RJ Swanson
Best Farm House - Monocacy Battlefield MD
October 2010 -
Named for the tenant family who occupied it during the Civil War, the Best Farm's history spans far beyond the Battle of Monocacy. The land was once part of a 748 acre plantation known as L'Hermitage. From 1795-1827, the plantation was owned and operated by the Vincendieres, a wealthy French planter family.
In the U.S., the Vincendieres, like many French during the late 18th century, found refuge from the French Revolution as well as slave uprisings in Saint-Domingue (Haiti). By 1800, L'Hermitage boasted a population of 108, 90 of which were slaves. A plantation of this size in Frederick County was the exception, not the rule.
In 1798 a Polish traveler named Julian Niemcewicz recorded this account of the Vincendiere family in his journal: "This charming group has caused about 50 legal actions to be brought. They foam with rage, beat the negroes, complain and fight with each other."
Being devout Catholics, the Vincendieres were at cultural odds with the predominantly German and English Protestants that inhabited Frederick County. Their treatment of slaves was viewed as excessive - enough so that there were multiple court cases brought against them by Frederick citizens.
Best Farm House - Monocacy Battlefield MD
October 2010 -
Named for the tenant family who occupied it during the Civil War, the Best Farm's history spans far beyond the Battle of Monocacy. The land was once part of a 748 acre plantation known as L'Hermitage. From 1795-1827, the plantation was owned and operated by the Vincendieres, a wealthy French planter family.
In the U.S., the Vincendieres, like many French during the late 18th century, found refuge from the French Revolution as well as slave uprisings in Saint-Domingue (Haiti). By 1800, L'Hermitage boasted a population of 108, 90 of which were slaves. A plantation of this size in Frederick County was the exception, not the rule.
In 1798 a Polish traveler named Julian Niemcewicz recorded this account of the Vincendiere family in his journal: "This charming group has caused about 50 legal actions to be brought. They foam with rage, beat the negroes, complain and fight with each other."
Being devout Catholics, the Vincendieres were at cultural odds with the predominantly German and English Protestants that inhabited Frederick County. Their treatment of slaves was viewed as excessive - enough so that there were multiple court cases brought against them by Frederick citizens.