Near Sharpsburg in Washington County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Ferry Hill
Farm, Ferry and Freedom
| | Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park | |
Photographed by Mike Stroud, July 28, 2012
1. Ferry Hill Marker
The brick home in front of you once stood at the heart of a Western Maryland plantation called "Ferry Hill." Built between 1812 and 1820, the plantation consisted of nearly 700 acres of land, a tavern, and a ferry. An enslaved workforce of 18 people ensured the farm's success. Ferry Hill's builder, John Blackford, was an advocate of building the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal which crosses the lower part of the property along the Potomac River.
Ferry Hill overlooks a strategic crossroads of the Potomac, the canal, and a series of river crossings. These routes carried farm produce and coal, as well as immigrants and freedom seekers. During the Civil War, Union and Confederate forces occupied the home and grounds at various times. Henry Kyd Douglas, a resident of Ferry Hill, wrote the memoir, "I Rode with Stonewall," about his experiences as a Confederate officer.
(Picture included: John Blackford and Henry Kyd Douglas)
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Places. In addition, it is included in the Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Canal series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1812.
Location. This marker has been replaced by another marker nearby.
this page online
Regionally, this marker was in the Baltimore Metro Region and in Western Maryland. It was also in the American Mid-Atlantic, in Appalachia, and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it was in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it found itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location: The People of Ferry Hill (within shouting distance of this marker); Swearingens Ferry and Pack Horse Ford (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Blackfords Ford (about 400 feet away); The James Rumsey Bridge / The Battle of Antietam or Sharpsburg (about 400 feet away); A View into the Past (about 600 feet away); Shepherdstown (approx. 0.2 miles away); a different marker also named Blackford's Ford (approx. 0.2 miles away); a different marker also named Ferry Hill Place (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Sharpsburg.
Another marker is no longer nearby. Ferry Hill Place (was here, next to this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Also see . . . Ferry Hill Plantation/C&O Canal Visitor Center. C&O Canal Trust
Photographed by Mike Stroud, July 28, 2012
2. Ferry Hill Marker, overlooks the Potomac River
Photographed by Mike Stroud, July 28, 2012
3. Ferry Hill, southside
Photographed by Mike Stroud, July 28, 2012
4. Ferry Hill
Photographed by Mike Stroud, July 28, 2012
5. Ferry Hill, eastside
Photographed by Allen C. Browne, August 27, 2017
6. Ferry Hill before Its Conversion to a Restaurant in the 1940s
The Georgian portico was added in the restaurant conversion.Close-up of photo on marker
Photographed by Allen C. Browne, August 27, 2017
7. Sarah Swearingen Blackford
& her two daughters Benoni and Eliza
& her two daughters Benoni and Eliza
“In 1798, John Blackford married Sarah Swearingen, a direct descendant of ferry owner Thomas Van Swearingen. Sarah died in 1805, leaving Blackford with two children under the age of nine.” John Blackford married Elizabeth Knode in 1812. They were Henry Kyd Douglas' great-grandparents.Close-up of NPS signage at Ferry Hill
Photographed by Allen C. Browne, August 27, 2017
8. Enslaved Residents
1800-1864
1800-1864
Aaron, Ann, David, Biddle, Edmund (Ned), Caroline, Enoch, Daphney, George, Fanny, Isaiah, Malvina, John, Moll, Julius (Jupe), Murphy, a married couple, Will and Hannah and their child, Mary.Close-up of signage at Ferry Hill
Credits. This page was last revised on March 30, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 10, 2012, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 1,672 times since then and 42 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on August 11, 2012, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. 6, 7, 8. submitted on August 28, 2017, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland.
