Birmingham Manor

Richard Snowden, Jr. is believed to have built the Birmingham Manor house in 1690 and it remained the home of the Snowdens for 5 generations. Birmingham Manor was located on the Old Post Road in the Robin Hood's Forest section of the vast Snowden estate where it faced the Patuxent River. Built upon a beautiful elevation facing the river, the old manor site was commanding and the grounds extensive. The home was completely destroyed by fire on August 20, 1891 after being in the family for over 200 years.

Over the years many other Snowden homes were located close by as each generation added their homes to the community. There were at least 10 Snowden mansions within ten miles of Birmingham. In the eastern portion of what is now Montgomery County, there are more Snowden and Thomas homes, some in excellent condition.

The present day site of Birmingham Manor is on the east side of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway , opposite the Laurel Airport , near Laurel , MD. This part of the Snowden property became part of the Fort George G. Meade Military reservation in 1941 during World War II. In 1991 the US Army at Fort Meade transferred 8,100 acres of land to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This land was added to the 4,700 acre Patuxent Wildlife Research Center . The Birmingham cemetery may be visited by contacting the Visitor Center off Powder Mill Road in Laurel, MD.