Maryland Historical Trust
Maryland Inventory of
Historic Properties Form
1. Name of Property
Inventory No. PG: 82B-035-16
(indicate preferred name)
Nottingham Schoolhouse
historic
other
2. Location
street and number
17410 Nottingham Road
not for publication
city, town
Nottingham
vicinity
county
Prince George's
3. Owner of Property
(give names and mailing addresses of all owners)
name
Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission
street and number
6600 Kenilworth Avenue
city, town
Riverdale
state
MD
telephone
301.454.1740
zip code
20737-1314
4. Location of Legal Description
courthouse, registry of deeds, etc. Prince George's County Courthouse
Upper Marlboro
city, town
tax map 149
tax parcel
liber
3336 folio 270
2 tax ID number 04 0259242
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
district
X building(s)
structure
site
object
Ownership
X public
private
both
Current Function
agriculture
commerce/trade
defense
domestic
education
funerary
government
health care
industry
Resource Count
landscape
X recreation/culture
religion
social
transportation
work in progress
unknown
vacant/not in use
other:
Contributing
1
1
Noncontributing
1
buildings
sites
structures
objects
1
Total
Number of Contributing Resources
previously listed in the Inventory
1
7. Description
Inventory No. PG: 82B-035-16
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.
Nottingham Schoolhouse, also known as School #2 in Nottingham (District #4), is located at 17410 Nottingham
Road in Nottingham, Maryland. The one-story, three-bay building, built in 1911, is set on a lot adjacent to the
Patuxent River. The Nottingham Schoolhouse is situated north of a circular gravel drive that heads south to
Nottingham Road. Mature trees and shrubs are located throughout the lot, with a concentration of larger trees in
the north corner. A replica outhouse is located on the site to the north of the building. Three historical markers
are located to the front, and the west of the building.
School
The Nottingham Schoolhouse was constructed in 1911 and altered in 1960 and 1966. The one-story, three-bay
vernacular building was built on the site of a previous school, using materials from that building.1 The
foundation of the building is constructed of poured concrete. The wood-frame structure is clad in weatherboard
siding. The schoolhouse has a front-gabled roof with overhanging eaves and cornice returns. The roof is
covered with asphalt shingles. A one-story, three-bay projecting front-gabled wing on the façade (south
elevation) forms the primary entrance. This entry bay is clad in weatherboard siding. The roof is covered in
asphalt shingles. The building is fenestrated by 6/6 windows with square-edged wood surrounds and operable
louvered wood shutters.
The façade (south elevation) in the entry bay is symmetrically balanced with a poured concrete step leading up
to a centrally located single-leaf, paneled wood door with 9-lights. The door is flanked by 6/6 windows.
Three symmetrically placed 6/6 windows are located on the east (side) elevation of the main block.
The north (rear) elevation of the main block has a one-tread staircase leading up to a one-bay stoop, constructed
of wood. A single-leaf, paneled wood door with 9-lights is centrally located. The door is flanked by 6/6
windows.
Three symmetrically placed 6/6 windows are located on the west (side) elevation of the main block.
The interior of the schoolhouse was not accessible at the time of the on-site survey.
OUTHOUSE
A one-story, one-bay replica outhouse is located to the north of the schoolhouse. Based on its materials, it
appears the structure was constructed c. 1990. It is constructed with vertical wood siding and covered by a shed
roof of standing-seam metal. The interior of the outhouse was not accessible at the time of the on-site survey.
Shirley Baltz and Susan Pearl, “Nottingham Schoolhouse” (PG: 82B-16) Maryland Historical Trust State Sites Inventory Form
(1984), 8:1.
1
Maryland Historical Trust
Maryland Inventory of
Historic Properties Form
Inventory No. PG: 82B-035-16
Nottingham Schoolhouse
Continuation Sheet
Number 7
Page 1
INTEGRITY
The Nottingham Schoolhouse has a high level of integrity, by retaining its original design and location. Set
amidst mature trees, shrubs and agricultural fields, the property retains its integrity of feeling, setting, and
association. Although minor alterations have taken place over time, the building has recently been restored, the
Nottingham Schoolhouse retains a high level of workmanship and materials.
