Thorpland Plantation, Prince George’s County, Maryland. (1910 Ink Wash Drawing)


A charming and fairly-accomplished drawing of the main residence at Thorpland, Upper Marlboro, Prince George’s County, Maryland. Whimsically, the artist (“E.C.J.” – signing lower left) shows a young man sitting on a window sill with his legs dangling outside.

Thorpland has been recognized by the Maryland Historic Trust as a significant historical property. It has been referred to as Gladacres, Linville Manor, or the Bowie-Johnson House. The Trust remarks, in part:

“The Bowie-Johnson House was constructed in 1854, north of the town of Upper Marlboro, Maryland. It stands on a tract called Thorpland, which had been the property of the Bowie family from early in the eighteenth century. The main block of the house was built for Sarah Maria Bowie, widow of Charles Bowie, who had lived in an earlier house at Thorpland. The house was also the occasional home of the McCeney family from 1889 to 1951 and the residence of United States Representative Calvin Johnson from 1951 to 1981. Johnson was responsible for a majority of the numerous alterations and additions to the dwelling. Due to the alterations and additions, the dwelling does not retain sufficient integrity to convey its significance as a mid-nineteenth-century Greek Revival-style dwelling.”

The discovery of this on-the-spot rendering could be useful for architectural historians further exploring the building’s construction and various phases of modifications. See What Lurks in the Rooms of Linville Manor? - MidAtlantic Daytrips accessed online for an excellent overview of the property’s owners and the building’s history over the decades.


Description: Thorpland Plantation, Prince George’s County, Maryland. (1910 Ink Wash Drawing)

[Likely Maryland. May 10, 1910.] Drawing: 8 x 9¾ inches, accomplished on wove paper, in a modest wood frame, measuring 11¾ x 13¾ inches, unglazed (no framer’s glass). Toning, scattered paper abrasions. A bold and strong image.

[3731992]

Price: $250.00

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