Historic Hancock’s Resolution: A Little Farm With A Big Story

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Nestled on just over 26 acres near Bodkin Creek in Pasadena is a historic property called Hancock’s Resolution. The original stone main house was built in 1785 by Stephen Hancock Jr. At that time, the property was an approximate 410-acre farm known as a “middling plantation,” or middle-class farm.

The property remained in the Hancock family until siblings Mary and Henry Hancock’s deaths in the 1960s when it was left to Anne Arundel County to be preserved. The home, outbuildings, and the Hancock family cemetery remain. In October 1975, Hancock’s Resolution was named to the National Registry of Historic Places.

“Hancock’s Resolution is a unique 1800 century farm with an original farmhouse that has remained unchanged without modern improvements from 1785 to 1962, no electricity or water in the house,” said Bill Blanchard, president of Friends of Hancock’s Resolution. “Along with many family documents and photographs, Hancock’s Resolution gives our visitors today a look at what it was like to live on a farm in this time period.”

Stephen Hancock (1638–1701) arrived in Maryland in 1664 as an indentured servant. He moved to Anne Arundel County in 1667. “Stephen and the rest of his family have shown us what can be accomplished through hard work and never giving up,” added Blanchard.

Life on a middling plantation required a lot of work by everyone living there. There were gardens for fruits and vegetables, barns for the livestock, and a milking barn for cows and the milk produced.

There is now a display in the new barn/visitor center that features “truck farming” and includes Harry Hancock’s 1928 Model T Ford.

Blanchard’s wife is Betty Ann Calvert Blanchard, and her great-grandmother, Rhoda Virginia Hancock Cook, was born in the Hancock house in 1866.

“Rhoda asked the family to make sure that the property was preserved for future generations. Betty Ann’s family started the effort to save the property and memories of the family in 1966,” Blanchard said. “We believe that history is important. The youth of today need to see what previous generations endured so that we might have what we have today.”

Hancock’s Resolution is located at 2795 Bayside Beach Road in Pasadena. It is 2.5 miles off of Route 173, Fort Smallwood Road. It is open to the public on Sundays from 1:00pm to 4:00pm until the last Sunday in October. Most events are free, but donations are greatly appreciated to help defray the cost of maintaining the property and buildings.

For more information on Hancock’s Resolution and a full list of summer events, visit www.historichancocksresolution.org.

SIDEBAR

Upcoming Events

June 12: Lavender Appreciation Day featuring the lavender field and activities about lavender.

June 19: Father’s Day, with displays about Captain John Smith visiting the Magothy River, Bodkin Creek and the Patapsco River in 1608.

June 24: Friends of Hancock’s Resolution annual meeting in the new barn/visitor center.

July 3: Celebrating Independence Day with flags, music and interactive programs exploring national symbols.

July 17: “Let’s have a PICNIC” and explore local history.

August 21: Remembering the burning of Lion of Baltimore in Bodkin Creek.

September 18: Hancock Family and Friends Day.

October 9: Fall Harvest Festival and Craft Day. Light lunch available. War of 1812 remembrance and honeybee demonstrations.

October 30: Animal Appreciation Day and Pet Parade.

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