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SM-13
Porto Bello
Architectural Survey File
This is the architectural survey file for this MIHP record. The survey file is organized reverse-
chronological (that is, with the latest material on top). It contains all MIHP inventory forms, National
Register nomination forms, determinations of eligibility (DOE) forms, and accompanying documentation
such as photographs and maps.
Users should be aware that additional undigitized material about this property may be found in on-site
architectural reports, copies of HABS/HAER or other documentation, drawings, and the “vertical files” at
the MHT Library in Crownsville. The vertical files may include newspaper clippings, field notes, draft
versions of forms and architectural reports, photographs, maps, and drawings. Researchers who need a
thorough understanding of this property should plan to visit the MHT Library as part of their research
project; look at the MHT web site (mht.maryland.gov) for details about how to make an appointment.
All material is property of the Maryland Historical Trust.
Last Updated: 01-06-2004
SM-13 Porto Bello Portobello Road Drayden Private
after1742
Porto Bello is a 1 1 /2-story gambrel-roofed Flemish bond brick house built
after 17 42. Two exterior chimneys stand at either gable end of the building. The
two on the east end are exterior, while those on the west end are interior. Two
smaller gambrel-roofed structures were added to the west gable end c. 1910, but
were removed in the early 1980s. These were then replaced by a one-story
enclosed sunporch, and another such addition was added to the east gable end.
The house has five bays on both the north and south facades, including a central
doorway which has a flat brick arch similar to the arches used over the window.
Both entrances contain double doors and are surmounted by a 4-light transom.
Windows are 9/9 sash with louvered shutters. There are three shed-roofed
dormers on either side of the gambrel roof, whose windows contain a mix of 6/6
sash and replacement casement windows. The roof below the lower pitch-break
once angled out to form a front (south) porch running across the main block; this
and a similar porch on the rear (north) gave the house a bell-cast profile. These
porches were removed in the early 1980s, and the south porch has been
replaced by a one-story flat-roofed porch supported by paneled square columns
with a second floor balustrade. The east gable end also once featured a pent-
roofed entrance porch between the two chimneys, trimmed with sawnwork
bargeboards Between the two stacks in the attic gable is a small 2/2 sash
window with a splayed jack arch. Narrow 4/4 sash windows flank the chimneys
Sf1-J 3
on the second floor. In the south bay of the east facade is a narrow (2 pane
wide) 6/6 sash window with a splayed jack arch. Displays a single narrow 4/4
sash window in the south bay of the second floor with a door in the same bay on
the first floor. The interior of the house reflects changes in taste on the part of
the owners. The 19th century molding in the dining room is an example. And the
hallway has retained some mid-Georgian carving. Paneled dados and architrave
trim remain in various places, as well as a highly decorated Federal cornice and
sophisticated plaster ceiling medallion.
An altered example of an early St. Mary's-Southern Maryland manor
house type, Porto Bello still retains its basic characteristics. The interior reflects
changes in taste on the part of the owners: the 19th-century molding in the dining
room is an example. The hallway has retained some mid-Georgian carving.
Porto Bello is located on a portion of the first grant of land recorded in the
province of Maryland: West St. Mary's Manor, one of the nine original Maryland
Manors.
SM-13 PORTO BELLO Drayden Private circa 1812-1813
The name Porto Bello commemorates a Caribbean naval battle
in~~he Anglo-Spanish War of Jenkin's Ear (1739). Admiral Edward
Vernon led the Royal Navy, which included several colonists. One
of the Marylanders was William Hebb, who owned the land on which
Porto Bello was built. Hebb remembered his service by naming his
son Vernon, after his commander. Lawrence Washington, George
Washington's half-brother who served with Hebb, named his Potomac
River plantation, Mount Vernon after the Admiral.
During the Revolution Vernon Hebb lived at Porto Bello in the
house that preceded the present structure. His correspondence with
his sister in England gives a fascinating firsthand account of the
effects of the ~ar on St. Mary's County. Although Hebb's initial
sympathies rested with George III and Parliament, by 1776 he had
joined the cause of independence.
A newspaper advertisement of January, 1813 describes theR:>rto
Bello property,wwhich was for sale, including "a new brick house, huge
and commodiou" and a number of outbuildings. The present house, thus
probably built in 1812, is a 1 1/2-story brick house with a garnbrel
roof. The roof below the lower pitch of the garnbrel angles out to
form a porch on both the north and south facades, giving the house
a bell-cast profile when viewed from the east. That facade has a
double brick exterior chimney with a one-story pent. Two wings
extend to the west in telescope fashion.
. T~is property has been included on the National Register of Historic Places, United States Department of the Interior.
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Form 10-300 (July 1969)
ll. NAME CO'VIMON
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF' THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PJ'RK SERVICE
NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INV EN TORY - NOMINATION FORM
(Typ1• .ii I t•ntri1.•s - complt:ll• applic,1bl1: st•ctiflns)
AN D OR HISTOf<IC:
Porto Bello
MHT SM- 13 Sl'A TU t
Marv1and COUNT\'•
St . Mary ' s FOR NPS USF OtH V
r'.N TRY NUMOE"R -G ... -;c-1--------------------t--~·~ I
8~ArJo~N ___________________ ~-------------~------~----~-------! I
ST .. CET AN C' NUMOIIR:
.__ __ M_a_rY.land Route 21Jlt (eaGt of Drayden) I CITV OR TOWN: r Drayden ST•Ti; "I cool !couNT'I' · l co1,1
Mary~a1~1d~-----------'l--!:2~1J!.,_Jli_~S~t>:.,_o_. ~M~.n~YL''~V-'"'-8-----~l~n~~w7--1 3 CLASSIFICATION
CATEGORY (Clt.,clt Onr)
0 Dist<ict ·, . Xl Buildong
[ 1 S110 .[J Strucr..,re
0 Ob1oct
0 Publ ic
fii Prtvofe
0 Both
OWNFRSHIP
Public Acquisition:
0 In Procef's
CJ Being Considered
., RESE" T use rc1i.,ck n,,., or More 11~ Approprloto)
x; Agr 1culrurol n Gove(nmenl 0 Pork
:J Commorctol n lndus11rol Dd Prlvoto Residence
:J Educolionol ('] Milhory Cl Religious
"j Enrertoinme nt Mus.eum Cl Scion1if1c
f.c OWNER OF PROPERTY OWNE R'S ·• """ E.1- -----------
STA TU~
X1 Occupied
0 Ur1occupr ec
0 Pr esttt"OhOn wofk
in pro~re-s 'I'
l J T ronspo' lal• on
1·1 Othe r (Specify•
ACCESSIBLE I TO THE PURLI C
... '" ll Rr•"• t~J
Cl Unre •It cteJ
~ No
Ci Comment<
-----1 ---- ~---
<lo .. Estate of Laura Kennedy Co~<!_J_ M_..:.::..r.:.:.8~·---=E:.:.rn:.:-o:...:r:...Jy"-.;;;;B.;:;:a:.;:.r..;:b;..;:o:...:u::..:r:...i., --=-r.:::.e..::s-=i:.,;;;d~c? 1tj_ ~~. ;
5T .. f7ET "'"'D NUMllERI I• r
Porto Bel.lo 111 L...__:_=-=_:_=-..=..=-:::.::..::.... ____________________________ -r-.-T-,.-T-,-.. --------------------,---~~ CITY OH TO...,N 1 ~ • l.
