USA > Maryland > Montgomery County > Sandy Spring > Annals of Sandy Spring history of a rural community in Maryland, Volume III > Part 29
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During March, Charles F. Kirk began prepara- tions for a very complete reconstruction of the old house at Fair Hill. The frame of the west end of the building, erected as early as 1761, by Colonel Richard Brooke, is as sound and strong today as when first put together ; the brick east end was a later addi- tion-about 1780-and many changes-which it is interesting to trace since the framework was laid bare-were made in both parts of the house when it was bought by Baltimore Yearly Meeting, in 1815, and turned into a girl's boarding school.
This month the contract for building the new school house at Sherwood was let, and by September we hope to see a fine two-story brick structure oc- cupying in part the site of the present frame one. To attain this end the County appropriation had to be supplemented by private subscriptions, most of which were secured by the energy and perseverance of Tarlton B. Stabler.
Before the memory of Sherwood Friends' School
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is quite lost in this later glory it may be interesting to note that the ground given by Mary L. Roberts, in 1883, for the establishment of this Monthly Meet- ing school, had eighty years before been intended for a like purpose. A list of stockholders in the Sandy Spring Boarding School Company, dated September 24, 1803, contains the names of many men whose descendants or relatives are now living here, and others well known to us by reputation, such as Philip E. Thomas, Gerard T. Hopkins, Isaac Tyson, James Gi'lingham, Moses Sheppard, etc., and many more whose names are now represented in the Orthodox branch of the Society of Friends. For some reason unknown the boarding school scheme was abandoned, and the land, including the present Sherwood lot, which had been bought for it, was sold to Caleb Bent- ley at cost ; the committee arranging the sale for the stockholders being Bernard Gilpin, Thomas Moore, Isaac Briggs, George Ellicott and Benjamin Ellicott, as shown by a document signed by them December 13, 1808.
On March 27, a lot of about twelve acres, belong- ing to the heirs of the late Samuel W. Budd, was bought for the Normal and Agricultural Institute. which will be transferred thither from Sharp Street before school opens next fall.
"On March 29, Thomas Snowden Stabler died, aged seventy years, and was buried in Woodside cem- etery. Born in Lynchburg, Va., the son of Robinson and Mary Annis Davis Stabler, in early life he married Virginia Latham, and he is survived by
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three devoted sons, who were ever untiring in their efforts to minister to his wants during many years of ill health.
"He was a big-hearted Southern gentleman, pos- sessed of much general information, and his heart was ever overflowing with love and sympathy to all his relatives and friends. His life-message was that of love!
"It was said of him by one in the neighborhood, 'he lived in our family for weeks at a time and none of us ever heard him say an unkind word of anyone, and if another said anything in the nature of a criti- cism, he could always find something praiseworthy to mention in the person criticised.' " (V. McP. S.)
The last day of our record was fruitful of note- worthy matters. On the evening of March 31, a meet- ing addressed by Dr. Lewis of Kensington, was held at Spencerville under the auspices of the County League for Social Service; and a local auxiliary was formed which it is hoped may help to forward the good work.
At the same time Dr. William I. Hu'l of Swarth- more, at the invitation of the Wednesday Club, gave them and their guests a talk at Mt. Airy. Two of his interests during a recent sojourn in The Hague- a successful search for the records of the old Dutch Friends' meetings, and the results of the two Peace Conferences-were the heads of his delightful dis- course.
The permanence of our various neighborhood in-
. drow Boom
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stitutions, social and financial, continues unshaken ; all our societies still meet, with unabated interest, and the limit of our capacity in that line seems not yet to have been reached. Two new clubs have been organized within the year. Several of our youngest men and women, Edith and Ruth Shoemaker, Doro thy and Gladys Brooke, Helen S. Wetherald, Mary G., Stella, and William W. Moore, Jr., Samuel P. and William J. Thomas, and Reuben Brigham formed a Shakespeare Club in the fall, and through the winter held weekly meetings with both pleasure and profit.
"In January, a dozen ladies in the immediate neighborhood of Brighton organized a small society which was called Our Social Afternoon. The object being to promote sociability, it was agreed to hold entirely informal meetings. The hostess acts as lead- er, and no minutes are taken. The handing of re- freshments is prohibited.
"Each member is expected to take her needlework, and have a selection to read, instructive or humorous as her fancy dictates.
"The meetings are held on alternate Tuesdays from 2 to 4.30 p. m., at Fairfield, Hillcrest, Kentmere, Ros- lyn, Riverton and Stonewalls." (H. S. S.)
