Maryland Historical Trust
Maryland Inventory of
Historic Properties Form
1. Name of Property
Inventory No. PG: 82B-028
(indicate preferred name)
William C. Duley House
historic
other
2. Location
14601 Mount Calvert Road
not for publication
city, town
Upper Marlboro
vicinity
county
Prince George's
street and number
3. Owner of Property
(give names and mailing addresses of all owners)
name
Frances S. and Sandra L. Major
street and number
14601 Mount Calvert Road
city, town
Upper Marlboro
telephone
MD
state
zip code
20772
4. Location of Legal Description
courthouse, registry of deeds, etc. Prince George's County Courthouse
Upper Marlboro
city, town
tax map 119
tax parcel
liber
3586 folio 374
71
tax ID number
04 0259135
5. Primary Location of Additional Data
X
Contributing Resource in National Register District
Contributing Resource in Local Historic District
Determined Eligible for the National Register/Maryland Register
Determined Ineligible for the National Register/Maryland Register
Recorded by HABS/HAER
Historic Structure Report or Research Report at MHT
Other: Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, Prince George's County Planning Department
6. Classification
Category Ownership Current Function Resource Count
district
X building(s)
structure
site
object
public
X private
both
agriculture
commerce/trade
defense
X domestic
education
funerary
government
health care
industry
landscape
recreation/culture
religion
social
transportation
work in progress
unknown
vacant/not in use
other:
Contributing
5
5
Noncontributing
buildings
sites
structures
objects
0
Total
Number of Contributing Resources
previously listed in the Inventory
2
7. Description
Inventory No. PG: 82B-028
Condition
excellent
X good
fair
deteriorated
ruins
altered
Prepare both a one paragraph summary and a comprehensive description of the resource and its various elements as it
exists today.
The William C. Duley House at 14601 Mount Calvert Road is a two-and-a-half-story vernacular dwelling
constructed c. 1870. The building has a T-shaped plan created by a c. 1895 Queen Anne-style addition on the
façade of the existing building. The property is sited to the east of Brookridge Road, which is a short spur off of
Mount Calvert Road, in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Mature trees are located along the eastern and western
property lines. A paved driveway is located on the southern edge of the property. Four secondary resources are
located on the property.
DWELLING
Set on a stretcher-bond brick foundation, the two-and-a-half-story, five-bay Queen Anne-style dwelling was
built c. 1895. This portion of the structure has a rectangular plan. It was built onto the façade of an existing twostory vernacular dwelling, creating a T-shaped plan. The wood-frame structure is clad in asbestos shingles; the
dwelling was originally clad in German siding.1 An interior brick chimney has a corbelled cap. A steep-sloped
hip roof with overhanging eaves is covered in asphalt shingles. A projecting front-gabled bay is centrally
located on the façade. The gable end is clad in diamond-shaped wood shingles and has an ornate vergeboard.
Two-story pyramidal-roofed towers are located on the façade at the northwest and southwest corners of the
dwelling. A one-story wrap-around porch is located on the façade and south (side) elevation. The porch has a
half-hipped roof covered in asphalt shingles. A projecting front gable is centrally located on the façade of the
porch and the gable end is clad in diamond-shaped wood shingles. The porch is supported by wood Tuscan
posts with turned spindle work, turned balusters, and decorative brackets. A two-story, shed-roofed addition is
located on the northeast corner of the main block. The addition features a stretcher-bond brick foundation and is
clad in asbestos shingles. Based on its form and construction materials, the addition was built c. 1940. The
dwelling retains its original 1/1 windows with ogee-molded surrounds.
The existing two-and-a-half-story front-gabled dwelling is located on the east (rear) elevation of the Queen
Anne-style dwelling. The existing building was constructed c. 1870 and is set on a stretcher-bond brick
foundation. The wood-frame structure is clad in asbestos shingles. The front-gabled roof is covered in asphalt
shingles. The roof features an ogee-molded cornice with returns. The structure features two interior brick
chimneys with corbelled caps and an exterior-end metal flue. A one-story, one-bay shed-roofed addition is
located on the east (rear) elevation of the original structure. The addition is clad in asbestos shingles. Based on
its form and construction materials, the addition was built c. 1940.
A one-story half-hipped roof porch extends along the north and south (side) elevations of the original structure.
The screened-in porch on the south elevation is set upon a stretcher-bond brick foundation. The hip roof is
covered in asphalt shingles. The porch on the north elevation is partially enclosed. The eastern end of the porch
is enclosed in asbestos shingles. The central portion of the porch is open and has wood Tuscan posts, turned
Susan G. Pearl, “William C. Duley House” (PG: 82B-028) Maryland Historical Trust State Historic Sites and Inventory Form
(1986), 8:1.