Dray den LOCATIOHOF L~GALOESCRIPT ION ______ -COURT~ REGISTAV OF' PEEOS £.TC I - -------
Mar land
~---------------------!,_,, n 0
Hall of Records I • :t STl<El!:T ANO NUMUERt
St . John's C Cl TV OR TO,,,N t
:~ -----------------..-----· . .:oo f'
Annapolis Maryland
6. REPRESENTATION IN EXISTING SURVEYS TITLE Of' 5URVltVo
Maryland Register of historlc sites and landmarks
=i "' I .! .., :ll
~----------------------0 .. TE OF SuRVEV1 1.9..7.0 ' l Federal --~·-- rJ County OCPOSIT RV ,-OR SUl<Vl V llCCOllC•S•
Mar land "Historical Trust $TR~c- ANO NUM8ln 1
9q :college Avenue CIT\' OR TOWN:
L--A_n_n_:_a~p_o~l~i_s_~~~-~~-----~-~~_.___M_a_ryland
ST A II
n Local I ~ .. - - 1 (
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b''i t-211 I•
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MHT SM-13 17. DESCRIPTION ---.--------------- ----------------(Ch••cJc One)
00 Cood 0 Fotr 0 Oeterioroted 1----------------~--~----~--
0 Ruin1 0 Exce llent ;::J Unexposed CONDIT ION
(Ch..clc Om•) (Clieclc One)
~ Alte red (] Unaltere d (1 Moved !JO Original Site
OESCRllJE TllC PRCSENT ANO ORIGINAL. (If ltno1<11) Pl-<VSICAL. APPEARANCE
Porto Bello is on the National Register of Histo1·ic Places . The property is within the boundaries for the St . Mar:v ' s Citv Historjc District a.:; subniitted by t'-: r•:1r.vland llistorical Tru::;t . '1''1e deci~ion to accept tbe extencJed boundaries requested of the National Historic Landmark~ nrogram is pending as of December 1971 .
Located on the west bank of' the St . Mary's River on Porto Bello Point , the driveway entrance is two miles east of Drayden on the south side of Maryland Route 211~ . Set rn an exposed promontory , the hou~e has a view of the St . f·ht·y ' .; River , the site of the old State House and West St . Mary ' s Manor .
Built during mid- eigt•teenth century, and a 1971 part of a 478-acre working farm , l'orto Bello l s a brick, gambrelroof, ·Maryland "manor house" type 'c.p which has been added two smaller gambrel- roof ::t.ructures, c. 1910, to the west in "shot- gun fashion . " The mnln block is painted and l'lid in Flemish bond brickwork . Of the four chimney stacks, the t wo on the cast end are on the exterior of the wall . The house has five bays includine; a central doorway which has a flat brick arch similar to the arches used over the windo~· .
There are three shed- dormers in the gambreI roof, the roor of each dormer an extension of the upper pitch. The roof below the lower pitch- break angles out to form a front (soutl1) porch running across the main block; this and a sirrilar porch on the rear (north) give the house a bell- cast profjle when viewed from the east . Besides the twentieth- century additions the house has been eontinuously altered over its long history .
An altered example of an early St . Mary ' s-Southern Mar yland manor house type, it still retains its basic characteristics. The lnterior reflects changes in taste on the part of t.he owners: the nineteenth- century molding in the dining rooM is an example . The hallway has retained some mid- Georgian carvin~ .
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l'L SIGNIFICANCE
PERIOO (Checlr One or More•• Approprlole)
0 P•e·Columbion 0 16th Ce ntury
O 1 Sth Century 0 17th Century
SPECIFIC O A T£1SJ (11 A pplic:nbl• ond Knuwn)
rot 18th Ce ntury
0 19th C en tury
:\ft.Pl"' 171J? AREAS Of' SICNIFICANCE (Ch•clc Ono or Morn n11 l\pproprlolc!)
Ab or ig lnal 0 E duc:o11 on
0 Prehi 1torlc
0 Hi1 toric
0 Agr iculture
~ Archi tecture
Q Art
LJ Commerce
O COf"'tmun1cation.s
0 ConserYollon
ST AT liMENT OF SIGNI FICAN CE
0 Engineering
O Industry
0 l nYent ion
0 Lond1cope
0 Llterotur ..
11 Pol111cot
LJ Rc.t1glonlPh1.
losophy
Cl Science
0 Sculpture
0 Socool/Humon·
rl Theo•r•
ll Tron•por101oc1n
MHT SM-13
0 20th Con•u•y
[ Urban Plonnong
l3iJ Other (SP•••·llr)
FJ.:rJ / hl: k .1 .· o:' M:'l'ry1 end
Porto Bello is located on a port.ion of the first rr·111t. of land recorded in the p1·ovince of Man· land: West !:' t . : .: !'V t s Manor , one of the nine original Maryland Manors.
Mt . Vernon , the home of Georee Washington , was namecl :.J.fto.. !'
Admir al Edward Vernon ( 168~ - 175 7 L corrunanclc: r of the Car·i lihcan flee~ of the Ro~al Navy in the Har of Jenkin's Ear (1739-1741), therefore William Hebb II named his propel'ty after Vernon ' ~; most famous victory, tile Battle of Porto BeJlo (1739) .
J . Allan Coad (1885- 1963) , threP tjmes Maryland State Senator from St . Mary ' s County , li ved at Porto Bello in tlw 1930 ' s and restored the house with which'his fa~ily had earlier ties . Edwin Coade of Carthagena, also nameG for a battle , had gone to the Caribbean du .... ing the War of u enl: i11 ' f'
Ear with William Hebb II and Laurence \·,'ashington, halfbrother of George .Washington.
West St . Mary ' s Manor t;ract, commanding d view of' tile Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River , was granted to Captain Henry Fleet , a Virginl a a cl venturer, who e;uicled Leonarrl CaJ ve:1·t on his first exploratory trip in March 1634 to the future site of St . Mary ' s City . Fleet lived on the Manor tract arni became a delegate to the Ma...-·y ~and AGsemb ly unti 1 h<·' returned to Jamestown in 1639 . In 16~8 the property rcvel'ted to Cecilius Calvert (1605- 1675), the second Lord 9altimor-e .
In 1742 William Hebb II patented a portion (157 a<'l'c--) of the t~act and later built his residence, Porto Bel~o . He died ther e i n 1758 . Ills burial place is marked by ~ t oT!'b in the garden . ·
1rhe llcbbs, 111 uddll,lon to 111aintalnin1~ a pJo.r1taiiu11 op'erated locally , con::;tru<.;L1.1d i·i ver· ~:chouncr·:: at1<1 oct:mgoing vessels for cros~- J\t;lantic t;ro.ding and t,he Wc..;t lr.<ll•~.; e_xport anc1 import trn<lc .