Another organization, which, though strictly speak- ing, not in Sandy Spring, is yet a product of Sandy Spring influences, is the Spencerville Farmers' Club. It was formed February 27 with fourteen members, Jesse D. Brown, president; Herbert Thompson, vice-
3
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president ; Thomas B. Boss, secretary-treasurer. Its meetings will be held monthly in Spencerville Hall.
The Mutual Fire Insurance Co. of Montgomery County has "held the tenor of its way" prosperously, but uneventfully, this year.
"The Savings Institution of Sandy Spring has en- joyed a very flourishing year, having earned for its depositors over $54,000.00, and increased its holdings by more than $50,000.00 Its total assets are now $1,- 102,742.00.
"The First National Bank, with a capital of $25,- 000.00, has a surplus and undivided profits of $13,- 000.00, and it reached its highest point in deposits during January, when the hundred-thousand-dollar mark was passed." (A. G. T.)
The farm, however, is the foundation for all our prosperity, and the past year has, on the whole, been a good one for the farmer. Corn made a fair average . crop, and early potatoes did well, but the later ones were almost a failure; prices, however, were good enough to offset weak production. The yield of wheat was rather small, and weevil took possession of it to such an extent that it was generally threshed and sold immediately after harvest; so most of our farmers failed to reap the benefit when the price went up to $1.30 a bushel in February; but Frank J. Downey, who was forced to buy a thousand bushels in Balti- more about that time to keep his mill going, felt the advance keenly. Hay sold lower than last year, but
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there was a tremendous crop; it overflowed barns and barracks, and was ricked on many farms that had never before been so adorned.
The question of good roads, of such general interest to the country at large, has been acute in Sandy Spring for many years. As recorded in these Annals, our fathers and grandfathers felt the need of them so keenly that they put their hands in their pockets and built thirty-seven and one-half miles of stone roads in this section of Montgomery County at a cost of about $3,000.00 per mile.
The benefit of these highways to the community has been incalculable, though the pikes are not perfect specimens of road-building; but of late years the tolls have become a thorn in the flesh to the patrons of the roads, and many schemes have been proposed for doing away with them, none of which seemed feas- ible.
Since the establishment of the State Good Roads Commission, however, a loophole of escape has offered, and the taxpayers of Wheaton, Colesville and Olney districts, in which the raods lie, have petitioned the County Commissioners to ask the Good Roads Com- mission to take as a gift the Union and the Wash- ington, Colesville and Ashton Turnpikes, to improve and maintain them. The County Commissioners hav- ing made the desired request, if the Good Roads Com- mission grants it, the three districts will have to buy the roads, which the stockholders have agreed to sell for $1,000.00 per mile. Such purchase will require the issuing of bonds, and a special election must be
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called to learn the wishes of the taxpayers regarding this bond issue; as an additional tax of six or seven cents on property in the three districts will be neces- sary to pay the interest on the bonds, and gradually to redeem them. The conclusion of the whole matter is anticipated with eagerness, as it is fraught with momentous consequences not to be foreseen; these same turnpikes being still our chief link with the out- side world.
Our isolation and the wholly rural nature of our population, the absence of towns, or even villages, hereabouts, seems to have greatly impressed Joseph E. Wing on his recent visit here at the time of our Institute; and in closing I quote his pleasant and ap- preciative words in a letter since written to the Breeders' Gazette :
"Yesterday I saw our President ( Roosevelt), won- derful in his strength and vigor of mind and body, setting off for one of his long horseback rides, and the thought came to me, 'Here. I wonder if this man knows that within twenty miles of the White House he can find the best type of country life to be seen in America ; a land where all labor and are not ashamed ; a land where women are fair and know how to adorn themselves, and to smile and to make men glad; a land where towns are forgotten and men, women and children find delight in simple, homely joys-the good green earth, the sun, the open fire, the horse and dog: where they teach sons and daughters to grow up strong and clean and smiling' ?
"Miles from what we could call a village in the
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West we saw fine homes, plenty of them, and Friends who drive automobiles and milk cows, a beautiful type of manhood and womanhood, splendid young folk, but no towns, no villages! Here on rather infertile soil the Friends have built fine farms, made them fertile, raised great numbers of boys and girls, intelligent, fit- ted to cope with the world, going forth, many of them, to achieve notable things. They all work; they all think; they all lead clean, sober, happy lives."
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