1
Maryland Historical Trust
Maryland Inventory of
Historic Properties Form
Inventory No.
PG: 82B-028
William C. Duley House
Continuation Sheet
Number 7 Page 1
spindle work, turned balusters, and decorative brackets similar to those on the wrap-around porch on the façade
of the main block. The hip roof is covered in standing-seam metal.
The first-story façade (west elevation) of the main block is fenestrated by a single-leaf paneled wood door,
placed in the central projecting front-gabled bay. The door has a three-light transom and two-light sidelights. A
1/1 window is located on either side of the entry. The second story is fenestrated by paired 1/1 windows with
leaded glass in the upper pane. The Queen Anne-style windows are located in the central projecting frontgabled bay. A 1/1 window is located on either side of the paired windows. An arched 2/2 window is located in
the gable end of the projecting front-gabled bay. The pyramidal roof towers are fenestrated by three 1/1
windows on the first and second stories.
The north and south (side) elevations of the main block are fenestrated by a single 1/1 window on the first and
second stories.
The north (side) elevation of the one-story shed roof addition is fenestrated by a single 2/2 window on the first
and second stories.
The north (side) elevation of the original structure is fenestrated by a double-leaf wood door and two 2/2
windows on the first story. Two 2/2 windows are located on the second story. The enclosed portion of the porch
is fenestrated by a single-leaf wood door flanked by 2/2 windows on the east (rear) elevation.
The south (side) elevation of the original structure is fenestrated by a single-leaf wood door flanked by 2/2
windows. Three symmetrically placed 2/2 windows are located on the second story.
The east (rear) elevation of the original structure is fenestrated by a single 2/2 window on the first story. Two
2/2 windows are located in the gable end.
The interior of the dwelling was not accessible at the time of the 2007 on-site survey.
SHED (1)
A wood-frame shed is located northeast of the dwelling. Based on its form and materials, the shed appears to
date from c. 1930. The one-story, one-bay shed rests on a concrete foundation and is clad in vertical wood
siding. A shed roof covered in standing-seam metal caps the structure. The shed is fenestrated by a single-leaf
paneled wood door on the façade (west elevation) and fixed one-light window on the south (side) elevation. The
interior of the shed was not accessible at the time of the on-site survey.
Maryland Historical Trust
Maryland Inventory of
Historic Properties Form
Inventory No.
PG: 82B-028
William C. Duley House
Continuation Sheet
Number 7 Page 2
SHED (2)
A wood-frame shed is located southeast of the dwelling. Based on its form and materials, the shed appears to
date from c. 1930. The one-story, three-bay shed is banked into a hill. The concrete-block structure is covered
by a side gable roof, covered in standing-seam metal. The gable ends are clad in vinyl siding. An interior-end
chimney is constructed of concrete block. A double-leaf entry opening on the façade (south elevation) has a
wood surround. Paired 1/1 vinyl-sash windows flank the entry. The interior of the shed was not accessible at the
time of the on-site survey.
BARN
A wood-frame barn is located southeast of the dwelling. Based on its form and materials, the barn appears to
date from c. 1930. The one-story, two-bay barn is clad in vertical wood siding. A side-gabled roof covered in
standing-seam metal caps the structure. The barn is fenestrated by a single-leaf entry opening and 2/2 window
on the façade (south elevation). The interior of the barn was not accessible at the time of the on-site survey.
MILK HOUSE
A milk house is located south of the dwelling. Based on its form and materials, the milk house appears to date
from c. 1920. The one-story, two-bay milk house is constructed of poured concrete. A side-gabled roof covered
in asphalt shingles caps the structure. The gable ends are clad in vertical wood siding and are ornamented with a
vergeboard. The milk house is fenestrated by a single-leaf wood door with rounded wood surround on the
façade (south elevation). “MILK HOUSE” is painted on the door lintel. A fixed one-light window is also
located on the façade. A fixed one-light window is located in the gable end of the east and west (side)
elevations. The interior of the milk house was not accessible at the time of the on-site survey.
INTEGRITY
The William C. Duley House, constructed c. 1870 as a two-and-a-half-story vernacular structure with a twoand-a-half-story Queen Anne-style addition built on the façade c. 1895, retains a high level of integrity as a latenineteenth-century Queen Anne-style dwelling. The building retains its wrap-around porch and double-hung
wood-sash windows. Mid-twentieth-century additions on the north and south (side) elevations of the original
structure has not visually altered the form of the building, as seen from Brookridge or Calvert Road. The
cladding of the structure in asbestos shingles has not compromised the design or workmanship of the building,
but has compromised the integrity of materials. Sited in rural Upper Marlboro, Maryland the dwelling retains its
integrity of location, setting, feeling, and association.
