MDSTMARY-L Archives

From: "David Roberts" <>
Subject: Dry Docking
Date: Fri, 8 Oct 2004 09:41:37 -0400
References: <41478933.9040100@dca.net>

Tom:
"Dry Docking Farm" is located on MD 245 now "Hollywood Road" but formerly
the "Hollywood-Leonardtown Road." The farm is located a few miles from
Leonardtown; maybe 1/3 of the way to Hollywood. The area were the farm is
located is mainly African American. Yesterday, I took a look at the sign as
I drove into Leonardtown. It still said "Wilkinson." I do not know them.
I am sure there are records on the "Dry Docking" land grants at the St.
Mary's County Historical Society. There is a guy who is quite active in
researching land records, farms boundaries, etc. He often gives
presentations on the subject. He will give [or already has given] a class on
land records for the St. Mary's County Office on Aging's L. I. F. E.
program.
The barns at "Dry Docking" may have been recorded by the St. Mary's County
Dep't of Planning and Zoning under a grant from the Maryland Historical
Trust. If so, you could get copies of the historical reports on these barns
from them.
David

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tom Stevenson" <>
To: <>
Sent: Tuesday, September 14, 2004 8:13 PM
Subject: [MDSTMARY-L] Tobacco barns


> http://www.genealogysource.com/drydocking.htm
>
> Some photos of an old St. Mary's County tobacco barn appear at the link
> above. At the bottom of the page are links to some shots of the interior
> of the barn.
>
> In 2001, I was researching my DRURY ancestors who had left Docking,
> England (a village known as "Dry Docking" for its lack of drinking
> water) and who had supposedly homesteaded a farm in the 1670's in St.
> Mary's County called Dry Docking Farm. As we drove away from St. Mary's
> Historical Society archives and a day of research, I let my wife drive.
> We were heading for a Catholic Church cemetery to see what gravestones
> we could find and photograph. I remarked how cool it would be if we
> could somehow figure out where the original Dry Docking Farm was located
> and go see it.
>
> No sooner had I made that remark, then I noticed out of the corner of my
> eye an old wooden sign along the side of the road. I yelled, "Pull
> over!". We turned around and went back. Sure enough, it said "Dry
> Docking Farm". We visited the current owners, in their 90's, and their
> pride and joy was the old tobacco barn, which they thought to be one of
> the oldest in Maryland left standing. Pictures are at the link at the
> top of this message.
>
> If anyone knows the current status of Mr. and Mrs. Wilkinson, please let
> me know. They were a delightful couple, strong in character and rich in
> St. Mary's history. Their photo is at
> http://www.genealogysource.com/stmarys_1.htm .
>
> Tom Stevenson
> http://DruryFamily.com

This thread:

• Dry Docking by "David Roberts" <>