Existing comment:
Ferry Hill Place
John Blackford, in 1810, built the Ferry Hill Plantation House standing before you. Blackford owned 25 slaves and managed the farm by himself. The slaves and hired laborers worked with minimum direction. Two slaves, Ned and Jupe, ran the river ferry for which Ferry Hill was named.
Blackford owned stock in the C&O Canal Company. When the canal came through in 1834 he had easy shipping access for his farm products to market.
John Blackford, shown with one of his children, operated a diversified farm at Ferry Hill until his death on January 15, 1839.
Henry Kyd Douglas lived here with his parents before the Civil War. Douglas was the youngest staff officer in the Civil War, serving with Confederate General Thomas (Stonewall) Jackson. |