Maryland Historical Trust
Maryland Inventory of
Historic Properties Form
Inventory No.
PG: 82B-028
William C. Duley House
Continuation Sheet
Number 7 Page 3
The sheds,
barn, and milk house associated with the William C. Duley House retain a high level of integrity. The
outbuildings retain their integrity of design, materials, and workmanship. Sited in rural Upper Marlboro,
Maryland the outbuildings retain their integrity of location, setting, feeling, and association.
The William C. Duley House and associated outbuildings retain an overall high level of integrity.
8. Significance
Period
Areas of Significance
1600-1699
1700-1799
X 1800-1899
X 1900-1999
2000-
agriculture
archeology
X architecture
art
commerce
communications
community planning
conservation
Inventory No. PG: 82B-028
Check and justify below
economics
education
engineering
entertainment/
recreation
ethnic heritage
exploration/
settlement
Specific dates
c. 1870, c. 1895
Construction dates
c. 1870, c. 1895, c. 1920, c. 1930
health/medicine
industry
invention
landscape architecture
law
literature
maritime history
military
Architect/Builder
performing arts
philosophy
politics/government
religion
science
social history
transportation
other:
Unknown
Evaluation for:
National Register
Maryland Register
not evaluated
Prepare a one-paragraph summary statement of significance addressing applicable criteria, followed by a narrative discussion of the
history of the resource and its context. (For compliance projects, complete evaluation on a DOE Form – see manual.)
STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE
The William C. Duley House is located at 14601 Mount Calvert Road in rural Upper Marlboro, Maryland.
Originally constructed c. 1870 with an I-house plan, the building was substantially altered c. 1895 by the
addition of the Queen Anne-style structure that now reads as the main block. The building documents the
stylistic influences and construction techniques of two distinct periods of architectural history in Prince
George’s County in the Reconstruction Period (1866-1914). Originally set on over 200 acres of land, the house
and its associated outbuildings documents late nineteenth and early twentieth century’s agricultural practices.
The William C. Duley House is an important example of high-style Queen Anne architecture in southern Prince
George’s County.
HISTORIC CONTEXT
The William C. Duley House is sited near the intersection of Croom Road (MD 382), Mount Calvert Road, and
Brookridge Drive just north of the village of Croom, Maryland. The village of Croom is located in rural
southeastern Prince George’s County. Centered around the intersections of Croom Road, Duley Station Road,
and St. Thomas Church Road, the small village of approximately 50 buildings represents rural development in
the county from the 1740s through the 1960s. Croom was named for a tract of land called “Croome,” located
northwest of the village patented by the Clagett family in 1671. Thomas John Clagett, born on his family’s
Croom homestead, was the first Episcopalian Bishop consecrated in America.2 The village of Croom began to
develop in the mid-nineteenth century as a rural village centered around St. Thomas Church (c. 1745), several
residences, and John Coffren’s general store (c. 1853). By 1857, a post office was established in Croom and was
operated out of Coffren’s store.3 Because of its location between the port of Nottingham and the county seat of
Upper Marlboro, Croom Road became an important thoroughfare in Prince George’s County.4 By 1745, the
Marina King, “Croom Historic Survey,” Maryland Historical Trust, State Historic Sites Inventory Form (April 1986), 8:1.
Susan G. Pearl, Prince George’s County African-American Heritage Survey, 1996 (Upper Marlboro, MD: Maryland-National
Capital Park and Planning Commission, 1996), 100.
4
Marina King, “John W. Coffren House and Store,” National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form (January 1986), 8:5.
2
3
Maryland Historical Trust
Maryland Inventory of
Historic Properties Form
Inventory No.
PG: 82B-028
William C. Duley House
Continuation Sheet
Number 8 Page 1
road was officially recognized, and in 1794, appeared on Dennis Griffith’s map of Maryland. 5 By the 1860s,
Croom had expanded to include the residences and shops of a miller, a carpenter, a mechanic, and a blacksmith.
The majority of buildings in Croom date from the late nineteenth century through the 1930s, with limited infill
from the mid- to late twentieth century. Most of the buildings are single-family dwellings, although agricultural
buildings, a church and rectory, and several commercial buildings exist.
