Existing comment:
Social Life at Ferry Hill:
Prominently located overlooking the Potomac, Ferry Hill played an important role in society, as well as in commerce and war. Under John Blackford, the plantation became the center of a community in which he was a leading citizen. His family entertained friends, relatives, businesspeople, and passing travelers. Some visitors stayed for lunch or dinner. Others remained for days or even weeks.
The mansion teemed with life when later owners, Reverend Robert Douglas and his wife, Helena, moved in with their four children. As a Confederate officer, his son, Henry Kyd Douglas, observed activities at Ferry Hill change from friendly festivals to gatherings of generals. Henry Kyd's sister, Nannie Beckenbaugh, operated a restaurant at Ferry Hill until the property was sold.
"The Ferry House is full to overflowing with persons descending the canal in the morning."
-- Plantation Owner John Blackford, Ferry Hill, 1837 |