CT-39

Taney Place, (Berry)

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: 10-29-2003

CT-39

TANEY PLACE •id-18th. c.

Also known as •serry• this attractive frame home is famed as the birthplace of Roger Brooke Taney, a Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court and author of the Dred Scott Decision.

Of simple detail this two story, five bay structure was constructed along a Georgian plan. It has a center hall flanked by double parlors. At each end of the hipped roef main block are two chimneys enclosed within the galbe walls. Later structural additions include porches and a kitchen wing.

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Form 10·300 (Jull' \969)

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

STATI;:

Maryland

C:OMIOION:

NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM

(Type all entries - complete applicable sections)

Taney Place

Berry

COUNT Yr

Calvert FOR NPS USE ONLY

ENTRY NUMBER OATE

r2. l.OCATION • /. • • . _ _ ,·. nRu·T "NcNuMeu11 both sides of Marylancf'""R.O'ute. 508, south of

Adelina and north of Bat~1~ - -CITY OR TOWNl

Adelina STATE f cooE !couNTY• I CODF

Maryland ( 24 l Calvert I nnn rr-CLASSJFICA TIOH _ _:., _________ _J,_...::::.;!.._J...---=:.::.:::..:..:~ .. ::,_:• .. -..-----_i..;"""",;a_i CATEGORY fChec:lr One)

(ii 8ulldin9 O Dletrict

0 Site 0 Structure

0 Object

0 Public

Ga Private

0 Both

OWNfRSHIP

Public Acquieition:

O In Procen

0 Being Con1iclered

PllllEIEN T Ulll (Cheri! Orie or More ea ApprQf>rl•le)

0 Agricultural 0 Government• 0 Porlc

0 Commercial 0 lnd111triol [la Prlvote RHldence

0 l!ducatlonal 0 Miiitary 0 Religioue

0 l!ntertoinmant 0 Mu1eum 0 Scientific

STATUS

fil Occ11plecl

0 Unocc11piecl

ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC

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0 Pretervotion w11tk 0 UntHtrlctecl

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0 Tron1portation 0 co-ent1

0 Other (Specify)

f•. OWNER OF PROPERTY uWro,.R'S N ,t.MIE:

~ Multiple private and public owners;_ Contact; Y p Hance Ill

ITRE£T AND NUMaE111t1 ~ Taney Place ~

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C:OUftTHOUIE, REGllTRY OF DEEOS~ ETC:-,-----·---..

Hall of Records n ITREET AND NUM91Ellll1 Ill

St. John's College Campus, Colleae Avenue ~

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CITY OR TOWN: STATE

Annapolis Maryland 24 rt

16~ REPRESENTATION,,.. EXISTING SURVEY$ TITl.E 01' IUllllVltv1 ~.r.;,.r.;, l,;UN'J. 'J.U.N ""

Maryland Register of Historic Sites and Landmarks D .. Tlt oi: IURYF.Y: 19-70--[--JF;;i.,;.;I-· kl Stole [.-1 County 11 Loni DEPOSITOllllY FOllll SURVEY REC:OAD$; c:__ ___ ..,;;..,;,..__-"----'~------

Maryland Historical Trust· ITRltET AND NUlolllltR:

94 Colleae Avenue

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' j 7. 'OESCRtPTION (Check One)

~ E.cellent 0 Good 0 Foir 0 Deteriorated 0 Rulna 0 Unexpoaed ·~~~~--.-~~----:(~Ch~•~ck~O~n~~-...;_---~ CONDITION

(Check One)

0 Altered Kl Unoltered O Moved C8J Orl9lnol Site Dl:SC: RI BE TH IE PR EIEN T AN 0 OIU GIN AL (II tnown) .:.·-H-Y-Sl_C_A L-A P_P_E_AL..R-AN_C_E___;~ ___ __;;::;..__..;.. ____ -1

The Taney Place property is located on both sides of Maryland Route 508, south of Adelina and on the north side of Battle Creek. •

Taney Place is a simple, hip-roof, Georgian-style country house, circa eighteenth century. It is on the site of an older dwelling which may have been incorporated into the pre­sent (1971) one. Five bays wide, the house has a central door with a tri-part transom. All of the windows are six over six. The end elevations (east and west) of the builning are Flemish bond brick, painted (1971), and the front (south) and rear (north) elevations are constructed of brick nogging covered with clapboards. There .arc two separate chimneys at each end elevation enclosed within the brick walls and each chimney stack protrudes from the end roof hip at approximately one half the way between the roof ridge and the eaves.

