“Good Morning,

Ward said you asked for information regarding the Elm’s history.

The Rising Sun Inn was originally a 1.5 story, two-room, gambled-roof farmhouse built circa 1753 by Edward Baldwin, tobacco planter and prominent citizen of Anne Arundel County.  He bought the land from Charles Worthington of Baltimore County.  Edward dies just a few years later leaving a wife and four young children.  In his will, Edward has the land held and left to his sons, James and Henry.  When Henry grows up he serves in the Revolutionary War, rising to the rank of Lieutenant, and in 1784, he marries Sarah Rawlings, the widow of Annapolis tavern keeper, Francis Rawlings Jr.  In 1785, Henry secures a license to operate a tavern.  After his marriage, but prior to receiving the tavern license, Henry adds a gambrel-roof addition to the home.  Henry operates, what is referenced on early county maps as Baldwin’s Tavern, for several years.  Sadly, in 1789, Sarah dies leaving Henry and their young daughter, also named Sarah.  As was common, Henry remarries quickly in 1790 to Maria Graham Woodward.  Henry continues to operate the tavern until his death in 1793, but Maria continues to operate the tavern after his, and in 1795 she remarries Augustine Gambrill, of Anne Arundel County.  Interestingly, the ownership of the land and buildings is retained by the Baldwin estate.  Exactly how long it is operated as a tavern is unclear and at some point it becomes known as the Rising Sun Inn Tavern, but in 1816 the Baldwin heirs sell the Rising Sun property to George Gambrill, son of Augustine and Maria Baldwin Gambrell.  Over the next several decades the Inn and property changes hands several times and is often maintained as a rental property.  Finally, in 1867, the property is sold to Benjamin Williams.  The property will remain in the Williams’ family, passing from father to sons, until 1916.  By 1916, the Rising Sun Inn is unoccupied and being used for grain storage.  In 1916, the Inn and the quarter acre it sits on was gifted to the Anne Arundel Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution from Richard Williams with the provision it be maintained as a historical site and museum.  Additional land was purchased by the Daughters prior to 1828 bringing the property to its current 1.625 acreage.  Over the past 100 years, the Anne Arundel Chapter has worked to raise funds to restore, preserve, and maintain the Inn.  In 1985, the Inn was added to the National Register of Historic Places and the Maryland Historical Trust inventories.

As to the Elm, we are not sure exactly how old it is, but I have attached to pieces of photographic documentation which supports the elm was over 100 years old.  While the picture is of poor quality, the 1921 article has two pictures which show the elm behind the Inn.  The second attachment is a 1936 photograph of the Inn.  This picture is much better and you can clearly see the elm extending well above the roof line of the Inn.

I hope this is helpful to you.  I wanted to thank you again.  We had our meeting on Saturday and the women expressed their deep appreciation for your gift in absorbing the cost of removing the logs.  This was something we could not have absorbed.  Please let me know that cost as soon as you have it, so that I can have our treasurer prepare the gift donation letter.  Additionally, he money for the purchase of the logs will go toward the replacement of the gutters which is desperately needed.

Thank you again.

Betty “