A handsome brick and stone farmhouse stands at the end of a long private lane that meanders away from Downsville Pike just north of the hamlet. Sitting on 50 acres, the farm was once more than 300. The house's stone section indicates early architecture in Washington County, built by the German and English settlers who came here in the early-mid 18th century to set up a homestead. The rough course limestone section is two bays wide with heavy pegged jams around the windows and an expansive brick chimney penetrating the easternmost gable. The original front door to this part was originally under a recessed, double-height porch, now built out behind German siding, with a modern, gallery-style double-story porch in front of it. The brick section, likely built in the early 1830s, is in the Federal Style, on a full limestone foundation with a Flemish bond facade and American or Common Bond at the other elevations. Heavy brick jack-arches surmount the windows and doors, and a large, paired chimney linked by a parapet crowns the roofline on the western end. A late Victorian porch shelters the main entrance in the southernmost bay of the brick structure.
Lord Baltimore first incorporated "Conococheague Manor" in 1736, cementing his landholdings in western Frederick County, MD. The vast tract was 10,594 acres, containing all of Downsville, stretching southwest to the Potomac River and north to St. James. In the 1760s, Lord Baltimore subdivided the manor into roughly 80 farms. Any official map of these plots is lost to time, but records of the leases' names and the acreage allotted remain. Primary research by an ancestor of the Brunk Family has developed their version of this map. Downsville is shown on this map, and by using an overlay of existing maps, we can estimate that View Halloo Farm was on original plot 25 or 26. The first inhabitants of these farms were John Varner and John Layman in 1765 and 1763, respectively. The first house was assuredly log, followed by adding the existing stone structure; this section of the home was built for the family, using the limestone scattered about the land within the last quarter of the 18th century. The first barn would have been a log shelter, later replaced with a large stone barn to house livestock, hay, etc.
General Samuel Ringgold (1770-1829) eventually acquired the vast manor (over 10,000 acres) in the later 18th century in what was now Washington County (separated from Frederick County in 1776). He built the finest mansion Washington County ever saw, "Fountain Rock," in 1796, where St. James School now resides. Historically it was believed that none other than Benjamin Latrobe designed the fabulous villa. Latrobe, known as the "father of American Architecture," and Ringgold would have assuredly ran in the same social circles in 1790s Washington, DC. Ringgold, who served in Congress then, was a wealthy and powerful man who loved to entertain; he counted among his friends President Madison and First Lady Dolly Madison. However, recently uncovered documents prove that it was John Galloway, General Ringgold’s uncle, who designed the plans for Fountain Rock. In 1824, as Ringgold's fortunes started to wane, the General parceled off this farm and a few others, a total of 500 acres, for his wife Maria as an inheritance. A year before Gen. Ringold died in 1829, he was in dire financial straits. The administrators and his estate started selling off the Conococheague Manor parcels that same year.
In 1832, Issac Rowland (1785-1855) and his first wife, Elizabeth Wolf (1784-1834), purchased 303 acres of land from the Ringgold estate and the Schley Family for $14,200, an astronomical sum. This record indicates vast improvements to the property, including the stone house, outbuildings, a large stone bank barn, a smokehouse, a well, fences, a privy, and so on. The Rowland Family is an ancient Washington County Family that settled here from Lancaster County, Pa., in the 1700s. Issac's father, John Rowland (1754-1834), owned large farms abutting Conococheague Manor to the north of what is now College Road. John Rowland, a very wealthy farmer and mill owner, was also one of the largest slave holders in the county, owning more than 50. Issac and Elizabeth, no doubt built the brick Federal style portion of the house to improve the function of their new home, replacing the original 1760s log section about 1833.