The outhouse is a non-contributing resource due to its recent (c. 1990) construction date.
Overall, the Nottingham School House and its associated resource, maintain a high level of integrity.
8. Significance
Period
Areas of Significance
1600-1699
1700-1799
1800-1899
X 1900-1999
2000-
agriculture
archeology
X architecture
art
commerce
communications
community planning
conservation
Specific dates
1911
Construction dates
1911, 1960, 1966
Inventory No. PG: 82B-035-16
Check and justify below
economics
X education
engineering
entertainment/
recreation
ethnic heritage
exploration/
settlement
health/medicine
industry
invention
landscape architecture
law
literature
maritime history
military
X
Architect/Builder
performing arts
philosophy
politics/government
religion
science
social history
transportation
other: Local History
Anthony Wyville
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 Nottingham Schoolhouse was constructed in 1911 at 17410 Nottingham Road in Nottingham, Maryland.
The Nottingham Schoolhouse is a distinctive example of vernacular school architecture constructed in the
county in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.2 The one-story building, with its rectangular form,
served the community for approximately fifty years, educating grade school children. The schoolhouse is built
on the site of an earlier schoolhouse, and materials from the previous building were utilized in the construction
of the current schoolhouse. After World War II (1941-1945), the consolidation of schools across the country
made the one-room schoolhouse obsolete. The small number of one-room schoolhouses from the late nineteenth
and early twentieth centuries is attributed to this fact. The Nottingham Schoolhouse retains a high level of
integrity, and as such, is able to convey its significance as an early-twentieth-century educational building.
HISTORIC CONTEXT
The Nottingham Schoolhouse is located in rural Nottingham, Maryland. Located in southeastern Prince
George’s County, the community of Nottingham was established when the General Assembly of the Province of
Maryland passed the “Act for the Advancement of Trade and Erecting Ports and Towns” in 1706 and 1707 in
order to establish commercial centers along the rivers in Maryland. In 1747, Nottingham was designated as an
inspection site for tobacco. In order to protect the quality of tobacco being shipped to England, all tobacco
grown in Maryland had to pass through inspections sites at Nottingham, Piscataway, Upper Marlboro, or
Bladensburg before it was allowed to be publicly sold.3 Between 1791 and 1801, Nottingham exported more
than 8,340 hogsheads of tobacco.4 Small landing communities, like Nottingham, grew as commercial activity
Shirley Baltz and Susan Pearl, “Nottingham Schoolhouse” (PG: 82B-16) Maryland Historical Trust State Sites Inventory Form
(1984), 8:1.
3
Marina King, “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), 69-71.
4
John Sherwood, “…On the Banks of the Patuxent,” Maryland Journal (16 October 1986).
2
Maryland Historical Trust
Maryland Inventory of
Historic Properties Form
Inventory No.
PG: 82B-035-16
Nottingham Schoolhouse
Continuation Sheet
Number 8
Page 1
was drawn to tobacco warehouses located on the banks of rivers and creeks. Beginning in the late eighteenth
century, Baltimore began to develop as a large port, with more farmers using Baltimore for the inspection, sale,
and shipping of their tobacco. As Baltimore grew, the smaller river communities began to diminish as centers of
commercial activity.5 As the Patuxent River became shallower, the size of ships that could navigate the waters
diminished. Consequently, by the late nineteenth century, Nottingham began to decline and the population
steadily decreased as families relocated to other areas. A devastating fire in 1901 destroyed most of the
buildings in the small community, leaving only a few extant structures.6
The Nottingham Schoolhouse was constructed in 1911 to replace an existing schoolhouse. The memoir of John
Wendell Waters, a local resident, notes that the new schoolhouse was built by Anthony Wyvill.7 Waters
explains that while the new schoolhouse was being constructed, the town held classes in his home.8 Materials
from the torn-down schoolhouse were utilized in the construction of the Nottingham Schoolhouse. In an article
on the Town of Nottingham (Prince George’s Journal, October 16, 1986), John Sherwood notes Dent
Downing’s memories of the schoolhouse, “I remember a potbellied stove, wooden desks, and no running
water.”