Although a siste1· , Elizabeth , had married an Engli~hnr 111,
the Hebb family ' s shipping acti v:... ties \\'ere threai::enecl by Lh• (SEE CON'rINUATIOM SHEE'I')
r
Fo"" lO-JOOo (July 1969)
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF TH E IN TERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES
INVENTORY • HOMIH ATIOH FORM
MHT SM- 13 STATE
'-iaryland COUNTY
~· t . Mary's FOR NPS USE OHL Y
(Continuation Sheet) ILNTRV NUMl>ER
(N.-.t>.r •II fllltrlH)
Porto Bello
116 . REPRESENTATION IN EXISTING SURVEYS continued
Nat:onal Regis ter o f .listorlc Places
1970 Federal
Office of Arch aeology and Historic Preservation 801 19th Street , N. W. Washington, D. C. code : 11
• #8. SIGNIFICAiJCE continued
I D A TE.
I
enforcement of the N~vigacion Acts by Great Bri ain . T~ese threats precluded their involvement in the American RevolutlCJn .
British activity in the Chc~~neake Bay a~ea ~entered arounJ a naval blockade which forced Vernon Hebb and other-plar ters to trade ir Balt imore. 'l'he Royal forces mac.e num0r.-.Jt1S raids on 1\me ~ican plantations . To de f•"nd thf:' St . Mar·y ' G Cou11Ly sh or~ line from Brl tJ sh nt tack 'fi10111a~ Johnson, Govern<_,-::' of i•1ar.1 .:and , S(;nt Vernon llebb th L.rty f;un.; on Fcuruary 8, l T/3. In spite of these precautions the British pill~ged plantatio1s , i ncluain& Porto Bell~, ana de;troyed tobacco crops, includJnJ· that of Vernon Hebb .
(1 of? continuation s heets)
...... ...
I
MHT SM-13 I 9. MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES
Recorders: William D. Morgan , Maryland Hi storical Trust, 9~ College Avenue, Annapolis , Maryland ; Nancy Miller , Historian, Maryland Historical Trust .
Interviews : Charles . Fenwick , Senior , Historical Society of St . Mary ' s County , Leonardtown , Maryland ; Mrs . Emory Barber, Porto Bello , Drayden , Maryland .
(SEE CONTINUATION SHEET)
[ 10. GEOGRAPHICA~ DATA ____ __ __ ------- ··= ·- 1
L ATITUDE AN O LONC. tTUOE coonotNATCS I lA!ITUDE ""~" LONGI TUOE. COORt>INA" 5 '1 D EFINING A RECTANGLE L.OCATING THE PROPEHTY Q OEFltltNG T Hi:= CLNlER POINT 01 A PROP l .,TY
----.----------------------' R>--- _ OF Lr:ss T~•AN TrN • CF< C s ____ _
coRNt..:R L.ATtTUDE LONGITUDE L AT1Tuor 1.. ""G1 1uCJ1 I Degrees Minu tes Seconds Oegroos Minu tes Seconds Degrees Minutes s .. conds Oe g•., es o,\1 nutes Second>
NW 3 8 ° 1 Q ' 5 Q• 7 6 ° 2 7 ' 3 Q " 3 8 o 1 Q ' 3 2 . 5 11 7 6 ° 2 7 1 Q " NE 38 °10 5Q• 76°26'142 . ~ 11
~E 3 8 o Q 9 • 2 3" 7 6 ° 2 6 ' lj 2 , i:: 11
~w ~ R o n a · ? ~· 7,; o ? 7 • ~ n • " APPROXI MATE ACR~AGE OF NOMINATED PROPERTY· 8"C • r; '-----------------·--- _ t::..u .,,. acre.s __ __ ____ _ V\
LIST "LL STl'T ES ANO COUN TIES FOR PROPER TIES OVERLAPPING STATE OR COUNTY BOUNOAHll! ----
ST 4T,O: COCE COUNT v CO Pt
• i---------------------·- ---- ----jTA T '" : CClt!I' COUIJTV
STAT~: COOF COUNTY
5T4TE: COC'IE cnut;T y
f 11. FORM PREPARED BY t...:...:.;_..:.....:::..:.:~:...:.:~::.:...:.;.~c.::....::..: __________________________ ._ ·-----------!
'IAML 4N O TITl..E·
~rs . Preston Parish,_!eeper:_of_the_Mary!~nd ~e~i,te~ ORG••N I l.A r t ON
Maryland Historical Tru~- ______ -------- ec.20 , 19Jl_ STf< !rET ANO NUMBER:
94 College Avenue ~C~l~T~Y-O~R~T~O=~~N~.~. ~=----=-=-.:--=:..:..:..=.;:::__ _________ __,-~;A-T--E------------------r-c-o-r-~-;
Annapolis Marv land '•ii --i...----'--112. STATE LIAISON OFFICER CERTIFICA 1 ION
A~ the desi11,nal<'•I State Liaison Off1ct'r for lhe Na·
tiunal Histone Preserva tio n /\cl or 1Qt•6 ( Public l .. 1w
8Cl.f>o5), I hereby nominale lh1s prnpt·rt y for incl us ion
in the Nationa l Rel?;tSter and cerllfy that Ll has h<"t:n
e' .. 1 ua1 ed uccord in~ to the cri teria and procedures set
forlh by the Notional Park Servic.e 1 he recommended
leve l of s1gnif1cance uf this nonunat1on is:
Nntional O State 1XJ Local !Xl
Name (bRWv\JD yi,cP0<-Jt- I J Orlando Ridout IV
1 ,1 ie __ S_t_a_t_e __ L~i~a_i_s_o_n~O~f_f_i_· _c_e_r _ _ for Maryland
11ate __ D_e_c_e_m_b_e_r_2_0...::.,_1_9_7_1 ___ _
N A Tl ON AL REGISTER VERIFICATION
I ho1d.1y <:<"li1fy tlmt this pro1K!rly i" 1ncluu1 d i11 llw
l'ldlional r~t·&isll' r.
C l11d. (}[lie<• of Arrht:'ol?i!Y ancl /J1 ,,1ori c PwM•rv.itiun
/\TTESJ:
- ------- -··-~~~
uat"---------~-----~---
GP O ~ n 1 .11 II 7
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MH~' SM- 13
Fo"" 10-JOOo (J ... ly 1969)
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT or THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES
INVENTORY · NOMINATION FORM
STA TE
Mary land C OUN T Y
St . Mar y ' s FOR NPS use ONL y
(Continuation Sheet) ENTqY NUMBER I D ATE
I
Porto DeJJo
#9 . REFERENCES continued
Porr.;an , Jlenl'y Chnncllee , .Tamest.own and St . Mc.r1 ' .~ 0!' Romance , Ualt.lrnore : .Joi1113 11•.Jpl<Jn:~ Pf'e .. ,
RuriE>d Ci 1. i P. ·
1038 .
Pogue , Robert E . '11• , Yesterday in Old Sr; . Mary ' ::; Coun tv , !!•"':J
York : Carlton , 1968 .
Earle , Swepson, The Chesapeake Bay Country, Baltimore : ncm.ington- Put,nam , 1938 .
':.'ilstach , ::-'aul , l'ide\'/ater Maryland , lndianapol.!.s : 1931. •
Hill , Nor man Allan (ed . ) , Chesapeake Cruise , Baltimore : George W. King, 194~ .
Scar borough , h:atherine , Homes of the Cavaliers , 1930
Dict ionary of National Bi o~raphy , 63 vols ., N~w York : Macmillian , 188~), Vol . LVIIJ .
The Mount Vernon Ladlez ' A~'>30ciat i on of t..he Union , Mown; Ver·non An lllustratcu Hanclhool\, no plac~ : Judci and Detweiler , 1968 .
Biographical ~'ile , Library , Marylan<'I Historical Soclety , Balti mort. , Maryland , for .f . Allan Coad .
5eltzel, Edwin W. , Life on t:he Potomac , no publlsh• 1 > :9(;?. .
I
( ; 1 cd' .' cu11t . l r111 ·it 1 1i1 1 :·111 ,., ... )
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0
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UNITED STATES DE'i'A RTMEN1 OF THE INT ER IOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES
PROPERTY PHOTOGRAPH FORM
(Type alt entries - attoch to or enclose with phot~raph)
11) NAME
COM~ON: Porto Bello ANO OR MISTORIC: Porto Bello
12 1..0CATION . isTRl ET ANO N U MBER:
.larvland Route 244 (east of Dravden) CI T\" OR TOWN:
Jrayden STA TE: I COlJ£ lcouN 'fY:
. 1aryland I 211 I St . p. PttOTO RE FERENCE ~
~MOTO CAl!OIT: William Morgan OATE OF PHOTO: June 19bq N EG4TIV£ F ILED AT: Maryland Historical 'l'rus t , 911
'\nnaoolis . Mnrvland 21401 14. IQENTIFICA TIC>t-c
D ESCRIBE: VIEW, DIRECTION. ETC.
South f aca.de and west gable end . •
----- ---
• f
-STATE
M~Y'vl ;:inn COUN TY --
St . Mary ' s FOR NPS use OHL y
EN 'f RY NUMBE R
' OAT£
I .. I ,J
I cooc:
Mary ' ::; I {7
I
College J\.venue,
SM-13
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N. R. FIELD SHEET st. i~a1-;v 1 i- --
Form 10-300 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR ST AT l l .. .. ,.. .. (Dec . 1968) NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
COUNIY
HATIOHAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES IHVEHTORY - HOMIHATION FORM FOR NPS USE ONLY
ENT RV NUMBER I OA Tk'.
(Type CJ/I cntrt<'S - complete i.1pp/1cnbfo sections) ,___
I I 1. NAME ·,
co ...... o ... . Porto oello
ANO ~k HISTORIC' . 12. LOCATION .
ST Pl CT AN(' NUMBER:
1:a . Rout11 i2~4 (east of Dray den) CITY OR Tow-.,
Drn.ydcn .
.5 TA TL I COOE 'COU NT Y I cocr Mnr,yla.ncl I I St . f1c.ry ' i- I
13. CLAS SI FICA TION .
CATEGORY . I ACCESSIBU OV.NFRSHIF • ST AT US
(C'ht• k OnrJ TO THE PUBLIC
Oiift1C1 Bv1ld1n9 Y- Public - Public Acquisilton: Occuo ed x Yes: ...... -1 Si10 ~ Structure Private :q In Process c UnoCClJC)led Restncteo
Being ConS1dered ·- Prctservotlon work Unru tric red Ob1 ec1 ~
Bo1h ~
I No: ~· tn progr~i s ~
>'.:
PRESENT USE {Chee-le Oru .. • or \Jore ~'Is App1opt1utr)
A9ricvhv•ol IX (~t.-nl.•rnment Park , TrJ nsportJ 11on l'ummcnts
I
- l
Comme rc1ol 0 lndus1r1 .. J D PrtvJt~· Rt>s 1dencl' bO Other 1Sp~rd1') --- -Educorionol - Md1tar\ 0 ~•·I .,•10us r --- -Eri1orto1nmen1 L Mus<'Uln 0 Sc 1cn11r1c t:
14. OWNER OF PROPERTY ..
0WNC:q5 NAME /YI 1+-r<.y • EGta.te of L~ura Ken.YJed.v Coad cr.:cill:v ~rbour. reciclc1~t ) ? STREI:~ ANO "'l.IN'BER
Porto Bello CIT' OR TOWN ISTATF I COr>l
Drey den Maryland I ··---- -1 s. LOCATION OF LEGAL DESCRIPTION 1couR-THOUSC:.RCGl<TRY 01' I E:EOS E;TC
St . j.1o,r-J ' s County Courthouse
CtlY 0'' 10-N._, SI A Tl. co o r Leonaratoun Maryland
APPROXI MA TE AC1'CAGE 0 .. N0"'11N•TEO PROPCRTV 47 ~EPR ESENT.ATION IN EXISTING SURVEYS
Tl TLE or SURVEY
C A TE OF SURVEY F ederol ~ S101e - Counly Loco I OC:POSITORV F01' SURVEY RECORDS:
STRt.C T ANO NUMBER !
rm OR TO>'"' ' ~TATE COCE
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17. DESCRIPTION "'' R FIELO SHEE1 - SM 13
--:-----~~-c-~·---------.....J (Ch .. rlt One) CONDITION t--------+-E_x_c_•l_le_n_• _...:.I __ G_o_od_~ ____ F_o_i_r _(J ___ o_a 1e11oro led O Unupo•ed J
Moved -I INTEGRITY (Ch.,ck One)
Ottgonol Sire +J (Check One)
Altered lZJ Unoltered O t--------'----0ESCR19 ETHE PRESENT ANO ORIGINAL ( If known) P11YSICAL. APPEARANCE
Porto nol lo , 1.r·n - ro'.:1cti::ic i.r. trc ;"lidcUc of th'! 1'7.tr ccntu:-;; , i~·
a brick r;i.r-brnl roo'!'ed I1!urJlar.d na:r.or ho~Ge to ul.ic·, J 1.V" bec~1
~cit3cc' two fir.t'l.llcr {;'l.mbrC'l roof n:.ruct• rC"r (c1r110) to thr ,1N~t
ir~ rhot c1:r "-,:;'.11 on . 7hc mo.in hloclr ic p'l.intnl. •'le . i :·\1 1 O' c1 :ii ti
fou:::- c!1i•:.11cy :::t:'!cl:G ; the tlro on the C'l.Gt end bcinc on t}'e QX' crior
of the w.o,11 in Southe:m l~a.ryl~r.d. fachior: . ?'hf! hc-..:.cc la::: fiYe ··:;.~·::: +he.
includ ii•c "1. ccrtro.l <loor1·1a:r •.:hi ch , like wi t:t •rir:J.01 r , ·a::: '1. ""1'1.7. "' brick .'.lrcr . • Tl~crc are three dorme r uindom:: or. tho i-:t cl i ::;} G-1.:11.,ri;l
roof , their roofc bninCT extc:msionc of tl:e upper pj tcr1 . 'l'hc loiTcr
nit.cl. ~!'C:!.l'=C 1.ncl an["lcc out to for;i n. frort }"lOTC1' rum·ir.r, n.cror-r·
the :-i"..in block ; t::in and. a oimila.r porch or. th'3 re"..:r r;ivc:- t~!e
houGc a bell c~ct (Dutch) profile w:nen vic•;ed fror the c"'ct .