The William C. Duley House stands on a tract of land known as “Brookridge,” which is located between the
villages of Croom and Mount Calvert. Brookridge was owned in the early nineteenth century by the Beanes
family of Upper Marlboro. Colmore Beanes left the property to his daughter Eliza Beanes Cross. In 1876, the
Court of Equity ordered a division of the 900-acre farm among the heirs, with a 220-acre portion (lot 3) going to
the daughter of Eliza Beanes Cross, Mary Cross Reno. According to tax assessments a two-and-a-half-story
farmhouse constructed c. 1870 stood on the property.6
Prior to inheriting the property, Mary Cross Reno and her brother William Cross were living in Baltimore City.
In 1870, Mary Reno was keeping house with her two young children Conrad and Jesse. William Cross was an
attorney with a young daughter Isabella away at school.7 The 1878 Hopkins Map notates the William B. Cross
residence near Mount Calvert Road but not that of his sisters.8
In 1891, Mary Cross Reno’s children Conrad and Jesse Reno sold the property to William C. Duley.9 In c. 1895
Duley added the Queen Anne portion of the structure on the façade of the original c. 1870 structure, more than
doubling the size of the dwelling.10 In 1910, William C. Duley, who was born in 1859, resided along Mount
Calvert Road with his wife Alice R. Duley, their six young children, Mary E., William C., James H., Joseph A.,
Guy B., Thomas and his daughter Myra V. from a previous marriage. Duley farmed the property.11
After William C. Duley’s death in 1948, his widow, Alice R. Duley, deeded a one-eleventh share interest in the
property to their eleven children. In 1957, William C. Duley, Jr. and his wife Stella Duley owned the 150 acre
King, “Croom,” 8:1.
Susan G. Pearl, “William C. Duley House” (PG: 82B-028) Maryland Historical Trust State Historic Sites and Inventory Form
(1986), 8:1.
7
1870 U.S. Federal Census, Baltimore Ward 11, Baltimore (Independent City), Maryland, Series M593, Roll 576, Page 20, William
Cross.
8
G.M. Hopkins, “Atlas of Fifteen Miles Around Washington, Including the County of Prince George Maryland” (Philadelphia: G.M.
Hopkins, C.E., 1878).
9
Conrad and Susan E. Reno, and Jesse W. Reno to William C. Duley, Prince George’s County Land Records, JWB 17:529.
10
Susan G. Pearl, “William C. Duley House” (PG: 82B-028) Maryland Historical Trust State Historic Sites and Inventory Form
(1986), 8:1.
11
1910 U.S. Federal Census, Nottingham, Prince George’s County, Series T624, Roll 567, Page 5A, Enumeration District 63, William
C. Duley.
5
6
Maryland Historical Trust
Maryland Inventory of
Historic Properties Form
Inventory No.
PG: 82B-028
William C. Duley House
Continuation Sheet
Number 8 Page 2
parcel of the property on which the dwelling was located.12 The property, including the dwelling, was sold out
of the Duley family in 1968 when Francis S. and Sandra L. Major purchased the property.13 The Majors
currently reside in the dwelling.
12
13
Matilda Wood Duvall to William C. Duley, Jr. and Stella Duley, Prince George’s County Land Records, WWW 2116:248.
William C. and Stella Duley to Francis Sidney and Sandra L. Major, Prince Geogre’s County Land Records, WWW 3586:374.
9. Major Bibliographical References
Inventory No. PG: 82B-028
Hopkins, G.M. Prince George’s County, from Atlas of Fifteen Miles Around Washington. Philadelphia: G.M. Hopkins, C.E., 1878.
King, Marina. “The Tobacco Industry in Prince George’s County, 1680-1940.” in Historic Contexts in Prince George’s County: Short Papers on Settlement
Patterns, Transportation and Cultural History, Upper Marlboro, MD: Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, 1991.
King, Marina. “Croom Historic Survey.” Maryland Historical Trust, State Historic Sites Inventory Form, April 1986.
Martenet, Simon J. Martenet's Map of Prince George’s County, Maryland. Baltimore: Simon J. Martenet, 1861.
Pearl, Susan G. “William C. Duley House.” (PG: 82B-028) Maryland Historical Trust State Historic Sites and Inventory Form, 1986.
Pearl, Susan G. Prince George’s County African-American Heritage Survey, 1996. Upper Marlboro, MD: Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning
Commission, 1996.
Prince George’s County Land Records.
1870, 1910 U.S. Federal Census (Population Schedule). Online: The Generations Network, Inc., 2007. Subscription database. Digital scan of
original records in the National Archives, Washington, DC. http://www.ancestry.com.
