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Bushy Park was the home of Dr. Charles Alexander Warfield, son of Azel and Sarah Griffith Warfield at Carrs Mill Road near Rt 97 in Glenwood, MD. Charles was born on December 3, 1751 in Upper Arundel County. In 1771 he married Elizabeth Ridgely, daughter of Henry and Anne Dorsey Ridgely of Montpelier-I. He and his bride then held some 1,300 acres of Ridgely's Great Park, north of Glenwood, half of which is said to have been given them by Elizabeth 's father, the other half purchased by Charles. During the building of their home, later described as having been stately and 'bearing evidence of culture and comfort', the young couple lived in a small log cabin that stood on the banks of the Upper Patuxent.
As stated in Celia Holland's book, Dr. Warfield named his estate after Lord North's home outside of London, calling it Bushy Park. In addition to the great house, "he erected many fine buildings, including a carriage house, meat house, several barns and slave quarters, all of which disappeared circa 1947. Bushy Park was also known for its handsome boxwood gardens, accented by three large fountains, the foundations of which still remain. Buried less than a foot below the surface, the old stones cause a distinct contrast in the color of the sod covering them, a reminder of lost beauty. Although the boxwood was replaced by the recent owners, one of the original bushes remains. When the great house was destroyed by fire in 1933, the present home, which is said to resemble the original house, was erected on the same site."
Bushy Park with its vast acreage, "remained in the family until after the Civil War, when it was sold to Mr. Chadwick of New York. With each new ownership the extent of the holdings has decreased, until today the farm comprises approximately 200 acres."
Excerpts taken from "Old Homes and Families of Howard County, Maryland", Celia M. Holland, 1987, p 254 |