It was after World War II (1941-1945) that the building ceased to be used as a schoolhouse. Consolidation in
the county made the one-room schoolhouse obsolete.9 The one-acre lot was sold by the Prince George’s County
Board of Education to Irene Downing. This marked the transformation of the Nottingham Schoolhouse from a
public to a private building. Downing turned Nottingham Schoolhouse into a private residence.10 Downing’s
estate deeded the property to her heirs in 1960. The property transferred again six years later when it was sold to
the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) in 1966. The property continues to
be maintained by the M-NCPPC as a Historic Site.
King, “The Tobacco Industry in Prince George’s County,” 69-71.
Susan G. Pearl, “Early Towns in Prince George’s County, 1683-1787,” 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), 1-6.
7
John Wendall Waters, Memoirs or a Record of Events Based on My Personal Experiences and Knowledge, 1983, 8.
8
John Wendall Waters, Memoirs or a Record of Events Based on My Personal Experiences and Knowledge, 1983, 8.
9
Shirley Baltz and Susan Pearl, “Nottingham Schoolhouse” (PG: 82B-16) Maryland Historical Trust State Sites Inventory Form
(1984), 8.
10
John Wendall Waters, Memoirs or a Record of Events Based on My Personal Experiences and Knowledge, 1983, 8.
5
6
9. Major Bibliographical References
Inventory No. PG: 82B-035-16
1870 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.
Baltz, Shirley, and Susan Pearl. “Nottingham Schoolhouse” (PG: 82B-16), Maryland Historical Trust State Historic Sites
Inventory Form, 1984.
Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission and Prince George’s County Planning Department, Historic Sites and
Districts Plan, 1992.
Prince George’s County Land Records.
10. Geographical Data
Acreage of surveyed property
Acreage of historical setting
Quadrangle name
1.00
1.00
Brandywine
Quadrangle scale: 1:24,000
Verbal boundary description and justification
The Nottingham Schoolhouse is located on a 1.00-acre parcel. The property is bounded to the east by the Patuxent
River and the west by a gravel drive. The north boundary is located on the north side of the small stand of mature trees
to the north of the building. The south boundary runs on a horizonatal line on the south end of the circular gravel drive
that serves the schoolhouse. The building is associated with Parcel 2 as noted on Tax Map 149.
11. Form Prepared by
name/title
Paul Weishar, 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-035-16
Nottingham Schoolhouse
Continuation Sheet
Number 8
Page 1
CHAIN OF TITLE
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY LAND RECORDS
Deed HB 13:593
August 11, 1875
George and A. Eloise Wilson to Board of County School Commissioners.
Deed 1194:465
January 16, 1950
Prince George’s County Board of Education to Irene Downing.
Admin #13435
1960
Estate of Irene Downing to her heirs.
Deed 3336:270
May 27, 1966
Alton Duley, el al, heirs of Irene Downing, to The Maryland-National Capital Park
and Planning Commission.
Maryland Historical Trust
Maryland Inventory of
Historic Properties Form
Inventory No.
PG: 82B-035-16
Nottingham Schoolhouse
Continuation Sheet
Number 8
Page 2
Photo: Nottingham Schoolhouse, view of the façade (south elevation), looking northwest. (July 2007)
Maryland Historical Trust
Maryland Inventory of
Historic Properties Form
Inventory No.
PG: 82B-035-16
Nottingham Schoolhouse
Continuation Sheet
Number 8
Page 3
Photo: Nottingham Schoolhouse, view of the façade (south elevation), looking northeast. (July 2007)
Maryland Historical Trust
Maryland Inventory of
Historic Properties Form
Inventory No.
Nottingham Schoolhouse
Continuation Sheet
Number 8
Page 4
Photo: Nottingham Schoolhouse, view of the north (rear) elevation, looking south. (July 2007)
PG: 82B-035-16
Maryland Historical Trust
Maryland Inventory of
Historic Properties Form
Nottingham Schoolhouse
Continuation Sheet
Number 8
Page 5
Photo: Outhouse, view of the southwest corner, looking northeast. (July 2007)
Inventory No.
PG: 82B-035-16