BcciC.cr tl•c ?.Ot!' cf"ntury a.cl.di tiors the ho-.isc 1:-:.z bcr?'l co1,t i:mw·.isl;;
al tcred over i tc loncl history.
Set on n.n cx"nocea p:ror.ientory , Porto Bello hnc n. v if"\T of the St .
i-b.:cy ' c River , t 1:c Old State House , 1.nd Hest St . i''l.J;f ' n F1.nor. It
iG pa.rt of :>.. uorkin1; farm .
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J8. SIGNIFICANCE
PERIOO (Ch<>ck One or Morf> •• Approp1i<1I<>)
Pro ·Columboon l 16th Century , J 15rh Century rJ 17th Ce n•ury n
SPECIFIC DAT E IS• tit Appllcrtbl .. and Known) c 1 (Ll.'J
A REAS OF SIGNI FIC.t.NCE (Chot:k One or Moro ee Appropri11te)
18th Century ~
19th Century n
,. -SM-13
201.h Century
Abor oginol Education Politico I 0 U1bon Plonning , I Prehi.sto11c n Engineering [] Religion Ph,. Other (Spc• ifr)
H1uoric: 0 lnduS!ry 0 losophy ::::! ':.rel i tr ctt~:-r Agriculture :-1 Invention 0 Sc:ienc~ n Art n Londscope Sculpt ure ::i Commerce ~ Arc hi tec t uro ..J Socio I Human·
ComfTun1cat ions 'l Literature 0 itorton ~ Conservation l1 Mol11ory :1 Theo1e1 0 ' Mus re Cl Tronsportolion rJ
STATEMt..NT OF SIGNIFICANCE: (Include Pf>rConlt/IN•. Dates, Evt'nls. E'rc.)
Built b;r ~Till in.."':l rebb , wl~o naned the house after tl°<' 11-..ttl ... of
rorto !Jello i.n wl'~ich ho took part (Le Ger-rec ~::. .... 1! r.-..~:.,..er:ce
.Ias!:ir.r;ton ur.dcr Acir::iral Vernor.) , 'Jroon.bl;:r "".oc·t l71J ('T;'m,.,-:.c-!::
rc~c"'l.rch) , ~.l thouc;h Orin Bullock su£m0sts it .,~. ~.·we bcnn
rcbtd 1 t <i.ftor rt fire in the eir.;1!tocnth cnnturJ .
An :il tcred c":<Cample of :in early St . : .. 1.:-y t s-Southern r;"\.ryl .,_r.e n""tnor houso uhich still rctn.ir,s i tc b"\.cic c~1~-r"'lc':."r:icticn .
The interior reflects char.res in t1ctc on tr~ ,~rt o~ ~he
owr.e:-s , f0r exn.mnlc , the 19th cc:r.tUrJ nolcline;- ir. V·n ( :.1:il"lt;
roan; the ha.llw:iy floes , l:.m:ever 7.. havo sor.lc r.itl- Ccorrei.:m c1rvir.c;.
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N. R. FIELD SHEEl· SM-13 9. MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES . . . ,.
Fenwick, i.ictorical Society of St . l'.1.~r ' s County , Lco:nr<l1o:.r , it~ .
flrc. 1 :olly Barbour, T'o-rto nello , Dr::i.,yckn , l.d . (9Sl'1- )21)'.))
10. GEOGRAPHICAL DATA -- -L/.TITUOE ANO LONl.llUUI: COOROINA rEs 0
LA TITUOE A.NO C..ONGI TUOL co,.. ... ntNA ft- s OE FINING A RECTANG'-E LOCATING fHE PROPERTY OEF'INl"G THE CEN TEfi POINT 01 i\ PHOioAl.H T"f
R OF l.ESS THAN ON!" ACRE
CORNER LATITUDE LONGITUOE ,_ATITUOE LC-./G TUOC
Degrees Mi,,utes s~cond• Degrees Minules Seconds Degrees Minute5 Seconds Degrees M1nufcs Seconds
NW 0 . 0 . 0 . 0 .. NE 0 . 0 . SE 0 . 0 . SH 0 . . 0 .
---- ...... - -... 1 ST ALL S"TATES ANO COUNTIES FOR PROPERTIES OVERl.APPING STATE OR COUNTY 80Ufl\IOAA IE!
STAT£ CODE COUNTY COO£
STATC: CODE COUNTY : COO£
STAT C: cOOE COUNTY COCE
STATE : COOE COUNTY' CODE
11. FORM PREPA.RfO BY -NAMC: ANO Tl Tl.L
William ~:or(.:i.n OR<;ANI LA TION ' • AT t.
Dep1rtment of Art ~is_t_o-'-""'--~~~~-,~ CI TY 01'1 TOv..... STATE cooc
Eew·.irk 12. STATE LIAISON OFFICER CERTIFICAllQN
f As tht' dt!stl!n.llt!d Stutt' L1111son OCCtt:er for the Na-
11onJI lli,.,tonc Prt.>l><'<Vd\ton An of 1966 ( Pubhc Law
SQ.hhc;) , I hereb\· nom10 .. 1t- this properly for 1nclus1on
rn 1hl.' N.11 wm<I R .. i:1st••r .incl <:er11 ry that 11 hbs been
l'\<1luat1·d according lo the t:ntn1J and procedu res set
rurth bv thL' Nat1ondl Park Service The recommended
IL•Yt' I or s11tnif1canCt' o f lh1S non11nal10n 1S:
Natiutwl ' I St.1lt' . Local l l
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Uelaware NATIONAL REGISTER VERIFICATION
I hert'bv certify ·that this propNly '" included 10 the
National Register.
Chief, OU1ce of Archeology and H1 ,;torr c Preservation
Date
ATTEST:
Keeper of Th e No11onol Reg1~1er
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ARTIFACTS RECOVERED FROM PORTO BELLO
Henry M. Miller Archaeological Laboratory Director
Historic St. Mary's City
During the summer of 1984, I examined a large collection of artifacts
recovered from the site of Porto Bello. All derived from the vicinity of
the main house on the property. Most of this collection consisted of
ceramic sherds with a little glass and a few other materials present.
Because of questions pertaining to how early this structure was constructed,
a detailed examination of the materials was made to ascertain when occupa
tion began and how long it continued. Fortunately, because of their short
production periods, ceramics provide an excellent tool for establishing
the date of archaeological sites.
The majority of the pottery sherds were of post-1850 date, but an
important component were made before that date. The earliest specimen in
the collection was a sherd of North Devon Gravel Tempered Ware. This
English ceramic is a predominantly 17th-century artifact, although it
does continue into the 18th century. Other wares, such as English Brown
and Dipped Stoneware and locally made pottery all suggest that a residence
was established at the site during the second quarter of the 18th century.
