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BettyO · 05-06-2014, 12:24 PM

This truly saddens me - What a beautiful, grand old home. And it WAS a home; full of laughter, love, grace and charm. While it will be missed, it remains in memory -

Thanks so very, very much Laurie and Roger for sharing!

L Verge · 05-06-2014, 12:43 PM

Thanks for sharing the photos, Rich. It is amazing to me that our parlor was left in some semblance of order compared to what vandals did to the rest of the house (chopping out copper piping, wires, tearing out radiators and gutters and anything metal, then starting in on the antiques). You will notice how tidy that room is in the two interior photos Rich posted.

One of the items stolen from that room (I suspect chopped up) was a huge upright piano that was given to my grandmother on her 16th birthday in 1890. Real ivory and ebony, a sounding board that could pick up tones of clocks chiming, fruit wood with typical inlays of that era, etc. It left the house one time in my childhood and took three, trained piano movers to move it out the front door onto the front porch (which almost gave way) and down 3-4 steps. Moving it back in was even more entertaining to watch... Maybe the modern-day thieves sold the piano wire to the gangs in Chicago since I understand the old mobs used it extensively to garrot (?sp.?) victims.

Vandals also stole three Victorian beds with headboards that reached the 10-foot ceilings upstairs and came with marble-top bureaus, washstands, etc. The point of my posting this is that I sure would love to meet the muscle-bound apes who pulled all this off!

PaigeBooth · 05-06-2014, 05:05 PM

So sorry to hear about this, Laurie. When I read this, I was so surprised because I had no idea that you were related to the Huntt family. How exciting it must have been to own a home affiliated with the conspiracy. What a grand house it must have been. It is such a shame people would go as far as to burn the house. I was so sorry to hear about your loss.

L Verge · 05-06-2014, 06:35 PM

Thank you, Paige. Let me tell you that I was very excited when, in my 20s, I first read in print both Smoot and Atzerodt reporting about a man named Huntt in T.B. being ready to supply horses in the kidnap plot. Great grandpappy was the only man named Huntt living in T.B. in 1865!

My grandmother always claimed that the Huntt family supported Lincoln. They weren't living in Prince George's County at that time (were actually married near election time in November of 1860), but we know that only one man in the entire county supported Mr. Lincoln. By the 1864 election, Mr. Lincoln garnered a few more votes - some coming from Union soldiers who were allowed to vote there even if not citizens of the county or state.

At one point, I was so eager to prove that the Huntts were Confederate that Mike Kauffman assured me that they probably were - up until the war's end. Then they had to continue living and earning a living ten miles outside the U.S. capital city; therefore, it was better to claim sympathies for Uncle Abe. And, I mean no disrespect in saying that.

It is a little frustrating however, because I have packed away letters that Mr. Huntt wrote to his new bride during the winter of secession in which he declares his undying love for her -- unless he finds out she's a secessionist. I have come to satisfy myself with the thought that the Huntt family was likely pro-Union, but anti-abolition (like 90%) of our area.

brtmchl · (This post was last modified: 05-07-2014 07:12 PM by brtmchl.)

I'm so sorry Laurie. It looks like it was a beautiful home. Must have been beautiful in its prime. Charming and distinctly Southern. This is exactly what my dream home could be. I'm truly sorry and saddened that ignorant vandals would destroy what was once a gem.

JB Banning · 05-07-2014, 01:32 PM

Useless, useless

L Verge · 05-07-2014, 02:57 PM

Someday, I should write an expose on what it is like to try and stop vandals and thieves while getting no support from the police or society. I think I can understand that the police are overwhelmed with larger crimes in our area, but I really worry about what is very obviously a downward spiral in Americans' values when it comes to condoning acts of destruction and violence.

Just one more comment on the "ugly Americans" - since I'm in my next stage of mourning the house (anger!): One of the reasons why I brought my mother to live with me was for her safety. Just one example to share - the property has a driveway about one-tenth of a mile long with entrances at both ends from county roads. Drivers were constantly using her driveway as a shortcut between the two main roads. On several occasions, my mother and/or her dog was almost hit while standing in her own driveway; once she was backing out of her own garage and the driver of a speeding car honked the horn at her to get out of his way; and another driver stopped and cursed at her for being in his way.

I'm getting to the point where I just don't understand people anymore. I know that there are many more fine people out there besides the jerks, but the jerks keep jerking me around... I don't like finding myself mad at the world because someone else is.

Gene C · (This post was last modified: 05-07-2014 03:46 PM by Gene C.)