10. Geographical Data
Acreage of surveyed property
Acreage of historical setting
Quadrangle name
4.05
220.75
Upper Marlboro
Quadrangle scale: 1:24,000
Verbal boundary description and justification
The William C. Duley House is sited on an 4.05-acre lot, which was originally part of a 220.75-acre tract. The lot is
bounded on the west by Brookridge Drive and Mount Calvert Road and mature trees to the north, east and south. The
house has been historically associated with Parcel 71 as noted on Tax Map 119 since its construction in c. 1870.
11. Form Prepared by
name/title
Saleh Van Erem, Architectural Historian
organization
EHT Traceries, Incorporated
date
January 2008
street & number
1121 Fifth Street, NW
telephone
202.393.1199
city or town
Washington
state
DC
The Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties was officially created by an Act of the Maryland Legislature
to be found in the Annotated Code of Maryland, Article 41, Section 181 KA,
1974 supplement.
The survey and inventory are being prepared for information and record purposes only
and do not constitute any infringement of individual property rights.
return to:
Maryland Historical Trust
Maryland Department of Planning
100 Community Place
Crownsville, MD 21032-2023
410-514-7600
Maryland Historical Trust
Maryland Inventory of
Historic Properties Form
Inventory No.
PG: 82B-028
William C. Duley House
Continuation Sheet
Number 9 Page 1
CHAIN OF TITLE
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY LAND RECORDS
Equity JWB 10:33
1875
Eliza S. Cross, wife of Col. Tremson Cross, d. 1840, leaving land called
“Brookridge” containing approximately 900 acres, Land partitioned among heirs,
Mary C. Reno, William B. Cross and Eliza B. Cross, with lot 3 conveyed to Mary
C. Reno (220.75 acres).
Deed JWB 17:529
March 21, 1891
Conrad and Susan E. Reno and Jesse W. Reno to William C. Duley (220.75
acres).
Deed 834:292
May 24, 1946
Alice R. Duley, widow, to George W. Duley, et all (William C. and Alice R.
Duley’s eleven children receive a one-eleventh interest in property in the
Nottingham District, East of Mount Calvert Road).
Deed WWW 2116:241
June 22, 1957
George W. and Margaret C. Duley, et all to Matilda Wood Duvall.
Deed WWW 2116:248
June 22, 1957
Matilda Wood Duvall to William C. Duley, Jr. and Stella Duley (150 acres).
Deed WWW 3586:374
March 16, 1968
William C. and Stella Duley to Francis Sidney and Sandra L. Major (4.053 acres).
Maryland Historical Trust
Maryland Inventory of
Historic Properties Form
Inventory No.
William C. Duley House
Continuation Sheet
Number 9 Page 2
Photo: William C. Duley House, façade (west elevation), looking east. (August 2007)
PG: 82B-028
Maryland Historical Trust
Maryland Inventory of
Historic Properties Form
Inventory No.
William C. Duley House
Continuation Sheet
Number 9 Page 3
Photo: William C. Duley House, north (side) elevation, looking southeast. (August 2007)
PG: 82B-028
Maryland Historical Trust
Maryland Inventory of
Historic Properties Form
Inventory No.
William C. Duley House
Continuation Sheet
Number 9 Page 4
Photo: William C. Duley House, south (side) elevation, looking northeast. (August 2007)
PG: 82B-028
Maryland Historical Trust
Maryland Inventory of
Historic Properties Form
Inventory No.
William C. Duley House
Continuation Sheet
Number 9 Page 5
Photo: William C. Duley House, east (rear) elevation, looking west. (August 2007)
PG: 82B-028
Maryland Historical Trust
Maryland Inventory of
Historic Properties Form
William C. Duley House
Continuation Sheet
Number 9 Page 6
Photo: Milk House, façade (south elevation), looking north. (August 2007)
Inventory No.
PG: 82B-028
Maryland Historical Trust
Maryland Inventory of
Historic Properties Form
William C. Duley House
Continuation Sheet
Number 9 Page 7
Photo: Shed (2), façade (south elevation), looking northeast. (August 2007)
Inventory No.
PG: 82B-028
Maryland Historical Trust
Maryland Inventory of
Historic Properties Form
William C. Duley House
Continuation Sheet
Number 9 Page 8
Photo: Shed (1), façade (west elevation), looking northeast. (August 2007)
Inventory No.
PG: 82B-028
Maryland Historical Trust
Maryland Inventory of
Historic Properties Form
William C. Duley House
Continuation Sheet
Number 9 Page 9
Photo: Barn, northwest corner, looking southeast. (August 2007)
Inventory No.
PG: 82B-028
Maryland Historical Trust
Maryland Inventory of
Historic Properties Form
William C. Duley House
Continuation Sheet
Number 9 Page 10
Photo: Barn, southwest corner, looking northeast. (August 2007)
Inventory No.
PG: 82B-028