A Short History of Glenwood

From “The Founders of Anne Arundel and Howard Counties, Maryland”

Excerpts taken from: “The Founders of Anne Arundel and Howard Counties, Maryland,” By J.D. Warfield, A.M. Regional Publishing Co 1980 Baltimore. Original Publication 1905 Baltimore [Adjusting dates to 1905: For example: “seventy-six years ago” was “1839”]

This long-distance village is located upon the Westminster road.  It is the outgrowth of a country store and post-office long kept by Mr. James B. Mathews.  The churches, one north and the other south of it, with a modern educational institution near its centre and a club house adjoining, warn the traveler that he is approaching a progressive people.

Union Chapel, on the north, is beginning to be classed aged.  The first marriage celebrated therein was that of Dr. Benjamin Hood, father of our popular ex-president of the Western Maryland Railroad. …

In Oak Grove Cemetery, adjoining Union Chapel, are tablets, memorial stones and monuments, in many cases dating back to the original settlers.

The founder of Glenwood, his Griffith wife and distinguished son, Professor Lycurgus Mathews, organizer of the Glenwood Institute, rest within.

Two popular physicians, Dr. Augustus Riggs, Sr., and Dr. Augustus Riggs, Jr., rest under a monument upon its hill.

“Longwood Chapel” stands upon the southern approach.  This is a recent joint offering of the late Reverend Dr. Thomas J. Shepherd, his wife, Mrs. Emma (Warfield) Shepherd, and Miss Louisa V. Warfield, all of “Longwood,” dedicated during their lives to Christian education.  It stands upon the site of the first district school, erected seventy-six years ago [1839].

From Howard County 150th Anniversary Publication

The description that follows is from the Howard County 150th Anniversary Publication  published in 2001.  It starts at Cooksville, MD, just south of I-70:

South from Cooksville, you will pass a very old log cabin (opp pg 34).    In 1860 Thomas Hood, who owned much of the land in the area, freed one of his slaves named Sarah Jane Dorsey.  He gave her the log cabin where she had been born.  At least six generations of descendants of Sarah Jane lived there.  It is still occupied.

Going another half mile will bring you to the intersection of Route 97, Carr’s Mill Road and McKendree Road where there was a tiny community called Inwood.  In the settlement there was a general store, a blacksmith shop and a few homes, some of which belonged to the Warfield family.  Dr. Evan W. Warfield’s home, called Woodlawn, stood on the north west corner near where the new county library and community center are being built.  All that remains from the farm is the spring house¹ in a grove of trees.

In the distance beyond the playing fields on the opposite corner is a large white house, which stands on the foundation of the original Bushey Park, the home of Dr. Charles Alexander and Elizabeth Ridgely Warfield.  At one time this was part of a huge tract of land called Ridgely’s Great Park, comprised of 3,940 acres.  Dr. Warfield (who was just 23 at the time), Captain Thomas Hobbs and some other neighbors who were patriots rode to Annapolis on October 19, 1774 after learning that the brig, The Peggy Stewart, had entered the harbor loaded with tea.  The colonists had agreed not to import tea, which was one of the commodities on which they were highly taxed.  They confronted to owner of the brig, Anthony Stewart, and gave him the choice of burning his brand new ship or being hanged!  Anthony Stewart chose to burn his ship and the tea.  Charles Carroll of Carrollton, who was in Annapolis, was also one of the participants.  “The Burning of the Peggy Stewart” was one of the more important events leading to the Revolutionary War.

At the approach to Glenwood, on the right, is Union Chapel, built in 1833 on land donated by Charles Dorsey Warfield.  The chapel cost $5,040 to build and was paid for by gifts, large and small, from the community.  Although it was established for use by members of various religious denominations, the majority were Methodists.  Used extensively by many congregations over the years, it closed in 1955 because of declining membership.

Abandoned and deteriorating for several years, the chapel was rescued by some community leaders who requested that they be allowed to restore it.  The work was completed by 1982 and the beautiful chapel was one again available for services and meetings.  Most recently St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church has occupied the building but has outgrown it, using the Glenwood Middle School for services until their new church is built on a nearby location².  Behind Union Chapel is Oak Grove Cemetery, still active, in which many of the original settlers of the area buried³.

Opposite Union Chapel is an interesting old home, Ellerslie, the original part of which was built ca. 1763 by members of the Snowdon, Ridgely, and Warfield families for use as a hunting lodge.  The house passed through several owners and in 1830 was purchased by Richard Snowden as a wedding gift for his son, Richard, who in 1835 married Elizabeth Ridgely Warfield, daughter of Dr. Gustavus Warfield of nearby Longfield.  Unhappily, Richard Snowden reportedly lost Ellerslie in a gambling venture!  A few years later, Richard and two of his sons went west to the California Gold Rush, sailing to San Francisco around Cape Horn.  None of them ever returned from the west.

This general area is called Glenwood today.  But in 1822, it was known as Matthews⁴ Post office, Anne Arundel County, and more simply, Matthews.  Kitty and James Matthews built their general store and a lovely home across from it, which they called Bloomsburg.  As postmaster he received an annual salary of $116.28.  The town grew and prospered.

During the “War Between the States”, Glenwood was a lively place because of the military troops of both the North and South traveling toward battles that took place at Antietam, Sharpsburg and Gettysburg.  There were accounts of troops from both sides begging and stealing food and horses from farmers.  It is reported that Martha Ann Warfield of Longwood kept a diary during that war.  Her mother, Mary Thomas Warfield, being from Philadelphia, always wore a tiny America flag on her sleeve, even though her sympathies were with the South.  There is an account of a Civil War story that a Union soldier came to Longwood and demanded two horses.  Mary Warfield pleaded that her husband was a physician and relied on those horses to make his calls.  The soldier left, but returned during the night and stole the horses.

