Swann's Castle
Morven Park in the Civil War
You are standing in the midst of the drilling and review grounds for Confederate soldiers between the summer of 1861 and March 1862. Former Baltimore mayor and future Maryland governor Thomas Swann, Jr., owned the 1,200--acre plantation but was absent. Confederate forces fortified nearby Leesburg, located clsoe to the Potomac River and its many fords, to keep the Union army from crossing the river. Morven Park became an encampment and training site for Confederate forces until they abandoned Leesburg early in March 1862. Until then, the 4th South Carolina Infantry, 8th Virginia Infantry, and 17th Mississippi Infantry call "Swann's Castle" home.
Officers of the 17th Mississippi ordered their troops to build winter quarters shortly after they arrived at Morven Park on Christmas Eve 1861. The log huts with canvas or plank roofs held four to six soldiers, with fireplaces or, in some instances, wood stoves purchased in Leesburg. The remnants of more than fifty hut sites are located on the property nearby.
Walking the grounds and visiting the restored Civil War huts is free. Admission is charged to tour the mansions.