A historic St. Mary's County estate that contains what may be the oldest wood-frame house in Maryland is set to be sold at auction, spoiling plans by the state to add the property to its holdings in Historic St. Mary's City.
After negotiating for months with state preservation officials, the out-of-town owners of a 17-acre parcel called Clocker's Fancy have rejected a $300,000 offer for it from the state of Maryland.
Tempted by rising prices for waterfront property in St. Mary's County and an influx into the area of affluent buyers of second homes, the owners have turned to an auctioneer to drum up a higher bid.
The property contains a wood- frame house most likely built before 1750.
No one knows the exact date of construction, but there is a slim chance it may date from the 1600s -- a possibility being played up by the auctioneers.
"What we tell people is that it's older than the bones they just dug up here," said auctioneer Richard Menard, referring to the opening in 1993 of lead coffins containing the remains of three St. Mary's City residents who died in the 17th century.
"We tell people that, instead of owning the bones, you can own the home. . . . It's that old."
Mr. Menard, of Homestead Auction Co. in nearby Hollywood, predicts a big turnout for the auction, scheduled for June 18 at 1 p.m. on the premises on Rosecroft Road. An open house will be held Saturday from noon to 4 p.m.
In a brochure promoting the auction, Homestead quotes authorities who have described Clocker's Fancy as the "last standing house built in St. Mary's City" and the "oldest wooden house in Maryland."
State historians scoff at the claims, saying they believe that the wood frame house may have been built between 1720 and 1750. But they say they wish Maryland could acquire the house anyway to convert it to an exhibit about Colonial life.
In some ways, they say, a building dating from the 1700s could be more valuable to Maryland than one from the 1600s because it would complement the state's holdings at nearby Historic St. Mary's City. Since 1966, the state has been assembling land for its 800-acre living history museum on the site of Maryland's first state capital, founded in 1634, and it already has replicas of buildings from the 1600s.
Clocker's Fancy is located about half a mile from the museum's visitors' center.
The first owner of the property was Daniel Clocker, a carpenter who came to Maryland in 1636 as an indentured servant of Thomas Cornwallis, one of the three most important investors in early Maryland.
He married Mary Lawne, who came to Maryland in 1638 as an indentured servant to Margaret Brent, one of the earliest independent female land and business owners in Maryland.
At the end of their terms of service, Daniel and Mary Clocker were able to secure land and build a house on it. According to public records, the land now known as Clocker's Fancy was "patented" to Daniel Clocker in 1649. He died in 1676.
Lois Green Carr, longtime historian of Historic St. Mary's City, believes the house that stands today is not the first Clocker home but was built by one of the couple's descendants.
Historians say the age of the house can't be determined without archaeological investigations.
Maryland has only two buildings that have been documented as dating from before 1700 -- the Third Haven Meeting House in Easton (1682-1684), and Holly Hill in Howard County (1698).
"People who draw historical conclusions from real estate ads do so at their own risk," said Orlando Ridout V, architectural historian for the Maryland Historical Trust, a sister agency of the organization that operates Historic St. Mary's City.
At the same time, historians and architectural experts agree with the auctioneer that Clocker's Fancy is an unusual property.
They say it would be regrettable if such a valuable remnant of Maryland's Colonial era were to remain in private hands -- especially since the
building is not protected from demolition by any kind of landmark designation.
"I'm just shocked to hear that the auction is going ahead," said Ms. Carr. "It's something that the state absolutely should purchase and preserve."
Cary Carson, vice president for research at Colonial Williamsburg and former coordinator of research for Historic St. Mary's City, said he believes that Clocker's Fancy would be a "tremendously important" acquisition because it comes from a period not already represented in the museum.
"The site should be acquired and maintained by the state of Maryland," he said. "Not only to make it part of St. Mary's City, but to preserve the archaeological sites that lie outside the front door. . . . It would be a prime exhibit."
State officials say they can't prevent the auction because they are limited in what they can spend.
They say they don't believe Clocker's Fancy is worth as much as certain other waterfront properties because it overlooks Milburn Creek rather than the more picturesque St. Mary's River and has no dock for pleasure boats. In addition, they say, trees have grown up around the house, which needs extensive renovations.
Gov. William Donald Schaefer, a strong advocate of the archaeological work under way at St. Mary's City, said he very much wants to see the state acquire the property.
But the state Board of Public Works, which would have to approve acquisition funds, cannot spend more than "a reasonable amount," he explained.
Mr. Schaefer said Comptroller Louis Goldstein, a member of the board, is especially cautious. Even with the $300,000 figure, he added, "Louie wasn't so happy with us."
The property is owned by Barbara Barrineau of Dunwoody, Ga., and Christine Brandon of Greenville, S.C. They inherited the parcel after the deaths of longtime owners Amy C. McKenney, who died in 1978, and Louise M. Hagy, who died in 1990.
Mr. Menard said the owners believe that the property is worth more than the $300,000 the state offered because it is a sizable waterfront tract in the heart of St. Mary's City. He said they have noted that other county parcels have been acquired by Washington-area celebrities and others seeking second homes.
For example, he said, Ted Koppel, host of ABC-TV's "Nightline," paid $520,000 in 1987 for a 22-acre property called Cross Manor in St. Inigoes, and Ben Bradlee, former Washington Post editor, paid $1.25 million in 1989 for a 77-acre estate.
In addition, Mr. Menard said, smaller waterfront parcels in other parts of Maryland have sold for $200,000 or more. For the current fiscal year, the state put the assessed value of Clocker's Fancy at $325,720. In 1990, Leonardtown appraiser Mary O'C. Mattingly appraised it as being worth $486,700.
"From an appraisal standpoint, we don't think it was a fair offer [from the state], just based on the land value alone," he said.
The property includes a two-story frame house and a smaller tenant house.
The oldest section of the main house is a two-story, wood-frame structure with brick end walls and chimneys. It originally contained living space on the first floor and a sleeping area on the second floor. Drawings indicate that a smokehouse and summer kitchen once stood nearby.
Over the years, the main house has been enlarged to contain PTC five bedrooms and three bathrooms. But the auctioneers say the oldest portion is still relatively unaltered, although it has been electrified.
The land is zoned for one residence and cannot be subdivided or put to other uses without the state's approval.
The Clocker family held onto the land for seven generations, from the mid-1600s to 1877. The estate was sold to John Mackall Brome in 1877, said Ms. Carr, and to various owners after that. According to land records, it has changed hands only twice since 1917.
State historic preservation officer J. Rodney Little declined to say whether state representatives plan to attend the auction and bid. But others say the state would be remiss not to do so, especially if the bidding stays below $300,000.
Governor Schaefer noted that the state has the authority to take the property by condemnation, "but we're not ready to go to condemnation."
Mr. Menard said even the sellers agree that Maryland would be the best buyer.
"They wanted the state to have it," he said. "But they didn't want to give it to them."