http://Savagepreservationphotography.com/

Phantom Photography, Frederick, MD (2026)

05/26/2021

Spent a week in Charleston, South Carolina. Beautiful area full of wonderful architecture and history. Wondering who all has been and captured some great photos? Please share if you have, I’d love to see your pictures! Here are just a couple of churches I fell in love with.

03/21/2021

Hobbs c1850 ~
Libertytown, Maryland

To understand this property and the others I’ll be posting on, you'll need to understand the family. The Hobbs were an extremely successful family, helping to colonize Anne Arundel and Frederick county, Maryland. The Hobbs were associated with some of the most elite social and political networks of there day. The family intermarried with the Dorsey, Gaither, Hammond, Smith and Rodericks as well as others.

William Hobbs Jr.- (1793-1876), wife Susan Dorsey (1804-1861) and his family. The Hobbs family seemed to be a very prominent family, helping to colonize Anne Arundel and Howard County, Maryland. William Hobbs Jr. was born in Frederick County, Maryland by William Hobbs Sr. (1746-1829) and Henrietta Dorsey (1766-1798). William Hobbs Sr. was known as "King Billy, king of the convicts", because he bought so many convicts that were brought over and sold from England. These convicts were sold for a term of years. William Hobbs Sr. bought numbers of them, including a number of “redemptioners.“ allowing him to secure his school master, shoemaker, blacksmith, tailor, fuller, wheelwright, carpenter, scrivener, etc.

William Hobbs Jr. alone, is responsible for purchasing/owning thousands of acres, he also owned copper mills, sawmills and Hobbs Tavern alongside his sons Roderick Dorsey Hobbs (1830-1894), Ulysses Hobbs (1832-1910) and Edward Hobbs (1838-1936). He had other children, some of which died young and others, like Warner Hobbs (1824-1887) became a doctor, choosing to not work alongside his father regarding farming.

William Hobbses Grandfather, Capt Samuel Hobbs Sr (1710-1751) alongside many other family members, contributed to the American Revolution as well as the Confederacy.

The main tracks of land in which William Hobbs Jr. resided are three farms clustered together 3 miles outside of Libertytown, Maryland. Known as Spring Garden, Oakland and Black Castle. Black Castle housed a slave cemetery on the grounds, sadly the grave markers were bare. The property I am showing you today, is Spring Garden. You should know that Spring Garden and Oakland are still in the same families possession.

Spring Garden is the most simple of the three properties, most likely built in the 1850's. Basic house built of wood construction with German siding. Though her appearance looks more plain due to the asbestos siding. Spring Garden was turned into a tenant farm by the family for many years starting in the early 1900's. Sadly after the last tenants the house sat empty.

I will be posting more on the Hobbs.

02/18/2021

When coming across a property, it takes much effort to learn about its origins. Tracking down previous or current owners is always a good start. Then combing the grounds for clues like this! One must be leery though, as a clue like this is not always an indication of the beginning. Sometimes it is just one of many chapters in a homesteads book.

Shafer is a well known name in the Frederick and Washington County, Maryland area. The family is one of many that settled the area. They’re name would spread throughout the surrounding communities which include Burkittsville, Middletown, Boonsboro, Funkstown, etc.. Not only did the Shafers’ build properties, they also purchased and helped them grow, creating a legacy.

Here’s a little history on two Shafers’ that forged a name for themselves~

John Shafer, a descendant of early Pennsylvania German family, was a prominent local farmer in Washington County, Maryland. John Shafer was married to Mary Hershey; they had eleven children. John Shafer, like many other county farmers, practiced diversified farming that included animal husbandry and the cultivation of several crop. Corn and wheat were major cash crops in the region prior to the Civil War.

John Shafer, Jr. (1753-1823), and his son Peter Shafer (1802-1895) operated four mills in this area, are described in local history as two of the most important millers in the Middletown area in the 19th century. There success would not only come from the mills, they also established tanneries and were hugely successful farmers.

Peter Shafer, a now wealthy retired farmer, left his valley farm to live in the most elegant Middletown house on the town square of its day, which he purchased from George Stonebraker. Later Shafer was reportedly known as 'Marsa' Pete for his history of ownership of slaves. In a January I0, 1860 deed of manumission to "Sundry Negroes" for his history of slave ownership. Peter Shafer freed four slaves, their freedom beginning in 1865 for Virginia, age 16, and Levi, age 24; eight year old Jeanette was to be freed in 1874 and two year old Wesley in 1882; any children of the female slaves were to serve until the age of 25. All slaves in Maryland were freed by the new 1864 Maryland Constitution, making Shafer's manumission's obsolete, however between the years 1858 and 1864 it appears that Shafer would have needed to house at least four slaves, either on the Middletown property or on his valley farm. In 1895, Peter Shafer, Sr. died at the age of 93, wealthy but childless.

