Right in our own
backyard, within a one-hour drive from Pikesville, there are wonderful places
to visit, most at no charge.
Historic Jerusalem
Mills Village
This Quaker
village, dating back to the late 1700s, is one of the oldest and most intact
mill villages in the United States, where grain was milled from 1772 until
1961. The village, which sits along the Little Gunpowder Falls in Kingsville,
Maryland, is in the process of a total restoration thanks to a volunteer
organization, the Friends of Jerusalem Mills. The village consists of a
restored grist mill, the miller’s house, a still functioning blacksmith shop, a
tenant house, McCourtney’s general store, the Jerusalem mansion, a springhouse,
a smokehouse/dairy, and the ruins of a large bank barn. All buildings were
constructed in the 1700s and 1800s. Adjacent to the village is the intact
Jerusalem covered bridge, one of only six in Maryland. There is a lot of
history in the village. During the Revolutionary War, gunstocks for the
Maryland Militia were produced in the cooperage located behind the mill, and
during the Civil War, Confederate troops conducted a raid at McCourtney’s
general store.
The State of
Maryland acquired the village in 1961 as part of the Gunpowder Falls State
Park. All the buildings are listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
There are picnic areas scattered throughout the village along with miles of
hiking trails. The village grounds are open every day from sunrise to sunset.
There is no entrance fee. Most of the buildings are open for visits on Sundays
from 1:00 pm. to 4:00 p.m. Some but not all buildings are handicap accessible.
On Sunday afternoons, docents, dressed in period costume provide engaging
interpretive talks about life in the village.
To get to
Jerusalem Mill, from the beltway (695), take exit 32B/Route 1 (Belair Road) and
travel north 7.4 miles to Jerusalem Road. Turn right and follow the road for
two miles to the village. There is ample free onsite parking.
The Eisenhower
National Historic Site
Located in
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, adjacent to the Gettysburg Battlefield, is the home
of Dwight Eisenhower, the 34th President of the United States, and
his wife Mamie. It is the only home they ever owned. The site consists of a
large working farm; the Eisenhower home with original furnishings; a guest
house; a large bank barn with original farm machinery; a garage that houses the
presidential limousine, golf carts, the family station wagon; rose gardens; and
a PGA putting green. President Eisenhower and Mamie used the farm as a retreat
and diplomatic getaway during Eisenhower’s presidency from 1953 to 1961 and
then retired there after leaving the White House. After the President’s death
in 1969, Mamie continued to live at the farm until her death in 1979. The site
is now part of the National Park Service.
The grounds are
open daily from sunrise to sunset. One can take a self-guided tour of the
grounds and outbuildings as well as a walking tour of the show barn used for
Eisenhower’s prize-winning black angus cattle operation. On a seasonal
schedule, the home is open for a highly informative 45-minute tour led by a
park ranger. The tour provides an intimate glimpse of the Eisenhower’s life and
times, including stories about the world leaders who visited the Eisenhower
home and farm. Tours leave on the hour from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on a
first-come, first-served basis. There is no fee, and pre-registration is not
required. The areas around the home and the first floor of the home are
wheelchair accessible. Check the Eisenhower National Historic Site website to
confirm the availability of home tours.
The Eisenhower
home is an easy one-hour drive from Baltimore via Maryland 140W through very
scenic Carroll County farmland. There is ample free onsite parking. If you have
time after your visit, there is an opportunity to visit the historic town of
Gettysburg and the famous battlefield.
Hampton National
Historic Site
The Hampton
National Historic Site, part of the U.S. National Park Service since 1947, was
once a vast commercial, industrial, and agricultural estate ,which at various
times included a tobacco farm, an ironworks factory at which materials for the
American Revolution were manufactured, a southern-style plantation farm, grain
mills, and marble and limestone quarries. From the colonial period through 1864,
many of these activities were supported by enslaved and indentured laborers.
The site includes a Visitor Center, mansion, slave quarters, and historic farm
buildings. In 1790, the 24,000 square foot mansion was the largest private home
in America and served as an example of late Georgian architecture. Buildings
are open Thursday through Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., except on federal
holidays.
The Park site is
open daily, except on federal holidays, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.. In
addition to self-guided walking tours of the scenic grounds and formal gardens,
there are many walking paths on the 63-acre property. The interior of the
mansion is only accessible by joining a guided 45- to 60-minute tour starting
at 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., Thursday through Sunday. Tickets are free and available on a
first come, first served basis at the park visitor center. Tickets can only be
acquired on the day of your visit. Tickets tend to go fast, so visitors are
encouraged to get to the park early if they are interested in a mansion tour.
The first floor of the mansion is wheelchair accessible.
The entrance to
the site is on Hampton Lane, off Dulaney Valley Road, just north of the beltway
(695). There is ample, free on-site parking.
United States
Naval Academy
We are fortunate
to have the Naval Academy so close to us. The Academy, founded in 1845 to train
midshipmen, is located along the Severn River in historic Annapolis. The
Academy grounds are open daily from March through November from 9:00 a.m. to
5:00 p.m., and in January and February from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on weekdays
and 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekends. All visitors 18 years and older must
have a valid photo ID. Highlights of the Academy include a museum (closed on
Tuesday) featuring the history of sea power and development of the Academy,
monuments honoring famous naval battles and heroes, a 2,500-seat chapel with
the crypt of naval hero John Paul Jones and impressive stain glass windows,
athletic facilities, and Bancroft Hall, the largest single dormitory in the
world housing the entire 4,400-person brigade of midshipmen. In the Visitors
Center, there are interactive screens and videos capturing the mission of the
Academy, midshipmen student life, navy history, student traditions, and
profiles of exceptional graduates. There is also an informative film in the
Visitors Center.
Definitely worth a
visit is the Commodore Uriah P. Levy Center and Jewish Chapel, named in honor
of the first Commodore of the U.S. Navy. The Levy Center is adjacent to
Mitscher Hall and houses a 410-seat chapel which includes a 45-foot-high wall
made of Jerusalem marble and is a replica of the Western Wall.
Visitors can tour
the Academy on their own through a self-guided walking tour. Most buildings are
wheelchair accessible. I would recommend a professionally-guided 90-minute
walking tour that takes you through the grounds and into most buildings. Tours
occur throughout the day except on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day.
You can sign up for a tour online or purchase a ticket on the day of your
visit. The price is $14 for adults and $12 for students in grades K-12. There
is a senior walking tour for people age 65+ at a cost of $13, and for those
with limited mobility, there is a $35 tour in a five-passenger electric vehicle
which highlights the “gems” of the Academy.
The Academy is an
easy 45-minute drive from Pikesville via the beltway and route 97. There is
limited free onsite parking, but street and garage parking are also available.