The interior is a four-room-on-each-level plan, with a full basement. In the basement are four rooms, originally used as slave quarters. One of the basement rooms is now (1971) a cellar kitchen connected to the dining room on the level above by a "dwnbwaite~." The front (south) living room of the house has a curved wall next to the fireplace which appears to be unique architecturally.

Sixteen acres is designated as a protective area immediately surrounding Taney Place. Although the house stands on a high ridge overlooking the meadows and reaches of Rattle Creek, the acreage required to fully p~otect this vista would be excessive.

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0 15th Century 0 17th Cent11ry

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MHT CT-39

18th Cent11ry

19th Cent111y

0 20th Cent11ry

ARll4S OF llONIFIC•NCI: (Clleclr One or More oe Appropriate)

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0 A9ric11ltvre O Invention

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Roger Brooke Taney (1777-1864), Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United. States from 1836 to 1864, was born and raised at Taney Place. The southern, slave-owning culture surrounding Taney's birthplace affected American history by imbuing certain values and attitudes in Chief· Justice Taney, autho.r of the Dred Scott decision in 1856, which was one of the factors that provoked Americans to enter into the Civil War •

The beginnings of the history of Taney Place lie in the mid-seventeenth c~ntury. For three centuries after th~ 165B land patent just the Berry, the Taney and the Hance families lived on this tract overlooking Battle Creek •

James Berry, a Puritan, left Virginia for Maryland in 1649. He received the first patent for the land in 1658 • His family remained in Calvert County for two generations before moving to Prince George's County and later, in the eighteenth century, to Western Maryland. In the 1680's James Berry's 600-acre tract "Berry" passed to Michael Taney I (the 1st) who changed the name to "Taney Place." [Note: the Roman numerals after the name are a device used to distinguish the six generations of Michael Taneys.] Michael Taney I had, within thirty years after coming to Maryland as an indentured servant, joined the ranks of the land-owning class. In 1685, he became the High Sheriff of Calvert County. His tenure in the later office ended abruptly when Taney was arrested during the Maryland reaction to the Revolution of 1688. Taney stood among those who wanted to wait for official notification from England before swearing allegiance to King William of Orange and Mary Stuart and before holding new elections for the Maryland Assembly. His captors, on the other hand, upon hearing of the overthrow of King James II, in England, insisted on immediate recog­nition of the new regime· and immediate el~ctions in Marylann.

Three Michael Taneys owned Taney Place· subsequent to the death of Michael Taney I in 1692, and before 1758 when Roger Brooke Taney's father Michael Taney V ( -1820/1) inherited it. Michael Taney V, as did~~~s grandf~:~~~ and great-

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Fe"" 10°3000 (July 1969)

UNITED ST A TES DEPARTMENT OF THE IN TERI OR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MHT

ITAT&

u .. .,.,,p1 """'A NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES COU"ITY

INVENTORY • NOMINATION FORM Calvert

CT-3Q

FOR NPS USE ONLY

(Continuation Sheet) I

(N_.,_ all .. trlHJ

Taney Place

#6. REPRESENTATION IN EXISTING SURVEYS continued

Historic American Building Survey

1969 Federal

Library of Congress Washington, D. c. code: 11

#8. SIGNIFICANCE continued

grandfather, married a member of the Brooke family of neighboring "Brooke Place Manor," Calvert County. In 1777 Michael Taney V and his wife, Monica Brooke Taney, had a second son, Roger Brooke Taney. The latter received his early educa­tion at local schools and with private tutors before attendin~ Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

By 1799, within three years of graduation, Roger Brooke Taney, newly admitted to the Maryland Bar, was representing Calvert County in the Maryland legislature. In 1800 he lost his seat with many other Federalists in· the nationwide sweep of the Jeffersonian Republican Party.

In 1801 Taney left his native county for burgeoning­"Frederick Town" which had attracted many other southern Maryland men including Thomas Johnson, the first elected Governor of the State of Maryland and a friend of Michael Taney V, and Francis Scott Key, author of '~he Star-SpanqlArl Banner," as well as John Hanson, President of the United States in Congress Assembled. Roger Brooke Taney's political career--which would take him later into President Andrew Jackson's cabinet where he was instrumental in destroving the Second Bank of the United States~ and, in 1A36, on to the United States Supreme Court--was launched from Frederick where he led a dominant faction of the Marylan<l Federalist Party.