Research is underway to uncover the story behind this stone, and who D Shafer was.

02/11/2021

Working on a new project and it included these handsome longhorn steer today! Of course once I learned they were friendly, I jumped right over the fence and had a mini photo shoot.

01/31/2021

Lamar to Bussard c1810/1850

Just because something becomes abandoned doesn’t mean it can’t be restored.
Middletown, MD

The Lamar family has a wonderfully rich history, this family escaped France from religious persecution in the late 1600s. Under the crown they were able to come to America, showing their support where they could. The family played a key role during the war of 1812, the French and Indian war, as well as the revolutionary war. Col. William Bishop Lamar, father of Richard Lamar was a very wealthy man, owning thousands of acres of what is known today as “Rockville, Maryland” as well as many other tracts of land. February 22, 1812 Richard would marry Mary, beginning there lives together on this property. Richard Lamar (1791-1815) and Mary (Johnson) Lamar (1794-1873) sadly wouldn’t have long together, Mary immediately becomes pregnant and Richard is off to serve in 1812 War, serving in the Frederick Brigade and dies in 1815 (the same year his son Peter Lamar Jr. was born). Mary stays on the property, selling to the Bussards around 1850. In the deed to the Bussard’s it’s stated that Mary is allowed to reside in her home on the property with her goat.

Peter Bussard (1826-1905) and his wife Charlotte (Curfman) Bussard ( 1829-1915) work hard to build the beautiful brick home you see today. Peter didn’t come from wealth, he knew it would be on him to work hard for success,which he did! Being a very successful farmer, known and loved by all in the community. Peter and Charlotte would have 11 children, all of which were born in one particular room in there home. Peters family wouldn’t go without normal family dramas, it’s said that his one son Steck Bussard was a bit of a womanizer... Peter was good to all of his children, offering them there own farms except for Steck. Steck was to live on his fathers property (a house within eye-site) so that Peter could keep an eye on him!

The Bussards had this property for over 100 years. Sadly they sold to a person who only saw value in the land. The Bussards home sat vacant for roughly 15 years until the late 1970’s, when a young and ambitious couple would by the property and do everything they could to restore and update this beauty. Upon purchase the home no longer had running water, electricity or a front door for that matter. Over the years this couple (who are my idles) have lovingly restored, maintained as well as added on to the property. Sadly, the Lamar house had been torn down long ago, but the other outbuilding which include a blacksmith shop, spring house, summer kitchens and bank barn still stand strong. They’ve also managed to purchase/relocate 3 log cabins and a bank barn from the area and restore them entirely on there property. As some of you may remember, one of the cabins is from the Leatherman Homestead. Another is said to be the oldest home from downtown Boonsboro and the last from the valley.

These homes have rich history, the original occupants as well as those who follow, have amazing familia ties to our communities, no matter where they’re located. I’m always sad to find the “abandoned” but become so excited to find treasure like this property.

Obviously this home is very much lived in, I am posting photographs of which I was permitted by the owners. They were gracious enough to allow me in, to tell the story and photograph what I could. I hope you all enjoy!

01/19/2021

Stopped by a place I’ve explored before, while researching new properties. The bank barn was built around 1850. Link below of my original post 👇🏼

https://www.facebook.com/114494923310740/posts/126854615408104/?d=n

Even had a group of swan fly overhead, just before heading home.

01/17/2021

Schindler to Leatherman ~ c1847
Harmony-Middletown Maryland

David Schindler (1809-1856) and Anna Catherine Michael (1809-1909) of Middletown, Maryland would marry in 1840, by 1847 they had a beautiful stone house built on there homestead, named Shindler’s Content. Before construction would begin on there land they constructed a hewn cabin for immediate living quarters. Anna Catherine was married before David, having a daughter named Melissa. Melissa was born June 13, 1838, in Erie County, Ohio. Two months after her birth, her father died. Her mother Anna moved back to her family home in Middletown, Maryland, taking Melissa with her. They lived with her great-grandfather for a bit before her mother married David Schindler, who raised Melissa as his own. David and Anna would have seven children of there own including, Hamilton, Jonathan, Mary, Theodore, Margaret, Maggie and Isaiah. Sadly David Schindler would pass away in 1856, at the young age of 47. Hamilton, Anna’s oldest son takes over the farm with his wife, to help take care of his mother. They reside in the house until 1869, when Hamilton and his wife sell the homestead to George Leatherman.

The namesake of Shindler’s Content is mainly known today as the Leatherman Farm. This homestead has resided amongst the Leatherman family now for 152 years.

