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Ratcliffe Manor, occasionally misspelled as "Radcliffe Manor", is a Georgian colonial home in Maryland completed around 1762 by Henry Hollyday. It gets its name from the "Mannour of Ratcliffe", which is one of the Maryland Eastern Shore's oldest land grants. The dwelling is considered one of the most distinctive plantation houses on the Eastern Shore, with a northeast facade on the land approach side and a nearly identical southwest facade on the river approach side. The entire property is included in the Maryland Historical Trust's Inventory of Historic Properties. A set of photographs of the estate, made in the 1930s and 1940s, is part of the Historic American Buildings Survey administered by the Library of Congress and National Park Service. The estate is located on the Tred Avon River in Talbot County near Easton, Maryland. During the War of 1812, a fort consisting of a six–gun artillery battery was constructed on Ratcliffe Manor property to protect the town of Easton from a river approach by British soldiers. Although Easton was not attacked, British troops landed further west in the county at least twice, fighting in small battles that became known as the Battle of St. Michaels and Second Battle of St. Michaels. The Hollyday family occupied the manor house for about 140 years. Former residents of the manor house include Richard C. Hollyday, secretary of State of Maryland; and Charles Hopper Gibson, a United States Senator. During the first half of the 20th century, Ratcliffe Manor was an agricultural and dairy complex. It was sold to diplomat Gerard C. Smith and his wife in 1945, and they restored the house and its grounds. The Smith family members began selling portions of the property in 1995. By the end of the century, plans were made to sell a portion of the manor grounds for development. Today, the privately owned plantation house still stands, separated by a wooded area from a planned community called Easton Village. Beginning Ratcliffe Manor is located in Talbot County's town of Easton, Maryland. The property is on a peninsula formed by the Tred Avon River and Dixon Creek. Henry Hollyday began accumulating materials for the construction of the Ratcliffe Manor house in 1755, and expected to start building in 1757. Although the exact construction start and finish dates are not available, Hollyday appears to have occupied Ratcliffe Manor by 1762 based on a letter written to his brother. At the time of the manor's construction, Talbot County was part of the English Province of Maryland, and the United States and state of Maryland did not yet exist. The house's architect is unknown, but Hollyday had a plan because he knew the layout of the house—including materials needed and their quantities. Bricks used in construction were made on site, and home furnishings were ordered from London. In 1919, evidence could still be found on the property of the hole caused by removing clay to make bricks. The Hollyday farm of the 1760s has been described as "another of the great bayside plantations". Tobacco was the main cash crop on Maryland's Eastern Shore during the 17th and early 18th centuries. Histories of colonial plantations in southern regions such as Virginia tend to focus on tobacco production. However, grain was a more important crop at Ratcliffe Manor than tobacco. On average, the farm produced 3,700 pounds (1,700 kg) of tobacco, 315 bushels (8.6 metric tons) of wheat, 185 barrels of corn, and 55 bushels (1.5 metric tons) of oats. Hollyday used seven fieldhands and a paid overseer to maintain his crops, and hired additional people during harvest time. Hollyday's farm became more productive, and by the time of the American Revolution he owned 60 to 70 slaves. His family grew to 11 people, plus he employed a nurse, weavers, and spinners. He raised cattle, hogs, and sheep. His crops at that time were cotton, hemp, corn, and wheat. Although tobacco was raised in the early years of the farm, this product fell out of favor as the English markets closed. Architecture The Maryland Historical Trust file on Ratcliffe Manor uses a spelling of "Radcliffe" when discussing the property's 20th century dairy complex, but it uses the "Ratcliffe" spelling elsewhere. Ratcliffe Manor is described as "one of the most elaborate and distinctive mid-eighteenth century plantation dwellings erected on Maryland's Eastern Shore." The trust also notes that the manor house "...has had only minor alterations since its original construction and retains the majority of its historic building fabric." Another source mentions that the side of the house that faces the water is nearly identical to the land approach side, which gives the house two façades. While the land approach is highlighted by a long flower and tree-lined driveway, the water approach used to have a terraced boxwood garden between the Tred Avon River and the house. Exterior The two–and–a–half-story home was made from Flemish bond red brick, and is the highlight of a plantation that at one time consisted of over 1,000 acres (400 ha). The house's design is typical of the Maryland manor houses of the time, consisting of a main section with a wing. The middle of the main building has a simple portico and doorway. The jerkin-head roof on the main building has four end chimneys. The land approach side of the home is on the northeast side of the structure. This side, which can be considered the front of the main portion of the house, is a symmetrical five-bay elevation with two twelve–over–twelve sash windows adjacent to each side of the door. The second floor has five evenly–spaced twelve-over-eight sash windows. The roof on the front side has three gable roof dormers with round arch sash windows. Like the front, the rear (southwest) facade of the main building is a balanced five-bay elevation with center entrance, sash windows, and dormers. The rear facade faces the Tred Avon River approach to the house. From the front facade, the exterior wall on the left side of the building has a corner door that leads to the study, and at the opposite corner is a bulkhead entrance to the cellar. The wing is to the right when facing the front of the house. It was originally a one–and–a–half-story three-bay room that included the kitchen. The kitchen was severely damaged by fire in the first half of the 20th century, and reconstruction work was altered in 1953 when the wing was remodeled. The wing was extended further west with a kitchen addition that was made to have the exterior appearance of a "subsidiary outbuilding". A large glassed-in porch was also added in the 20th century, and its entrance is via the wing's south wall. The long land approach to the house is lined with flowers and trees. The garden, located between the back of the house and the Tred Avon River, has been sophisticated enough that it has been, on multiple occasions, part of the Maryland House and Garden Pilgrimage tour. The garden is thought to have been laid out.... Discover the Thomas Hollyday popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Thomas Hollyday books.