John Brantley, Treasurer – October 26, 2021
On what turned into a pleasantly warm October 24th afternoon, a dozen members of the Granite Historical Society, not to mention a few non-members, toured the Worthington Manor site (sometimes called “Worthington Plantation”), the home and center of farming activity for Thomas Worthington starting in the 1760s. T.W. was the largest landholder in Granite history. By the time of his death in 1821, he had amassed some 5,200 acres of farmland and woodland, later inherited and worked by 3 of his sons, John, Noah and Rezin and his son-in-law, Henry Fite, not to mention 5 or 6 tenants.
The last official visit by the GHS took place in 1999 when an archaeological survey was taken and a report prepared by Dr. Joe Tatarewicz. As we expected, some deterioration of the site assets has occurred since then, specifically the collapse of a pair of stone chimneys at either end of the remnants of a large log structure which had served as a tenant house or possibly slave quarters back in the day. Fortunately, two important areas of the site, the Worthington family cemetery and an area described by the Maryland Historical Trust (BA-3042) as a slave cemetery, have been mowed by King Memorial Park personnel and are more accessible now than before.
The family cemetery is surrounded by a dry-stone wall and iron gate, still mostly intact, and contains 45 identifiable grave markers. One of those markers is a sizeable obelisk, a sad memorial to 5 great-grandchildren who succumbed to flu within a year of one another in 1875 and 76. The most remarkable marker, many of us thought, as the first one placed there in 1784 in honor of Elizabeth Hammond Worthington, T.W.’s first wife. The lettering and drawings on the stone are raised rather than inscribed, perfectly readable after almost a quarter of a millennium, a testament to the loving craftmanship of those who lived in Granite long before us.
The GHS is thankful to the management of King Memorial Park for allowing us access across their facility. The site is located about 3/4 of a mile from Dogwood Rd and we were able to drive almost all of the way there. Some of us old folks quite appreciated that.
Photographs by Bob Teller, Board of Directors:
