Incomplete. Updated by Brad Toole 28mr2006.
The modern property 200 E.
Main St. occupies one full 103 x 206’ lot, No. 145, on the corner of E. Main
and S. Church Streets. There is a large,
elegant coursed-stone house on the NW corner with a small frame house uphill to
the east. The stone house certainly
dates back to 1839, based on the deeds and architectural features. The smaller house was used by the present
owner and her husband for a museum of Civil War artifacts, which they had
collected from the old museum at 135 W. Main St.
There are irregularities in
this deed chain. There are overlapping
deeds for Grice vs. deeds for Detrick and Piper. Several deeds have not been found, yet. The 1877 Atlas of Washington County
erroneously has this lot labeled 154, with the correct Lot 154 nearby, and no
Lot 145 anywhere else. This lot was
conveyed in the late 1800’s together with Lot 154 and adjoining Lot 146, as
noted in some of the deed abstracts below.
Several deeds in the 1800’s for half or all of Lot 146 to the east were
apparently mis-labeled Lot 145.
The property was earlier
researched for a Historic Register application, which was awarded, and this was
summarized in Pat Schooley’s book Architectural Treasures of Washington
County. The deed chain goes back
easily from the Ray’s current deed to 1839, but the preceding deeds back to
1765 are hard to find, causing the application researcher to report other
irregularities which need to be verified.
Where two dates are given,
the first is the date that the deed was made and actually signed, and the date
in parentheses is the date when it was copied and recorded at the
courthouse. Buyers and sellers in the
later deeds are from Washington County unless otherwise noted. Name spellings varied as written in each deed
abstract. Expressions from the deeds are
copied and paraphrased where it seems useful.
[Items in square brackets are
comments or clarifications.]
Shadrach Harmon bought from Joseph Chapline
6 April, 1765
(recorded 23 April, Frederick Co. Liber J, folio 1137-8)
for ₤3
Lot 145, 103 x 206 feet, with
profits, advantages and appurtenances, to pay 3s 6p annual rents on the 25th
of March [odd date for this]. Ruhamah
Chapline released her dower rights.
Recorded immediately before
this was a deed of the same date wherein Mr. Harmon bought an Out lot, 20 x 40
perches, No. 63, for 2 pounds 10 shillings, the typical price for an out
lot. [He sold it in 1768, his last name
spelled Hanaman (Liber L, f. 528-9).]
[Nine deeds were made by
Joseph Chapline that day, for four Out lots at 2 pounds 10, three town lots at
the typical price of 1 shilling, and this and one other town lot for 3
pounds.]
[missing some deeds: sale by Shadrach Harmon/Hanaman has not been found in Washington County or Frederick County, at least not in their buyer-seller name indexes. Adam Deats purchase not found in Washington Co. index.]
Joseph Shock bought from Adam Deats
14 January, 1785
(recorded 27 May, Washington Co. Liber D, folio 295-6)
for ₤50
Lot 145, 103 x 206 feet, with
profits, advantages and appurtenances, to pay 3s 6p rents yearly on the 29th
of July [another odd date for this], from 29th July 1783. Wife Mactolana Deats rel’d. Before J.P.’s Joseph Chapline [Jr.] and
Richard Davis.
Christena Fox (widow, of Wash. Co., bought from Joseph
Shock of Barkley Co., Virginia
23 April, 1792
(recorded 25 June, Liber G, folio 754-5)
for ₤55
Lot 145, 103 x 206 feet, with
profits, advantages and appurtenances, to pay 3s 6p rents yearly on the 9th
of July, from 9th July 1792.
Signed Joseph Shough, wife Catherine rel’d. Christena’s name is also written “Cristene
Fox (widow.” Before J.P.’s Wm.
Good and Thos. Crampton.
Peter Crise bought from Christina Fox
2 April, 1804
(recorded 14 April, Liber P, folio 581-2)
for ₤30
“Half a house or portion of
ground,” half of Lot 145, 51½’ breadth x 203’ [should be 206’] length, with
profits, advantages and appurtenances.
To pay 1s 9p sterling rent to Joseph Chapline, the Lord of the Soil, on
July 9th yearly from July 9th, 1803. Before J.P.’s John Good and George Smith.
[“Half a house” should be
“half a lot,” based on the low price and the rent statement.]
Jacob Reel bought from Christina Fox
2 April, 1804
(recorded 14 April, Liber P, folio 583)
for
$50
“Half lot or portion of
ground,” half of Lot 145, 51½’ breadth x 103’ [should be 206’] length, with profits,
advantages and appurtenances. To pay 1s
9p sterling rent to Joseph Chapline, the Lord of the Soil, on July 9th
yearly from July 9th, 1803.
Before J.P.’s John Good and George Smith.
[The descriptions in these
two consecutive deeds are imperfect, but they are certainly for the two halves
of one lot, and they call it Lot 145.
The following deed, also for “145,” conflicts with the chain extending
from 1839 to the present for Lot 145. It
is listed here for reference, until the matter is settled.]
John Grice bought from Susan Grice (of Washington Co.)
29 December, 1847
(recorded 27 January 1848, Liber I.N. 3, folio 134)
for
$300
“Half and house,” Lot 145 [sic],
51½’ breadth x 103’ length, with profits, advantages and appurtenances. To pay 39 cents rent to Mary T. and J.C. Hays
Guardian. Susan signed with her
mark.
[Between the 1765 and 1839
deeds, the Historic Register researcher claimed that 4 deeds in a row had the
wrong lot number, but that they should have been for Lot 145. I found the last one that she described, John
Amon buying from Benjamin Tyson in 1804, which was originally written in the
clerk’s script “lot 104,” but “145” was added in block letters immediately below
this. Benjamin Tyson had, in fact,
bought lot “number one hundred and four” eleven years earlier (1793, Liber H,
folio 79-80), and sold it to John Amon in 1804, and I did not find any deeds in
Amon’s or Tyson’s names for Lot 145.
[She did not find, or at
least report, the deeds from 1785 to 1804 and 1847. I am confident in the 1785 deed, since Joseph
Chapline was one of the J.P.’s for it.
Christina is listed in the Land Records index only for the three deeds
listed above. That part of the chain is
consistent as far as it goes, but it needs to be closed from 1765 to 1785 and
1804 to 1839 to be sure.]
[The following sale by the
Detricks is for Lot 145. I have
read some but not all of the Detrick purchase deeds, without yet finding the
one where they bought this lot. It may
have been bought by the wife’s parents, or it may have been missed in the index
for Detrick.]
Daniel Piper bought from Samuel & Elizabeth Detrick (of
Washington Co.)
17 January, 1839
(recorded 8 June, Liber GG, folio 848)
for
$1705
Lot 145, 103 x 206’ with all
improvements and appurtenances. To pay
78 cents rent on the 9th of July yearly to Joseph Chapline’s
heirs. Before JP’s Jacob Miller and
Daniel Grim.
[This deed does not mention a
house or building specifically, but the price indicates that the large stone
house was there.]
Jacob Piper (of Ogle Co., Ill.), Henry and Daniel Piper, Henry
B. Rohrback, Samuel J. Piper and William Roullett (all of Wash. Co.) bought
from Daniel Piper, Sr. (of Wash. Co.)
16 January, 1857
(recorded 21 April, Liber I.N. 11, folio 708-9)
for
$1775
Lot 145, 103 x 206’ with
improvements and appurtenances, citing the names, date, Liber and folios of the
1839 deed.
Also, “seconds lots…twain
number,” containing in the two lots 1¾ acres, within the limits of
Sharpsburg. One (of 1 acre) is adjacent
to the Lutheran graveyard. The other (of
¾ acre) is opposite the former on an alley lying between them, and lying
between said alley and a half lot of John Benner’s. Daniel had bought these from Nancy Miller in
a deed dated [made] 6 August, 1853, Liber I.N. No. 8, folios 638, 639.
“Together with all and
singular the buildings, improvements, ways, water, water courses....” JP Jeremiah Kuhn. [I didn’t find mention of the quit rent. This mention of buildings, placed where it
is, may apply to any of the three lots.]
[The “second lots” may be lots 154 and 147, or 153 plus 154 (to make up one acre) and 147 (but that is ½ acre, and it is just outside the town boundary shown in the 1877 Atlas), or a combination of 147, 149 and 98. This needs to be clarified with other deed searches. We have a few other deeds from this period for lots by this graveyard, and they don’t give the lot numbers, either. To be within-town lots, they would be ½ acre. But below, Lot 154 is described as being ¾ acre. Most of these lots are numbered in the 1877 Atlas and in later maps of town. Maybe they weren’t numbered yet when they were first sold.]
Lizzie R. Dye, Mary Ellen
Smith, Henry P. & Lizzie R. Miller
bought from Henry Piper, all of Washington Co.
7 March, 1890
(recorded 17 March, Liber 94, folio448-9)
for
natural love and affection, services rendered, and $1
Lot 145 with improvements, 103 x 206 feet, beginning at the SE corner of East Main and Church Streets, running eastwardly 103’ along the Southern line of East Main St. to the NW corner of the property owned by John Grice, then south with the west line of that property 206’ to the northern line of an alley, etc., containing ½ acre more or less.
Also a ¾-acre lot adjacent to
the Lutheran Grave Yard, adjoining the alley, and within the limits of
Sharpsburg, conveyed by Daniel Piper, Sr. to Henry Piper and others, in I.N.
No. 11, folios 708 and 709. [This is Lot
154 according to the deed below.] [There
is no mention of the other 1857 buyers selling their portion here. Deceased, or conveyed earlier to Henry?]
Lizzie Dye and Mary will have in fee simple an undivided 1/3 interest, and Henry & Lizzie Miller will each have a 1/6 interest. [The three ladies I presume were all Henry’s daughters. Lizzie (Elizabeth) Piper Dye is said to have first married Raleigh Sherman, father of the Raleigh Sherman below.]