Other wares (White Salt Glaze, Rhenish Stoneware, Scratch Blue, Creamware,
Suckley ware and Pearlware) all indicate that occupation continued through
c~~ the 18th century. Very early 19th-century ceramics, as revealed by
t~eir decoration, are common, but sufficient quantities of pearlware and
Blue-edge decorated Whiteware were found to determine that occupation
did persist during the 1800 to 1850 period. As previously noted, the bulk
o-f the collection dates to the post 1850 period and continues up into the
20th century. In summary, the ceramic evidence indicates that occupation
at Porto Bello began c.1725 and continued more or less continuously into'
the 20th century. This early founding date and long period of occupation
make Porto Bello an important site and a rich source of information about
the changing ways of life in Maryland.
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Overall, the collection of surface materials examined by the author
indicates that a large quantity of 18th and 19th-century remains survive
at this site. The diversity and richness of the collection suggests
that the builders' trenches and other architectural features in the
soil will yield dating evidence through which the evolution of this
significant early Maryland'home can be traced.
In addition to the artifact collection discussed here, it should be
noted that other lBth and 19th-century artifacts have been observed in
the fields surrounding the main house. These objects probably signify
SM-13
the location of outbuildings, servants' quarters and tenant homes asso
ciated with the Porto Bello plantation. Although no intensive examination
of the area has been undertaken, the discovery of artifacts on the lands
bordering the main house suggests that many other significant archaeological
remains lie buried and forgotten under the soils of this historic property.
January, 1985
I
.'/
P.O. Box 39. St. Mary's City. Md. 20686 (301) 862-9880 (301) 862-1634
Historic Jt. Mary's City
PORTO BELLO
_,·
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SM-13 Architectural Notes
13 July 1985
William Hebb and Garry Wheeler Stone
Masonry
SOUTH WALL, FINAL PERIOD
Irregularities in the masonry suggest that this wall was intended to be covered with a rendering of plaster, and ~races of such a rendering survive behind the location of the former porch posts. This rendering was not scored to imitate ashlar. Among the irregularities the wall displays are:
Inconsistent course closure -
At most openings, the bond is broken using "king" (3/4) brick closers. Along the east side of the door and the east side of one of the windbws, "queen" (! brick) closers were used.
Joint Finish
Unlike the east and north walls, the mortar joints were not scored with a jointer and ruler. The south wall joints are finished with the trowel only. The strike is common (trowel handle up) and not a weathered strike. Occasionally, where the joints are particularly wide (as in the jack arches above the windows), the joint was struck twice creating a raised center.
(The joint finish is well preserved as a coat of stucco protected it for much of its life and the wall has been painted only a few times since then.)
Window arches -
The window arches are unusual. The jack arches are crude {brick ungauged, starting angles irregular), and reinforced by a rowlbck course above the jack arches. Either the arch~s were meant to be concealed or the window heads have been raised. If the windows have been raised,we should be able to determine this from the sheltered brickwork immediately under the cornice.
.•. /contd.
Historic St. Mary's City is the state outdoor museum of history, archaeology, and natural history at the site where Maryland's first settlement and capital was founded in 1634.
An Agency of the Maryland Department of Economic f, Community Development
I J
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Porto Bello SM-13 Architectural Notes 13 July 1985 Page 2
EAST WALL, FINAL PERIOD
This wall is laid in irregular Flemish bond with ruled joints. The foundation is older or laid of reused brick.
Brick Bond--wall -
Irregular Flemish. Evolves into English or common bond around some openings to work out the bond. At the bottom of the wall there are 4 courses of large brick above a two-step water table and an English bond foundation laid of large brick.
Brick Bond--chimneys -
South chimney: Flemish bond switching to haphazard bo~d near the top of the gable.
North chimney: Flemish bond switching at head height to a haphazard bond combining English and corn.~on bond.
Thickness -
A brick and a half from the foundation to the gable, a brick thick in the gable.
Mortar and Joint finish
The exterior 4 inches of the wall is laid in a white, high lime mortar. The shell for the mortar was poorly burned and poorly screened. This left many small fragments of shell in the mortar. The back-up mortar is a tan mortar incorporating less lime.
Both head joints and bed joints have been flush struck and then scored with a 1/8 inch wide jointer, sharp cornered, only slightly worn. A ruler was used in striking the bed joints. Good control was used. Only a few of the head joints are deeply incised.
The joints of the English bond foundation have been handled very differently. While the mortar and jointer appear the same or similar, only the head joints of the foundation have been scored, and these rather deeply. Are the foundation and wall from different periods,,,from the same period by different workmen (the head mason being-awayo~·sick), or was the mortar too soft to strike at the end of the day and too hard to strike the next day? (Lim~ mortar has to partially set before the joint is finished.)
•.. /contd.
I
Porto Bello SM-13 Architectural Notes 13 July 1985 Page .1
Window Arches -
The ground floor windows have jack arches (no rowlocks above), the second floor windows have no arches, and the small window in the peak of the roof has a simple rowlock above the frame.
NORTH WALL
The northeast corner is the end of the east wall. Its return to the west was toothed to allow for the subsequent bricking of the north wall. Thus, at the time of the reconstr~ction of the old farmhouse into the present, gambrell-roofed structure, the new north wall was frame. The north wall was reconstructed in brick at a later ti~e, but not much later. A double-struck headed nail was discovered driven into the top bed joint of the north wall.
NE CORNER
At the north end of the east wall, the brickwork was not neatly ter~inated but returned to the west and was toothed to allow for the future bricking of the north wall. Alternate courses of the wall return are a stretcher and a header (13") wide, but the courses above and below are a header, a queen closer, and a stretcher (15!") wide. Despite the thick paint on the north wall, this toothing is obvious, because when the north wall was bricked, the mason had trouble coursing into the old work. Occasionally, he had to cant down the end of a new brick to fit between the toothed brick.
During the period that the north wall was frame, the toothing may have been concealed behind a corner board.
that tape that of
At the NE corner, wood grain impressions in the mortar show the wall pl~te has moved inward 9/16ths of an inch. While recording the field notes, Stone thought that this meant the present plate is a replacement dating from the bricking
the north wall. However, in the field sketches we noted that at its east end, the present plate rests on shell-filled mortar dating ~rom the construction of the east wall. Thus the present plate is original to the construction of the gambrell roof.
The north wall plate is only 2 inches thick. It was designed as the joist bearer cap of a brick wall and not as the lintel of a timber wall. Along with the toothing of the NE corner, this is evidence that the Hebbs planned to brick the north wall at
•.. /contd.
Porto Bello SM-13 Architectural Notes 13 July 1095 Page 4
an early date. And they may have done so. A double-struck headed, machine-cut nail comparable to those used in the gambrell roof was found projecting from the top bed joint of the north wall.
North Wall -
Flemish bond brickwork with joints scored with a ruler. The exterior mortar was an excellent, clean lime putty. Unfortunately, only the top course is free of thick layers of white paint, but this course shows that the mortar joints were carefully scored with a crisply square-cornered jointer exactly 1/8 inch wide. Excellent control was shown in scoring both the head and bed joints. The ruler employed was over four feet long.
NW Corner -
At the NW corner, the masonry does not change period. Rather the 19th-century, north wall masonry continues around the corner, but in a manner suggesting that this masonry was laid between the house being remodelled and a building i:nmediately to the west. While the north wall ruling continues to the NW corner, it does not rontinue around the corner. The joints at the north end of the west wall are merely trowel struck, and at the end of the gable joist some mortar was left hanging out of the joints as if the mason could not reach this area. The profile of the west side of the corner also is slightly irregular, as if t!"le brick were laid against an existing structure. This pre-existing structure may have been a hyphen connecting the dwelling and exterior kitchen. In the west gable, ruled joints begin again above the level of the conjectured hyphen.