George Leatherman (1827-1907) and his wife, Rebecca Elizabeth Johnson (1827-1908), who were married December 16, 1847. The 1860 Census records that George Leatherman’s farm was worth more than $8,500 and his personal estate more than $4,000—some $360,000 in today’s dollars. At that time, the family had six children, the oldest of whom, Mary (b. 1848) was enumerated as deaf and mute. George and Rebecca’s new home would require an addition, which was added onto the rear of the house, to accommodate there 13 children in total.

Although George Leatherman was listed in several Union draft registers of the Jackson District, it’s likely that George Leatherman, who was in his 30s during the war, would have opposed serving. He was a devoted member of the Brethren, a pacifist German Baptist sect also known as the Dunkards, was elected to the clergy of the Grossnickle Meeting House in 1865, and would become a church elder in 1880.

“On 12 January, 1861, at the Myersville schoolhouse, Leatherman led of a large group of Jackson District Unconditional Union voters to draft a resolution of support for the United States government against the Secessionists, including this item: “Resolved. That all persons who wage war against the United States Government for the purpose of destroying the Constitution and the Union made sacred by the blood of our Revolutionary fathers, be regarded as dangerous men, and as enemies directly and indirectly to our common country.” The entire resolution was published by the Frederick Examiner on 16 January and carried Leatherman’s name in large letters as the primary signer.”

George and Rebecca‘s son, John Leatherman’s first hand account being on the Homestead during the Civil War-

https://www.google.com/amp/s/dyingcharlotte.com/2019/01/13/john-leathermans-civil-war-memories/amp/

01/10/2021

Maryland c1800/1825

Built in the first quarter of the 19th century, this homestead has had quite the history. Home to a single family throughout much of its history, the farm was commandeered by U.S. Major General William B. Franklin to serve as his headquarters during the Civil War. In the latter half of the twentieth century, the farm was the home of Mary, a nurse and Public Health Service officer who served in the Canal Zone in Panama. This home has been added onto at least three times since the original construction, the summer kitchen was eventually encompassed into the main rear portion of the house during one of these additions.

Many efforts are underway to turn this historical gem into a museum, which takes time. She may look sad today but her future is bright! I plan to follow her journey, I will be sharing updated photos in the coming months as work begins. Regardless of her outcome it is terribly sad to me that some believe it’s okay to vandalize this, or any property for that matter. Sadly a major push to protect this beauty from vandals has had to be set in place. Now loaded with cameras amongst other things, I can only hope she will be left alone.

12/27/2020

Found this place cruising through Virginia a couple years ago.

12/20/2020

Who else is a fan of staircases?!? This gem is almost 200 years old!

12/20/2020

Schroyer Frontier Home c1790's

Wolfsville, Maryland

Henry and Ann Ludy Schroyer come from a long line of German lineage, being traced back to the 1500's. Based off documents found, it would appear Henry Schroyer is 2nd generation in America through his direct bloodline. Henry's father, Johannes Schroyer SR, born in Germany about 1735 immigrated to the US on the "Forrest" ship. Henry and Ann would marry Septmber 21, 1790, having 5 children.

Through my research I've come across some interesting accounts. It is said that the Schroyer home was built as a true frontier home, rifle slits can even be found in the attic today, though sealed up. Rifle slits you ask?... yes, they're built into the stone wall to "allow' for a "rifle" to take aim behind the protection of the wall. It should also be noted that the house was built over a natural spring fed stream, allowing for the water to be accessed from inside for drinking, bathing and cooking. Just outside the lower level entrance is a wall built into the earth, where the spring fed stream flows out of the ground. This would of been an area for keeping milk, eggs, watermelon, etc. cold. Story has it the house was built into the slope intentionally, allowing the Schroyers to build an elaborate safe area from the Native Indian Tribes near by. It is said the "wall' built alongside the the stream bed was purposeful in allowing the family to "crawl outside to obtain there cold foods, without being seen." Now with that said, I personally cannot find any information to confirm or deny that there was indeed major hostilities between the Indian tribes and the settlers during this period of time. I'm sure there were uncertainties and fears which enables folks to build on the safe side, as this was certainly and time of the unknown and uncertainty.

One last thing about this house, there was an interesting little nook in the windowsill on the second level. A secret hideaway! I’ve never seen one of these before, with both wooden functioning pieces still there. I can only imagine what life was like back then, everything you have being held within the walls of your home, you’ve built. Not knowing who or what could happen at any time. No bank, no safe deposit box, just a little hideaway in your windowsill. Perhaps covered by pots and pans, presumably to hide it.

**UPDATE**
I just learned from the owner that the hideaway in the windowsill was created during the Civil War. They carved this hideaway out to hide their small valuables from both the Confederate and the Union troops!

I will tell you, this house gave me weird feelings! The first level in particular had the hairs on my neck standing up.

12/16/2020

Wherever you go, Whatever you do,
I will be right here waiting for you...

Phantom Photography

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