[In the following deed
recorded in Liber 94, Henry sold land to Saml. D. Piper, being part
of the tract “Mount Pleasant” [there were more than one tract by this name,
this one being on the Sharpsburg-Boonsboro Pike], part of the tract “Ellwicks
Dwelling,” both conveyed by Daniel Piper sen., part of a tract called ____
conveyed by David Beeler and wife, and another part of the same “mount
Pleasant” tract conveyed by Henry Miller to Henry Piper.]
Raleigh Sherman [Jr.] bought from Lizzie R. Dye, widow of Washington,
DC, and Mary Ellen Smith, widow of Washington Co.
2 October, 1924
(recorded 3 October, Liber 169, folio 430)
for
$10
Lot 145 as described in 1890,
except running to the NW corner of the property of Raymond T. Howard [Lot 146],
with improvements.
Also Lot 154, both
being the lots conveyed by Henry Piper in the 1890 deed. This is ¾ of an acre again, [bordering] the
public alley, the Lutheran Grave yard [Lot 89] on [actually, across] the north
public alley, the land of Charles C. Dorsey on E. Antietam St. to the
south [Lot 151], and the land of Henry Gusin [crossed out, handwritten Swain
above] on the west [Lot 153]. The two
lots together are sold with buildings and improvements.
Also the personal and
household effects of the late Henry Piper and Elizabeth Piper his wife
and whatsoever has been acquired and held in common between the parties hereto
and Susan P. Miller the same being located upon said premises.
[There is no mention of Henry & Lizzie Miller selling their part; deceased? Susan Miller owned unnumbered lots uphill from these.] [Pat Schooley writes that Raleigh was the son of Elizabeth and her first husband Raleigh Sherman. Son Raleigh never married.]
M. Victor & Sallie
Smith bought from John P. Millar,
Charles F. Consaul, Francis L. Neubeck, George W. White and J. Cleveland Grice,
Executors of Raleigh Sherman [Jr.]
9 September, 1931
(recorded 3 October, Liber 189, folio 447-8)
for
$2,266.66
Raleigh’s undivided 2/3
interest in the two lots conveyed in 1924, as described there, except that Lot
145 borders the land of Raymond T. Howard [Lot 146] [here, Lot 154
neighbor Henry Swain’s last name is typed as Swain.]
[Pat wrote that Victor was
Mary Ellen Piper’s son, and the property descended to him when Raleigh [Jr.]
died. Perhaps that happened, but here he
and his wife are paying to buy it.]
John, Francis and George
appeared before a Notary Public in Washington, DC, J. Cleveland before a Notary
in Washington Co., and Charles before a Notary in Lenawee Co., Michigan, all to
testify that this deed was their respective act.
Following this on folios 448-9 was entered a mortgage for $2,266.66, owing from M. Victor and Sallie to the Executors. The mortgage will be voided if they pay the money within one month from this date, with interest at a rate of 6% per annum. They must pay taxes and insure the property. The mortgage was released on 14 July, 1937.
Aimee W. Smith bought from her father M. Victor Smith, widower
17 October, 1940
(recorded 23 October, Liber 213, folio 542-3)
for
$10
Lot 145 as described in 1931,
except no mention of improvements.
Charles G. Grice, Trustee bought in trust from Aimee W.
Smith, unmarried
21 July, 1951
(recorded 22 July, Liber 349, folio 287-8)
for
$10
Lot 145 as described in 1940,
to be reconveyed simultaneously upon the execution of these presents to Aimee
and Grafton V. Smith, Sr.
Aimee W. Smith and Grafton V. Smith, Sr. bought from Charles
G. Grice, Trustee
21 July, 1951
(recorded 22 July, Liber 349, folio 289-90)
for
$10
Lot 145 as described in 1940,
to hold it as joint tenants, subject to the right of survivorship and not as
tenants in common.
Charles G. Grice, Trustee bought in trust from Grafton V.
Smith, Sr. & Flo T. Smith
23 October, 1961
(recorded 26 October, Liber 373, folio 460-1)
Lot 145 as described in 1940,
to be reconveyed simultaneously upon the execution of these presents to Grafton
V. & Flo Smith, his wife. Aimee
W. Smith, unmarried, is deceased, and the title to the property became
vested in Grafton. [Flo’s name was
everywhere typed Florence, but the “rence” was blotted out by hand.]
Grafton V. Smith, Sr.
& Flo T. Smith bought from Charles
G. Grice, Trustee
13 October, 1961
(recorded 26 October, Liber 373, folio 461-2)
Lot 145 as described in 1940.
John G. Ray, Jr. &
Rose Zita G. Ray bought from Grafton
V. Smith, Sr. & Flo T. Smith
18 September, 1968
(recorded same day, Liber 476, folio 552)
Lot 145 as described in
1940. [John passed away in about 2000.]