One aspect of Taney's character, implanted rlurinq his formative years in Calvert County, remained un~empered bv time or circumstance. Throughout his life Roger Broo~e Taney re­mained a "southerner," especially in relation to hiscviews on .slavery and the Negro. Although Taney had emancipated his own slaves, he sincerely believed that the black and white raceR could not co-exist without slavery to hold the former race

(1 of 3 continuation sheets) . ----------------------...« ...

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Fort11 10-JOOo (Julr 1969)

MHT CT-39

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF .THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES

INVENTORY • MOMIN A TION FORM

STATI:

Marv land COUNTY

C.i:1lvert FOR NPS USE ONLY

(Continuation SheC't) IENTR'f NUMBER I DATE

I

Taney Place

#8. SIGNIFICANCE continued

in check. He accepted slavery as a grievous problem that shoula be solved by southerners, not by northern imposition. This attitude which was shared by moderate southerners, and was fused into Taney's values derived during his youth soent at Taney Place, came to the surface in the Dred Scott decision of 1856. Chief Justice Taney stated in this brief that slaves were the absolute property of the_ir owners. Slaves had no right to citizenship, no right to sue in a federal court ana no right to freedom because of residence in a free state; only the owner could emancipate his slave property. This decision and the reaction to it contributed to the polarization of Americans which, on April 12, 1861, exploded into a civil war.

After Roger Brooke Taney moved to Frederick in 1801, a duel and the War of 1812 touched Taney Place. During July and Auaust of 1814 the British fleet under Admiral George Cockburn (1772-1853) burned and pillaged Calvert County. Although Taney Place escaped the torch, the danger was great enough to send Monica Taney early in the war to her son in Frederick. Five years later on July 1, 1819, Roger Brooke Taney's father Michael Taney V became embroiled in an argument with one of his ~uests at Taney Place. The verbal conflict led to a duel in which that Michael Taney fatally stabbed his m~ch younger opponent. By fleeing to Virginia and living in exile, Michael Taney escaped prosecution.

After Michael Taney v died his heirs sold Taney Place to young Benjamin Hance whose ancestors had immigrated to Calvert County in the seventeenth century and whose descendants retained possession of Taney Place through the mid-twentieth centurv.

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MHT CT-39

f.!: ~R BIBLIOG~RA~HICAl:__~E(ERENCE! Recorders: Paul A Brinkman, Maryland Historical Trust,

94 College Avenue, Annapolis, Maryland; Nancy Miller, Historian, Maryland Historical Trust.

Briscoe, Betty Worthington. "Know Your County. II pamphlet, files of Maryland Historical Trust, Annap,.olis , Maryland, 1958.

SEE CONTINUATION SHEET J 10. ·------·------·- ··--··---· ..... ·-·· ·-·-·- -~--·-···----G!OGRAPHICAI. DATA .

l..A~-;:·-;:;;;-u;;;;(jlTUDE c:oo-~-;.-~~--,-- ----i::'A;:1;.'UOEANO.l:ONGeTUoECO.OR"clN°.-;:;;··-··-DSFINING A .. EC:TANGl.il 1..0C:ATING THE PROPERTY 0 DEFINING THE C:ENT&:R POINT OF A PROPC:RTY

R'--· OF l..ESS THAN TFN ACREI

CORNER 1..ATITUDlt l..ONGITUOE LATITUDE LONGI TUOC:

Oe9r•e1 MlnulH Second1 De9ree1 Minutes Second5 Degrees Minutes Second a Degrees Minutes Seconds NW 38- 27• 4 7• 76 ° 36. 24 • 0 . 0 . . NE 38- 27• 47• 76 ° 36 . 14 • SE 38- 27' 39• 76 ° 36. 14 • C.111 'H*' ') ..,, ':IO• ""It:. 0 'l t:. • ')A •

All•PROXIMATE ACREAGE OF NOMINATED PROPERTY: ·-- ________ 16--acres ,1..llT AL.I. ITATltS ANO C:OUNTIEI ;;RPRO;-;;Tt-ES OVERl..APPING STATE OR C:OUNTY 90UNDARIEI -------STATE: CODE COUNTY C:OOE

-->------ '-------STATE: CODE COUNTY: COO£

-------STATl;:t COOi~ COUNTY: coca::

ITATI:: CODE COUNTY: CODE

--·---rl 1. FORM PREPARED BY -· NAME AND TITl.£1

Mrs. Preston Parish, Keeper of the Marv land Rol'T; .. +-.::.. .... Of'Q4NI lA TION CATI:

Maryland Historical Trust F~'"' A , Q..,., ITlllltET ANO NUMBER:

94 Colleae Avenue -CITY OF\ TOWNI S~ATE COOF. -

Ann1eoli§ EifiF -------·· Marvlanrl ?& \12. STATE LIAISON OFPICl!R C RTIFICAllON NATIONAL REGISTER VERIFICATION

Aa the d..-signated St11te J.iai11on Officer for lhl! Na-

tiont1l Historic Preservation Act of 1Qfl6 (Public Law I hereby certify that this property I.al included In the

89-665). l hereby nominate this propl•rty for inclusion N11tiona I Hegister.

in the Niltlunal Rti~ister and certify that it has ht•t!n

uv11hu1t~ uccordm~ lo th•• cr\leriu itnd pru .. e1klr•·~ st.'I

forth by tht! N;tlional Park Service. The rcco111niend1•d Chiof, O((ice of ArcheoloQy and lliidorlc Proa11rvatl(Jl1

level of si11.nific11nce of this nomination is:

NaliONll 0 State aa l.oc11l 1-1

···~ ci ~&o ffi ~<Kd-t" nwto

ATTEST: Orla do Ridout I •

Tille State Liaison Qf f icer for Maryland Keeper of T/1e National Rogi11for

l>Mte Febru~rY. 7, 1272 r,ale

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UNIT ED STA TES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SER.VICE

MHT STATE

Marv land

CT-39

NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES COUNTY

Calvert INVENTORY • MOMIN A TION FORM

FOR MPS USE ONLY

I ENTRY NUMBER I !)ATE

(Continuation Sheet)

Taney Place

#9. REFERENCES continued

Calvert County Land and Prebate Records. Hall of necords, Annapolis, Maryland.

Lewis, Walter. Without Fear or Favor A Biography of Chief Justice Roger Brooke Taney. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 19n5.

Stein, Charles Francis. A History of Calvert County, Maryland. [Baltimore): the author and the Calvert County Historical Society, 1960.

Steiner, Bernard c. Life of Roger Brooke Taney Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins, 1922.

Swisher, Carl Brent. Roger B. Taney. New York: Macmillian, 1935

Tyler, Samuel. Memoir·of Roqer Brooke Taney LL.D. Chief .Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. 2nd ed. Baltimore: John Murphy, 1876.

(3 of 3 continuation sheets)

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. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR STATE

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Maryland NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORfC PLACES

COUNTY

Calvert PROPERTY PHOTOGRAPH FORM FOR NPS USE ONLY

(Type all entries ·attach to or enclose with photograph) ENTRY NUMBER I

I l1~)K~E· ·~ .. .

COMMON: Tanev Place AND/OR HISTORIC: Berrv

12. t.OCATIOH. . .

1!'> ITRl:ET ANO NUMBUI: both sides of Maryland Route 508, south of

Adelina and north of Battle Creek Cl T'I' OR TOVIPN 1

Adelina ST,.TE1 I CODE jcouNTY:

Maryland I 24 I Calvert 13. PHOTO Rf FERENCE . '·· . )

PHOTO CREOIT1 Daniel c. Church DATli: 01' PHOTOt 1967 ~ECIATIYE f'IL.ED AT: Maryland Historical Trust

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For• 10.301 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR (Julr 1969) NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES

PROPERTY MAP FORM

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CITY OR TOWN1

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U.S.G.S. 7.5 minute map; Broomes Island IC41,.E: 1: 24.000 DATE: 1963

I.a, R!QUtREM!NTS TO 8£ INCL.UDllD ON Al.I. MAPI

1. Property broundariea where r~quired.

2. North arrow.

3. Latitude and longitlolde reference.

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Maryland COUNTY

Calvert .. FOR N PS USE ONLY

ENTRY NUMBER I DAT~:

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Quadrangle, Marv land

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TANEY PLACE

Eighteenth Century

"Taney Place" is famous as the birth­place of Roger Brooke Taney, who was for twenty-eight year.s Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.

The commodious home-like dwelling­place has thick brick ends and brick nogged sides. The Kitchen is situated in the basement, from which a dumb waiter rises to the Dining Room. The curious curved wall in the Living Room adds a feature of interest.

Roger Brooke Taney was born in 1777,

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and died in Washington City in 1864. His statue in bronze stands before the State Capitol at Annapolis.

View: From Southwest. Dimensions:

Overall, 52-5 by 36-5. Grade to floor, 65. Ceiling, 10-6. Panes, 10 by 17. Wall, 6,frame.

Forman, H. Chandlee 1982 Early Manor and Plantation Houses of Maryland.

Baltimore: Bodine & Associates, ·Inc.

CT-39

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