memorial (approx. 0.4 miles away); Eutaw Manor (approx. ¾ mile away); Columbus Obelisk

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(approx. 1.1 miles away); Neil Abraham's Gateway Garden (approx. 1.3 miles away); Mounted Messengers (approx. 1.4 miles away); The Samuel and Anne Hopkins Grand Staircase and Tower Restoration, Clifton Mansion (approx. 1.4 miles away); Montebello (approx. 1½ miles away); Saint - Lo Drive Memorial (approx. 1.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Baltimore.

Also see . . . Furley Hall History. In 1886, Deborah Sinclair Corse, wrote the 5-page history of Furley, called Furley Legend. Sent to me by Jayne Larion, Grand Blanc MI. (Submitted on October 29, 2019, by Mike Miller of Millsboro, Delaware.)

Additional commentary.
1. Does the marker indicate the actual site of Furley Hall?
I am R. David Schaaf and I lived on St. Thomas Avenue (now Moravia Boulevard), very close to the Furley Hall site as a child. Does anyone know the extent of the grounds of Furley Hall?

There must have been surrounding estate land associated with the house. Does the marker actually indicate the site of the house?

H. Chandlee Forman, architect and architectural historian writes in his 1966 book,

Photographed By William Pfingsten, September 20, 2007

2. Furley Hall Marker

"Tidewater Maryland Architecture and Gardens" about the demolition of the site of Furley Hall in May of 1953. He made extensive notes and measured drawings concerning the outbuildings and the remains of the gardens of the house that existed until the middle of the twentieth century. I remember walking with my father as a child through these obvious ruins. H. Chandlee Forman suggests in his book that the foundation of Furley Hall was extant until the mid-twentieth century as well - with a Victorian confection of a house built atop it - and imperfectly at that. I remember seeing that house.

The house and its foundation were not on the Herring Run side of Bowley's Lane, but on the opposite side of Bowley's Lane - so that the lane ran between the house and the Run. I have a photograph of my brother and I standing on a hill in mid-winter, on St. Thomas Avenue (now Moravia Boulevard), and the camera is pointed southwest into the Herring Run Valley. In the photograph, the stone barn that H. Chandlee Forman documents in his 1966 book is in the photograph at a distance near Bowleys Lane.

Forman has a colorful and rueful story about the difficulty of documenting the overgrown ruins and the diffident renters that would not allow him to properly document the site before everything was demolished to produce the current row house neighborhood. But I still wonder - is the

Furley Hall from the lane image. Click for full size.

From the Laura Ashley Cooper collection, circa 1895

3. Furley Hall from the lane

marker truly located where the house was located, for I believe that it may not be.

Any information concerning this subject would be of interest to me. My uncle and aunt, Charles and Lenetta Burton owned almost the entire hillside above the site of Furley Hall on the northeast side of Bowleys lane when I was a boy.

Editor's Note: Thank you for your comment. We regret we cannot help with your questions. Perhaps one of our readers can help?

— Submitted January 31, 2009, by Roland David Schaaf of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

2. The Green Rose of Furley Hall and the Underground Railroad
Helen Corse Barney wrote of a Quaker family's experiences with the Underground Railroad during the mid 1800s, in her book, 'The Green Rose of Furley Hall' it explained how the family of nurserymen on the estate in Baltimore were known for raising a novelty plant, the green rose. Rosa viridiflora plants original to Furley Hall were in existence until the property was bulldozed in 1953, the same day Henry Chandlee Forman was writing the history and sketching as much as he could to remember the estate in one of his books 'Tidewater Maryland Architecture and Gardens'. Folklore holds that Underground conductors wore a green rose as a wordless signal during their dangerous missions.

Parlor at Furley Hall image. Click for full size.

circa 1895

4. Parlor at Furley Hall

Note To Editor only visible by Contributor and editor

— Submitted December 28, 2009.

3.
The marker went missing last summer 2009 while the city had a contractor repaving part of Parkside .City services say they have no information about same. I hope this has not found its way to scrap metal.

Editor's Note: Thank you for the update. Sad to hear it's missing, and hope to see it replaced soon.

— Submitted February 24, 2010, by Phillip McLaughlin of Baltimore, Maryland.

4. Furley Hall
I grew up around Furley Hall in 1960's. Have always had an intrest in the site and believe I located the foundation as a boy. I would love to see any photos that anyone could produce of the site. Also the folks who have sent info to this sight might consider forming an informal group to exchange info or stories.
Jim Weller

Editor's Note: Thank you for your interest in the Historical Marker database. We are glad to have provided you with a link to your youth related to this marker. Regrettably, we are not affiliated with the organzations who researched, sponsored or maintain this marker, so can't help with your suggestion.