Roof
The present roof was constructed between 1790 and 1812. The January, 1813 newspaper advertisement establishes that the house already h~s been reconstructed, and a post 1790 date is established by the nails used in constructing the gambrell roof.
NAILS
The present roof is constructed with both wrought and early machine2cut nails. The lower rafter feet are attached to the false plates and 9fOund floor ceiling joists with 4 inch wrought spikes. The rest of the visible roof frame is fastened with machine-cut, double-struck hand-headed nails. Double-struck nails attach the upper collars to the upper rafters, the shingle lath
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Porto Bello SM-13 Architectural Notes 13 July 1985 Page 5
to the lower rafters, and the filler pieces (between the shingle lath) to the gable rafters. Double-struck nails were used to assemble the steep stair from the attic to the roof space and the ladder from the roof space to the top of the roof (where there may have been a Captain's walk). Two generations of hand-wrought, spoontipped nails pierce the sheathing of the upper roof. (Spoon tipped, wrought nails were preferred for shingling, as the wide tips cut rather than split the fibers of the shingles.)
ROOF ASSEMBLY
The roof was reared as two separate sets of trusses. First, lower trusses were assembled. These consist of the lower rafters pinned with large, octagonal wooden pins to the ceiling joists of the attic. After these trusses were reared and spiked to the floor frame below, 1 inch by 10 inch pine planks (now seasoned to 15/16 inches by 9! inches) were laid on the ends of the attic ceiling joists. On these planks, upper trusses were reared. The upper trusses consist of the upper rafters and collars. The rafters are through mortised, tenoned, and pinned at their apices. The collars are half-lapped and nailed. While the saw marks on the collars do not match those on the rafters, they are conte~porary. This was proven by picking up t~e fallen ;3 truss collar and matching the nails in it to the holes in the rafters. The nails (2! inch, double-struck hand-headed) match the holes in the rafters perfectly. As there were no extra, earlier nail holes, the collar must be original.
The upper rafters were pit sawn from adze-hewn baulks. While they vary in dimensions from 5 3/4 inches by 3; inches to 4! inches by 2! inches, their wood and working (except at the west end) are completely consistent. The saw marks on the collars wobble less. Either they were sawn by a pair of sawyers with an exceptionally regular stroke,~or they were sawn with a water-powered reciprocal saw with a wide crank. The collars vary in size from 4! inches by 3 inches to 31 inches by 3 inches.
The present roof rafters were in place before the east gable was bricked. The mortar on the top of the gable has wood impres~ions matchirtg the existing gable rafter.
REUSED RAFTERS
All the upper roof trusses are uniform except for the #2 and #4 trusses. The #4 rafters are of pit-sawn oak, but are other-
..• /contd.
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Porto Bello SM-13 Architectural Notes 13 July 1985 Page 6
wise indistinguishable from the softwood rafters of the rest of the roof. The ff2 rafters, however, are reused from an earlier dwelling. They are pit-sawn oak 3 inches wide. They taper in thickness from 2! to 2 3/4 inches at their upper ends to approximately 3! inches thick at their lower ends. Below the existing collar truss, each of these rafter exhibits a vacant notch for an earlier, half-lapped joir.t. From the angle of the notch, these notches appear to have been for struts from shed rafters to shed ceiling Joists. On the inside surfaces of the upper ends of these reused rafters are lath nail holes and fragments of broken-off nails. One fairly complete fragment was extracted. It was from a small, sharp-pointed nail. Another fragment was extracted from a vacant collar joint. It was from a medium-sized, spoon-pointed wrought nail.
These two rafters are conjectured to have to be fragments of shed raf~ers dating from the widening and brick facing of the west er.d of the dwelling. The lath nails show that the attic had finished cha:nbers.
ROOF SHEriTHI~G
The lower roof was lathed with pit-sawn, 1 inch by3 inch shingle lath on 7 inch centers. The lath are attached to the rafters with one, 3 inch, double-struck nail per joint.
The upper slope of the roof is sheathed with random width (9 to 13 inches wide) reci?rocal mill-sawn sheathing. It is this sheathing that is pierced with two generations of wrought shingle nails and many generations of cut nails. Either this sheathing is a very early replacement, or, more likely, it shows that solid sheathing was pFeferred for this location. Perhaps the added strength was desired to stiffen the upper trusses or support the conjectured roof walk.
Initially, the roof space was unfloored except for a strip of flooring connecting the stair from the attic with the ladder to tha.~oof. While the attic remained unfloored, the ceiling joists, collars, and other miscellaneous segments of the roof were heavily whitewashed. They may have been whitewashed to protect them from powder post beetle attack.
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PORTO BELLO DWELLING St. Mary's County, Maryland
[SM-13]
Progress Report on
unravelling its architectural evolution
April 4, 1985, I spent twelve hours studying the
architecture of Porto Bello with its owners, Mr. and
Mrs. William Hebb.
This study included review of the documentation,
previous research1 and architectural parallels as well
as investigation of the historic structure. Mr.Hebb's
extensive knowledge of the building was of inestimable
assistance in developing the outline presented below.
This outline is preliminary. Further research will elaborate
it and may revise it drastically.
Garry Wheeler Stone Historic St. Mary's City 10th April, 1985
1. Frame structure 48 by ?, interior gable-end chimneys,
brick foundation.~
Date: Unknown.
Evidence: South wall brick foundation sandwiched
between subsequent exterior brick veneer and interior ,
cellar foundation. Reused timbers in c.1800-1810 floors
and partitions may include some timbe=s from this structure.
Foundation of SW chimney may date from this period.
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2. Flemish bond, brick veneer added to· south wall.
Date: Unknown.
Evidence: The east and west ends of this wall survive
and reveal the locations of two large windows. Brick
joints ruled with a 3/16" wide s~ore. Veneer rests on
a 13 inch foundation (with eliptical water table brick)
added to the outside of the original foundation. Foundation
appears to incorporate reused brick (two brick sizes
are present). East cellar window appears to be original
to this period and locates a cellar added at this time.
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3. West gable reconstructed in brick to improve the
appearance of the dwelling from the entrance road and
add a shed room the back of the structure. New Flemish
bond brick work had heavily glazed headers, ruled joints,
(jointer 1/8" wide), and a belt course at the ceiling level.
Date: Unknown.
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Evidence: Most of the gable survives including
the ghost of the belt course (removed this century),
the angle of the south roof slope, the rectangular
fireplace of the front room and a fragment of the
fireplace flue for the rear shed. Two of the shed rafters
survive as reworked into the lt2 truss of the c.1800-
1810 ga~brel roof. These reused rafters preserve
the plaster scars of the attic chamber and the notch
for the brace between rafter and shed ceiling joist.
A small portion of the plastered gable wall of the attic
chamber survives buried in the c.1800-1810 chimney. It
shows that the 18th-century ground floor ceiling level
was about three feet below the present ceiling.
