Discover Delmarva: Poplar Hill Mansion
SALISBURY, Md- Poplar Hill Mansion in Salisbury is one of the most historic places you’ll find throughout Wicomico County. Curator Sarah Meyers tells us this was one of the building blocks for the town early on. “So, Poplar Hill Mansion is Salisbury’s oldest house. It was completed in 1805; construction began in 1795. So, the foundation of this house was laid when George Washington was still president.”
The house has withstood the test of time and has constantly been lived in to this day, which offers clues to what large-scale historical events were relevant at the time. Meyers tells us, “So the Federal period was from about 1798 to about 1825. So this is an 1805 house, and we interpret that federal period. The federal period right after the American War for Independence.”
The influence of the Federal period is apparent from the colors of the walls to the shape of the furniture. You see this influence of an upper-middle-class family for the time, from the crown molding carved by wood, to the heavy French influence due to Napoleon Bonaparte, with the gold and blue coloring. Plus, the crown jewel in the parlor room, “The piano forte the Joshua Thurston Piano Forte was one of our favorite pieces because it is so unique.”
Which is the only one of this make and model that still plays in the United States to this day! Now, the one thing that wasn’t a luxury during this time was the food often served in the dining room, but first placed in the keeping room. Meyers explained to us, “They also ate food back then at room temperature. So they weren’t eating food right away. Dinner was an event; dinner would take a long time, it would take hours to serve. So that food would also sit out for hours.”
I think I’ll pass on the food… But the house was also known as the first hospital in the area when Dr. Huston resided here. A room in his house where people would undergo all sorts of cutting-edge procedures. Meyers says the Doctor was one of the leaders in the industry. “The doctor had the leading-edge technology for the time period. Just an example, a modern stethoscope that we know of, you put it in your ears, and you have the tube, and they put it to your heart. That was an advancement much later. The original stethoscope looks like a little trumpet.”
The tools look archaic, but this was the best care you could find during the 1800s. The purpose of the mansion has changed, but the history will continue decades from now.
You can plan your visit by checking out their website.