In 1874 the town’s name of Matthews was officially changed to Glenwood, a name chosen by Professor Lycurgus Matthews, son of James and Kitty.  Although all of the 14 Matthews children were well educated⁵, Lycurgus seemed to be the most venturesome and progressive.  As a small child he was tutored at home, then spent several years in the local district school house built by his father and Dr. Gustavus Warfield.  Following graduation from Gettysburg College, Lycurgus taught at several colleges. Being a Southern sympathizer, he served in a Confederate regiment in the ‘War Between the States’, and was wounded and imprisoned.

Following the war, Professor Matthews returned to Glenwood and opened his first school named Phrenakosmian Hall, which advertised as “A Select School for Boys and Girls”.  It attracted 48 boys and 25 girls!  Later the school’s name was changed to the Howard Institute…

The 1878 Maryland Directory placed the population of Glenwood at 40.  The town and the surrounding area were reported to be the garden spot of Howard County. 

The success of Howard Institute was so great that Professor Matthews built a large Victorian style house that he named Glenwood Institute.  Well-known teachers were attracted including Howard County’s own Professor J.D. Warfield, who enjoyed quite a reputation for preparing students for colleges as well as for the Naval Academy and West Point.

For several years military classes were also included at Glenwood Institute with the students being required to wear uniforms and perform drills.

It is not known when Glenwood Institute closed but Professor Matthews died in 1885 at the age of 57.  In 1898 records show that the house was owned by Miss Louisa V. Warfield of Longwood.  She rented it to her nephew’s wife, Mrs. Charles D. Warfield of Woodlawn who circulated the following advertisement:

GLENWOOD INSTITUTE
HOWARD COUNTY, MD

Will Reopen June 1st, 1898 for Summer Boarders

Situation High and Healthy, Terms Moderate
Accommodations for Horses and Vehicles

LETTERS OF INQUIRY
CHEERFULLY ACCEPTED

Address: Mrs Charles D. Warfield
Glenwood, MD
 

Across the road from the entrance to Oak Grove Cemetery once stood the Glenwood Country Club whose grounds bordered on those of the Glenwood Institute.  It was the scene of some of the county’s most spectacular social events.  In addition to extravagant parties and dances, every year the club would host a jousting tournament at the jousting grounds they maintained on Frederick Road just west of Cooksville.  Jousting was and still is the “official” Maryland state sport.

The old stone home, which sits very close to Rt 97, is now part of the property belonging to Glenwood Gardens.  It is believed to have been the original home of James and Kitty Matthews, who in 1825 built their general store and post office across the road, not too far from the present post office.  The Matthews’ son, William, succeeded his father as postmaster and held that position until 1889 when he was succeeded by John Alcock.  The store and post office were moved into a new building, which later became known as the Pindell Store.

Mrs. Cora Pindell Matthews became Glenwood’s first postmistress in 1900.  Roland Pindell was appointed in 1908 and remained postmaster for 18 years.  Cora Matthews was widowed, remarried and again became postmistress as Mrs. Cora P. Musgrove and served until the end of 1936.  Mrs. Elizabeth Thomas Pindell was appointed postmistress on January 1, 1937 and remained on the job until she retired at the end of 1979.  The Pindell Store ceased to operate as a country store and the post office was temporarily moved into a trailer until the new, present day building opened in 1979.

The Pindell Country Store was a vital part of Glenwood.  According to the late Bill Pindell, who operated the store for 50 years and was affectionately called “The Mayor”, “everything was sold there from toothpicks to shovels”.  Hardware items, feed and farm supplies, men’s clothing, shoes and boots, yard goods, linens, groceries, cold drinks and ice cream were among the items offered for sale.  The Christmas Eve raffle was a highlight for many years.  Lucky winners took home a turkey, duck or oysters.  Fortunately for us, to insure the future of the historic building, Warren Boyer, owner of Glenwood Gardens, decided to move the store across the street and incorporated it into his business operation for use as additional display and store area.  The feat was accomplished on July 1, 1981.

At the end of Glenwood opposite Burntwoods Road stands Longwood. Built in 1820 by Dr. Gustavus Warfield, this home was recently bought by the Smith family who plans to restore it to its original grandeur.  Just to the right of the mansion, Dr. Warfield built a small replica of the mansion that he used for an office and to teach medical students.  This has been called the “first hospital of Howard County.” Since he often kept patients overnight if he thought they were too sick to return home.

Just prior to Burntwoods Road on the left stands a two-story building, Longwood Chapel that was built in the 1890’s by Dr. Thomas J. and Emma Warfield Shepard and Louisa Warfield, all of Longwood.  Dr. Shepard was minister at the Harmony Presbyterian Church in Lisbon and conducted services at Longwood Chapel as often as his other duties allowed.  After the deaths of the three donors, the church fell into disrepair.  After some time it was converted into a home and is still occupied today.

1. Alas even the spring house no longer remains as of 2010.
2. St. Andrew’s Church now has regular services in their new building just south of Union Chapel on Rt 97.
3. Including many of the James B. Mathews family.
4. This text spells the Mathews name with 2 t’s. All other records I have seen spell it with 1 “t”.
5. Two of their children, William (the 1st) and Martha (the 11th) died in infancy.