Furley Hall Floor Plans image. Click for full size.

sketched by Henry Chandlee Forman, 1953

5. Furley Hall Floor Plans

This image may not be copied to be published elsewhere without the written permission of the submitter.

However, if you wish to coordinate such a group, with your permission, we can send your contact info to them with that in mind.

— Submitted January 28, 2011, by Jim Weller of Baltimore, Maryland.

5. Photo No. 3
William and Deborah Sinclair Corse are my 3rd G Grandparents, their daughter Esther Corse (Janney) my GG Grandmother. William Corse bought this property while living next door at the Clairmont Nursery owned by his father in law Robert Sinclair, then taking over and joining the lands. The Corse family took Baltimore to court over their polluting their water and harming the nursery. The Bowley family showed up once, and tried to claim the property, but Mrs. Deborah Corse shared a nice welcoming, and a nice goodbye, it wasn’t going to happen.

In the book The Green Rose of Furley Hall their daughter Susan falls in love with a soldier, in real life Susan marries a soldier Erasmus Gilbreath. Hettie (another name of my GG Grandmother Esther) plays the piano ... in real life, Hettie attended school at Irving College in Mechanicsburg, PA where she did play the piano. Note To Editor only visible by Contributor and editor

— Submitted March 19, 2023, by Laura Ashley
Photographed By Christopher Newman, Artist

6. Furley Hall Grounds
Hand drawing of Furley Hall grounds and location by Christopher Newman who grew up in the area. His descriptions follow: “I still have vivid recollections of Furley Hall. As I remember, it was located, as you say on the South side of Bowley's Lane fairly nearly the street that now lines the park, Parkside Drive, on the north side of Herring Run Park. Their was a baseball field nearby. I remember an oyster shell road that led you, up an incline, into the woods. Their was a house (perhaps the gatekeeper's, people were living there then) on the left and then immediately passed that was the foundation of Furley Hall. On the east side, not far away, were several wooden out-buildings. Sometime in the mid 1950's the estate and gardens were plowed over and new row houses were built. From the present day bridge over Herring Run, on Brehms Lane, Furley Hall was less than a half-mile walk. I played there many times with my friend Bobby Rohrer, but had no idea that we were playing on such an historical site.” “ Hall was indeed between Bowley's Lane and Herring Run Park. I would place the foundation, gardens, out-buildings and nearby gatehouse in the Greenhill Avenue - Plainfield Avenue area, perhaps at Shamrock Ave.”
Cooper of Jarrettsville, Md, USA.

Furley Hall Freed Slave image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Jayne Larion, Grand Blanc MI

7. Furley Hall Freed Slave

From Jayne Larion, Corse Family Historian: “This was shared by a cousin, a descendant of one of the Corse daughters. She said the caption or what was written on the back was 'Old Saul"

Furley Hall Gardens image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Jayne Larion, Grand Blanc MI

8. Furley Hall Gardens

Sent to me from Jayne Larion, Grand Blanc MI.

Furley Hall Back Porch image. Click for full size.

Courtesy of Jayne Larion, circa 1895

9. Furley Hall Back Porch

Corse's daughter, Caroline, Mother, Deborah Sinclair Corse, and son-in-law, Calvin Conard, of Philadelphia (husband of Annie Clark Corse).

Sketch of Furley Hall Ice House image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Henry Chandlee Forman (sketcher)

10. Sketch of Furley Hall Ice House

This image may not be copied to be published elsewhere without the written permission of the submitter.

Furley Hall Barn image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Jayne Larion, Grand Blanc MI

11. Furley Hall Barn

Sent to me from the Corse Family Historian, Jayne Larion, Grand Blanc MI

Furley Hall Barn Fire image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Oct 5, 1914 Baltimore Sun Article

12. Furley Hall Barn Fire

Credits. This page was last revised on March 6, 2024. It was originally submitted on September 20, 2007, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland. This page has been viewed 6,396 times since then and 307 times this year. Last updated on March 5, 2024, by Mike Miller of Millsboro, Delaware. Photos: 1. submitted on December 28, 2009, by Laura Ashley Cooper of Jarrettsville, Md, USA. 2. submitted on September 20, 2007, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland. 3, 4. submitted on November 9, 2007, by Jayne Larion of Grand Blanc, Michigan. 5. submitted on December 28, 2009, by Laura Ashley Cooper of Jarrettsville, Md, USA. 6, 7, 8. submitted on October 29, 2019, by Mike Miller of Millsboro, Delaware. 9. submitted on June 16, 2008, by Jayne Larion of Grand Blanc, Michigan. 10. submitted on December 28, 2009, by Laura Ashley Cooper of Jarrettsville, Md, USA. 11, 12. submitted on December 16, 2019, by Mike Miller of Millsboro, Delaware. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.