Wednesday, September 20, 2006

A tourist visits Doughoregan Manor in 1891

The Diarist, Fannie Miller, was travelling with the Shriver family of Maryland, a prominent Catholic family.

From St. Charles we drive to Doughregan Manor, the summer home of the Carroll family, who are now in Europe. The house is in colonial style of architecture, painted white, a veritable home of comfort and beauty.

Handing over our equipage to the care of an aged negro, whom I understand to have been an attaché to the servants' staff of the famous Signer, we wander around to see the conservatory and spacious, neatly-kept lawns, the fine old trees, beautifully-modeled flower plots, and, not least, the handsome chapel, where I note a slab of marble mosaicked into the wall, on the gospel side of the altar inscribed: --

Charles Carroll of Carrollton, Born Sep. 20th, 1737. Died Nov. 14th, 1832.

On religious occasions in the slave days the body of this chapel was filled with representatives of the dark race owned by the Carrolls, the pews on each side of the altar being reserved for the family and their friends.

It was a novel sensation to me to kneel and
[p. 114]
pray before the altar upon which had been laid the petitions of the brave hero who erected this shrine and was equally faithful to his country and his God.

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