Carrolton Hall Brochure
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Carrollton Hall is a historic landmark, a house museum honoring the memories of those who lived here and those who influenced our nation’s most valued her- Charles Carroll of Carrollton itage, especially Freedom of Religion. Builder of Carrollton Hall This fundamental human right of all people is also the guarantor of the Carrollton Hall health of a diverse society. Folly Quarter The Franciscans The current proprietors To help restore Carrollton Hall or for In 1928, Folly Quarter was purchased by Rev. more information regarding tour sched- A house museum dedicated to Justin Figas, OFM Conv., a Major Superior of ule, lecture series, exhibits, or rental, Faith, Family, and Country the Franciscan Friars Conventual on the East please contact: Coast, to be used as a novitiate for training young men for the Franciscan priesthood and brotherhood, in the Roman Catholic Church. Carrollton Hall But as grand as it was, the manor house be- 12300 Folly Quarter Road came too small for the growing community. Ellicott City, Maryland 21042 Two years later Rev. Benedict Przemielewski, OFM Conv. was commissioned to design a Fr. Michael Heine, OFM Conv. new novitiate. He chose to model it after the 410-531-1400 Sacro Convento, the 79th century Italian [email protected] motherhouse of the Franciscan Order, at- tached to the Basilica where Saint Francis of “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that Assisi is buried. all men are created equal, that they are In 1995 the Franciscans transformed the novi- endowed by their Creator with certain tiate into the Shrine of St. Anthony of Padua unalienable Rights, that among these are and in 1998 Cardinal William Keeler designat- Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” ed it as an “Archdiocesan Shrine.” US Declaration of Independence (1776) Charles Carroll of Carrollton, builder of Car- rollton Hall, well known as a scholar, statesman, Faith and Service . Proprietors . planter, patriot, and one of the signers of the Dec- The first Carroll to settle in Maryland was Charles Car- Emily Caton McTavish, (+1867) laration of Independence (1776), was also a man of roll the Settler (grandfather of Carroll of Carrollton). a favorite granddaughter of great faith. His family’s heritage of religious toler- He arrived in 1688 from Ireland to serve as Attorney Charles Carroll’s, was a self- ance played a major role in the design of our na- General for Charles Calvert, third Lord Baltimore, sacrificing and endearing care- tion’s long tradition of religious freedom. whose cousin he also married. Carroll’s taker, nursing everyone descendants have served the state and through illnesses and crises. Beginning with his great, great, great nation as senators and governors, as In his later years, Carroll grandfather, George Calvert, (left) benefactors offering their own land wished to give this granddaugh- first Lord Baltimore, the unheard to create the capital city of Wash- ter a lasting tribute of his affec- of experiment for a “tolerant” ington, and as founders of tion. In 1832 a retaining wall was colony was conceived. After a Georgetown University and the completed leveling a shady hill on which a great century of violent religious up- first American congregation of neoclassical house of Woodstock granite was con- heaval following the Refor- Religious Sisters. Through the structed. The house was named “Carrollton Hall,” mation, Calvert was determined nomination of Benjamin Franklin, the 1000 acre southwest parceling from Carroll’s to establish a haven in the New the Carrolls offered the nation its first nearby colonial homestead, Doughoregan Manor. World where all people could prac- Catholic Bishop, John Carroll SJ (left). tice their faith undisturbed. Governor John Lee Carroll (+1911) eventually In 1632, King Charles graciously acceded to Cal- inherited the house after Emily’s own vert’s desire to found a colony free of religious son, Charles Carroll McTavish, oppression. His only stipulation was that such a passed it along to other owners. paradise should be named for the Virgin Mary, Through his mother, the gover- “Maryland,” the patroness of his Catholic nor was related to the Lees of Queen, Henrietta Maria. Virginia and was just as ardent in his love for his home state’s welfare and integrity. Because he spent most of his time at Doughoregan, Carrollton Hall re- mained uninhabited. In 1910 Van Lear Black (+1930), the publisher of the Baltimore Sun newspaper, pur- chased the house from the son of Governor Carroll and restored But religious tolerance was not to be an easy the neglected building into a planting. Old World attitudes and prejudices showplace. At the end of the sailed across the sea with the colonists. Many First World War, Black was a would endure a long winter of intolerance and delegate from the state of Mar- unjust laws before the ideal would take firm root yland to the convention for the and actually be enshrined in the First Amendment League of Nations. He also of the nation’s Constitution (1787). served as a Goodwill Ambassa- dor to Europe on several occasions Congress shall make no law respecting an at the request of President Woodrow establishment of religion, or prohibiting Wilson, and he even hosted an international arms reduction conference on his front lawn. the free exercise thereof .… U.S. Constitution Amendment I .