Sadly, Elizabeth passed away in 1834, and Issac remarried Susan Boyd (1799-1869). Together they had one child, a daughter Frances Marion (1840-1916). When Issac passed away in 1855, he left a substantial estate. His wife Susan received a slave named Richard, who was given his freedom at age 28, a stipend, and lifelong use of the estate. Frances received ownership of the home farm, the furniture, books, money, and other slaves, including two boys named Charles and John and a girl named Eliza Jane. Mahalee, another of Rowland's slaves, was manumitted upon Issac's death. Frances would go on to marry twice, first to Mr. Schnebly and finally to Daniel Huyett Stonebreaker, a wealthy Hagerstown businessman. Frances and Daniel kept ownership of the large farm in Downsville, using it as a summer getaway, until they eventually moved back from their home on Summit Ave, in Hagerstown, to the farm later in life. Before her death, Frances sold the farm to Willoughby Coffman and family in 1906 for $22,500.
The Coffman Family is also an old, prominent Washington County family going back many generations. Willoughby (1857-1948) and Elmira (nee' Hoffman) (1873-1968) Coffman lived at the farm until Willoughby's passing. Their daughter, Virginia Campbell (1913-2012), inherited the farm upon the death of Elmira in 1968.
The Coffman’s sold the old farm to Martha (Heyser) and Alvin Massey in 1980. The original 303-acre Rowland Farm was subdivided then, and the Masseys purchased 50 acres, including the old farmhouse, which needed some restoration. Martha "Marty" Heyser is from the Hagerstown Heyser Family, a renowned Washington County family known for their patronage of the arts and generosity to the local people. John Henry and Susan Heyser owned the land, now Hagerstown City Park, designed by Olmstead.
The Heyser Mansion is now known as the "Mansion House," and many community activities occur there. Alvin Massey's family developed the land along what is now Massey Blvd, and they own the Massey car dealerships. The Massey's restored the old farmhouse, improving it with double porches, a complete HVAC system, a new kitchen, baths, repointed foundations, etc. Marty and Alvin owned the home for 39 years when they sold it to Timothy Stark and Katherine Byron.
Katherine Byron was born to James "Jamie" Byron and Lynn Kerwin of Washington, DC. The Byron Family, who owned the Byron Tannery in Williamsport, is a storied Washington County Family. The Byron’s settled here from Massachusetts in the late 19th century, setting up tanneries in Mercersburg, PA, and Williamsport. The tannery was the largest in the world for a time. Several generations of the family served in the United States Congress for many decades, so long that the seat became known in Washington circles as "The Byron Seat." Several parks around the county are named in honor of various family members, including the beautiful Byron Park in Williamsport. Jamie Byron and his lovely young wife and children resided at the Banking Mansion for several years while Jamie was Mayor of Williamsport.
Timothy Stark was born to Albert Stark, a WW2 Veteran, and Gladys Stark of Tunkhannock, PA, where their families have deep roots. Mr. and Mrs. Stark were highly regarded in their community as teachers dedicated to children's education.
Katherine attended Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts, and Tim attended Loch Haven University in Pennsylvania. Tim and Katherine married at the Byron Estate "Windward" outside Shepherdstown, WV, in the summer of 2008. Tim and Kate are highly accomplished riders involved in the Maryland Hunt. After the passing of Mr. Byron and with a stable of horses, they decided to stay at Windward for some time, where they could keep and train their horses. Katherine is a Master of foxhounds for the New Market-Middletown Valley Hunt Club. Tim is also very involved in the hunt, and almost every weekend, you can find them both on horseback in elegant equestrian attire.
Katherine is the Head of Human Resources and Accounting at TriState Printing in Hagerstown, and Tim has worked at EcoLab Chemicals in Martinsburg, WV, for almost 20 years. When the family decided it was time to sell Windward, Tim and Kate agreed to look for another farm with enough acreage to continue their passion for horses. View Halloo offered the perfect opportunity. Tim and Kate have built a wonderful new stable for their family of horses and hounds at the old Rowland Farm and continue to improve and care for the over 230-year-old house. View Halloo is lucky to have such excellent stewards looking after it, and Washington County is even more fortunate to call this family citizens. Our history matters and should be better protected and preserved.