(05-07-2014 02:57 PM)L Verge Wrote: Drivers were constantly using her driveway as a shortcut between the two main roads.

We had the same problem at our church parking lot....until they installed some speed bumps.

Cliff Roberts · 05-07-2014, 07:39 PM

Laurie, my condolences over the loss of this grand old home. I know from personal experience such a home can be thought of almost as a part of the family, and when it finally succumbs to the inevitable, it can be just as painful as losing a loved one. Fortunately, you have many memories to ease the pain and many friends to share your loss.

L Verge · 05-08-2014, 08:01 AM

Thank you, Cliff. That is a great part of being in a history-minded fellowship; they understand what the past means in so many ways.

05-08-2014, 09:33 AM

Laurie,

I, too, am very sorry to hear of the destruction of your family home. What a world we live in. (aside: Yesterday, I defended an elderly lady who was in a parking lot accident with a 24 year old guy who has 3 children by 3 different women. He LITERALLY did not know the name of the mother of his 3rd child. I asked how it was possible for someone not to know that, he replied that he "wasn't good with names.")

Anyway, we had offered him $5,000 to go away (he claimed he was injured) but he wanted $20,000. The jury saw fit to award him $0 (greedy pigs get eaten I suppose.)

Back to Laurie's story, Laurie, was this the house that was in the wooded area on the right side of Route 5 (I think this is the name of the road - it's the road leading from Surratt House towards T.B.)? When we were up for the conference, Dave and Jim took us by there and mentioned it was the family home of your relatives, but in my mind's eye, the house looked much different that the pictures you posted (e.g., I don't recall any white paint on it.) Anyway, I was wondering if this was the same home.

Sorry again for your loss,
Heath

Anita · 05-08-2014, 12:06 PM

Laurie, I found a wonderful history of your house. It has photos, maps and detailed specs on its construction. I realize you are probably aware of these documents but I thought some forum readers might like to take a look.

http://msa.maryland.gov/megafile/msa/sta..._19391.pdf

There's also an addendum with a detailed history and photos of T.B.
http://msa.maryland.gov/megafile/msa/sta..._19407.pdf

L Verge · 05-08-2014, 01:10 PM

(05-08-2014 09:33 AM)Rhatkinson Wrote: Laurie,

I, too, am very sorry to hear of the destruction of your family home. What a world we live in. (aside: Yesterday, I defended an elderly lady who was in a parking lot accident with a 24 year old guy who has 3 children by 3 different women. He LITERALLY did not know the name of the mother of his 3rd child. I asked how it was possible for someone not to know that, he replied that he "wasn't good with names.")

Anyway, we had offered him $5,000 to go away (he claimed he was injured) but he wanted $20,000. The jury saw fit to award him $0 (greedy pigs get eaten I suppose.)

Back to Laurie's story, Laurie, was this the house that was in the wooded area on the right side of Route 5 (I think this is the name of the road - it's the road leading from Surratt House towards T.B.)? When we were up for the conference, Dave and Jim took us by there and mentioned it was the family home of your relatives, but in my mind's eye, the house looked much different that the pictures you posted (e.g., I don't recall any white paint on it.) Anyway, I was wondering if this was the same home.

Sorry again for your loss,
Heath

Yes, Heath, I'm sure it was the same house. It has not had a paint job in over thirty years, but it wasn't totally "nude." Rick recently sent me a photocopy of a picture that he found at the house several years ago while he was helping me watch over it. That photo was taken about 1955-60, shortly after the house was picked up, turned around, and moved to our sheep pasture to make way for Route 5. I'll see if I can post that here - or send to Roger and scream Help!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Don't scream, Laurie. I am posting it below:

*********************************************

(courtesy of Rick Smith) - the Huntt house as of May 8, 2014

(courtesy of Rick Smith) - the Huntt house as of May 8, 2014

Rick Smith · 05-08-2014, 06:33 PM

Laurie,

As we discussed, it was a very sad site.

While there, it put me in mind of what some of our ancestors returned to 149 years ago.

Rick

L Verge · (This post was last modified: 05-08-2014 07:10 PM by L Verge.)

Rick - we think alike. That was my first reaction on Monday when I first saw the ruins. At least I won't have to start from scratch to build a whole new life. I think I could accept its demise more if it had come at the hands of an electrical failure or lightning strike. It's the fact of knowing that the criminal element destroyed it that makes me so angry. I bet the people of the Valley and Georgia and other areas felt the same way 149 years ago. I understand that such destruction may have been necessary for the winning of the war, but I'm not sure that the defeated ones felt anything except despair and then loathing.