Harmony Hall - Fort Washington, Maryland - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form

Harmony Hall
Inventory No.: PG:80-11
Other Name(s): Battersea
Date Listed: 6/6/1980
Location: 10511 Livingston Road , Fort Washington, Prince Georges County
Category: Structure
Period/Date of Construction: c. 1760, late 18th century

Significance: Harmony Hall is an 18th century Georgian house overlooking the Potomac River to the west. Architecturally it ranks with the early Potomac River plantation houses, and is significant for its Georgian architecture and elegant interior detail. The name Harmony Hall was given to the house in 1793 by Mrs. Walter Dulany Addision, who was Elizabeth Hesselius, daughter of the famous colonial portrait painter. As a bride she lived there with her husband for a year in 1792-1793, along with her brother-in-law John Addison and his new wife. The two brothers rented the brick mansion for a year from Dennis Magruder while their own estate, Oxon Hill Manor, was rented out. So harmonious was the experience of the two couples living together that Mrs. Addison named the place "Harmony Hall," and the name endured. Originally, the property had been known as "Battersea", the name given to the tract of land patented in 1662 by Humphrey Haggett, a lawyer who practiced in the county court. A residence has been on the site from that time to the present. According to local tradition, the present house was constructed in 1723, the same year in which the nearby brick building of St. John's Parish, Broad Creek was built by the same contractor. In the 1920s, Harmony Hall was purchased by Charles W. Collins, who restored the then-deteriorated buildings, demolished some outbuildings, and constructed additions and new outbuildings. In 1966, the property was acquired by the National Park Service. Archaeological investigations have revealed the original south wing of the building and the site of the c. 1692 house on the property, just outside the east door of the standing house.

Street address: 10511 Livingston Road Fort Washington, MD United States 20744 County / Borough / Parish: Prince George's County Year listed: 1980 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Architecture Periods of significance: 1700-1749; 1750-1799 Historic function: Single dwelling Current function: Single dwelling Privately owned?: no Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Secondary Website 1: [Web Link] Season start / Season finish: Not listed Hours of operation: Not listed Secondary Website 2: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
Please give the date and brief account of your visit. Include any additional observations or information that you may have, particularly about the current condition of the site. Additional photos are highly encouraged, but not mandatory.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   08/18/2022 Don.Morfe visited it