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4. East gable reconstructed with rear shed or wing over
enlarged cellar. Probably frame construction.
Date: By 1758 (Hebb inventories and correspondence).
Evidence: East cellar wall and N.E. cellar fireplace
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5. Remnants of original frame structure demolished and
present gambrel roof structure constructed. This involved
taking down most of the south wall and reconstructing it as
a brick and a half masonry wall, extensively reworking the
west wall, and constructing a new east wall with two exterior
chimneys, a chimney pent, and an exterior cellar entrance.
The north wall was reconstruc~ed in frame, and the present
roof constructed.
Date: c.1800-1810 and before the 1813 sale advertisement.
Evidence: Surviving structure, double-struck (hand) headed,
machine-cut framing nails used in roof frame, fully handwrought
nails used to fasten roof shingles.
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6. North (rear) wall rebuilt in brick.
Dating: After 1830.
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Evidence: Fully evolved machine-cut, machine-headed nails
used in fastening interior finishes of north wall; subtle diff-
erences in moldings; unruled joints in exterior masonry.
· 7. Shed porch (piazza) added to south facade. Brick wall
under it rendered in smooth white plaster. Plaster not ruled
r to resemble ashlar stonework.
Date: Unknown.
Evidence: Plaster preserved behind later porch posts shows
that porch floor in place .before wall plastered.
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Porto Bello Plantation on West St. Mary's Manor
Preliminary Sketch of Historical Significance
Garry Wheeler Stone Historic St. Mary's City
13 February 1985
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West St. Mary's Manor has long and intimate connections with the St.
Mary's City historical site. The manor was the first land granted and
settled outside of the immigrants' fort, and was later the second Lord
Baltemore's personal farm. In the 18th century, a large portion of the
manor--Porto Bello Plantation--became the seat of important rnerchant
planters.
In the first known Maryland land grant--dated 9 May 1634--the
"Governor and Commissioners of Maryland" granted West St. Mary's Manor
to Captain Henry Fleete. The manor appears to have been part of Captain
Fleete's reward for abandoning Virginia and joining the Maryland colony.
Fleete, an Algonkin-speaking fur trader well known to the local Indian,
soon settled his manor. Quite probably, this was the first land in
Maryland settled beyond gun shot of Fort St. Mary's. In February, 1639,
precinct elections were held "at the house where Captain Fleete lately
dwelt."
Fleete soon sold West St. Mary's Manor, and the land was quickly
acquired by Lord Baltemore for his personal farm. In the early 1640s,
the manor was producing tobacco, corn, wheat, and a rapidly growing herd
of cattle, one of the largest in the Chesapeake (77 head in 1644).
Lord Baltemore's plantation was pillaged during Ingle's Rebellion
(1645), but was reestablished. While the second Lord Baltemore was
never able to visit Maryland, he retained a keen interest in his Maryland
manor and the capital village across the river. In 1663, Lord Baltemore
requested tha~_his son, Governor Charles Calvert, arrange to have Augustine
Herman, the gifted Bohemian cartographer, prepare a "particular map for , St. John's and West St. Mary's (St. John's was the Governor's plantation
in St. Mary's City).
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If Herman drew a map of West St. Mary's, it has not survived. But
ten years later he published his famous map of the entire Chesapeake, a
map that depicts eight dwellings within the general bounds of West St.
Mary's Manor. Mast of these are identifiable as small freeholds, but
three are not and must include the dwellings of Lord Baltemore's planta
tion. These three buildings are shown near present Long Point, Deep
Point, and Porto Bello Point.
In the late 17th or early 18th century, West St. Mary's Manor ceased
to be the proprietor's personal plantation. It was divided into tenant
farms which the Calverts leased until their manors were confiscated during
the .American Revolution. {The house now known as "West St. Mary's Manor"
is a 1780s replacement structure for one of these tenements.) Before
1719, the Calverts' land agent sold the best farm of the manor to William
Hebb I. His son, William Hebb II, enlarged this tract into one of the
major plantations in Southern Maryland. Before his death in 1758, this
wealthy planter-merchant acquired about 5,000 acres on and around West
St. Mary's Manor. It was this Hebb who built the present plantation
dwelling, incorporating, perhaps, the brick or foundations of an earlier
Anglican church. Hebb is believed to have employed Thomas Ingalls, a
St. Mary's Townlands joiner and cabinetmaker, to finish the interior of
his house. Hebb named the plantation "Porto Bello" to commemorate the 1739
victory of Admiral Vernon in the War of Jenkin's Ear.
William Hebb II left the plantation to his son, Vernon Hebb, who,
like his father, was a merchant-planter. Vernon Hebb employed a resident
of the old St. Mary's City site, Captain Edward Fenwick, as a master of
one of his vessels. Th~s association led to the marriage of Hebb's sister
to Captain Fenwick, a Catholic. This development caused great distress
to Hebb, the Anglican Squire. His letter on this subject has been the
source of considerable amusement to subsequent generations of Fenwicks.
The Fenwicks' St. Mary's City home still stands {SM-8).
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SM-13 PORTO BELLO St . Mary ' s County
SM-POR'.:'0 BELLO St . Mary ' s County
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PORTO BELLO SM-13 Photo by: Mark R. Edwards, May 1984 View of north facade and east gable end with pent, from bank of S. Mary's River
PORTO BELLO SM-13 Photo by : Mark R. Edwards , May, 1984 View of south facade and west gable end, taken from southwest . In the foreground (left) is the site of a later frame addition, recently demolished .
PORTO BELLO Photo by : Mark R. Edwards, May 1984 View of south facade and east gable end with pent taken from southeast .
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PORTO BELLO SM-13 Photo by : Mark R. Edwards, May 1984 View of north facade and west gable end , taken from northwest .
PORTO BELLO Photo by Mark R. Edwards , May 1984
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East gable end of building , showing windowed pent between chimney stacks with later Victorian cornice .
PORTO BELLO SM- 13 Photo by : Mark R. Edwards, May 1984 View of interior of central hall on first floor looking south, showing central keystoned arch. Walkway to left leads to northeast parlor .
PORTO BELLO SM-13 Photo by : Mark R. Edwards, May 1984
Detail of highly decorated Federal cornice and sophisticated plaster ceiling medallion .
PORTO BELLO SM-13 Photo by: Mark R. Edwards, May 1984 Highly decorated mantel and crosseted overmantel in southeast parlor, first floor, looking east.
PORTO BELLO SM-13 Photo by: Mark R. Edwards, May 1984
Federal mantel and paneled overmantel in northeast parlor, first floor, looking east.
PORTO BELLO SM-13 Photo by: Mark R. Edwards, May 1984
Northeast corner of central hall, first floor, showing Federal paneling and molding. Stair leads to second floor.
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PORTO BELLO SM-13 Photo by: Mark R. Edwards, May 1984 Interior of central hall, looking into southwest parlor. Note paneled dado and fire architrave trim.
PORTO BELLO SM-13 Photo by : Mark R. Edwards, May 1984
Detail of paneled dado
PORTO BELLO SM-13 Photo by: Mark R. Edwards, May 1984
Detail of back of dado, showing fielded panels. These may have been reversed in the early 19th century remodeling .
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