Maryland Historical Trust Inventory No.

 15/6 

Maryland Inventory of
Historic Properties Form

1. Name of Property (indicate preferred name)

historic Becraft Farm

other

2. Location
street and number 28500 Ridge Road not for publication

city, town Mount Airy vicinity

county Montgomery

3. Owner of Property (give names and mailing addresses of all owners)

name William E & Stacy Rouse

street and number 28500 Ridge Road telephone

city, town Mount Airy state MD zip code 21771-4441

4. Location of Legal Description

courthouse, registry of deeds, etc. Montgomery County Courthouse liber 20720 folio 650
city, town Rockville tax map FY53 tax parcel P375 tax ID number 01613937

5. Primary Location of Additional Data

Contributing Resource in National Register District
Contributing Resource in Local Historic District
Determined Eligible for the National Register/Maryland Register
Determined Ineligible for the National Register/Maryland Register
Recorded by HABS/HAER
Historic Structure Report or Research Report at MHT
Other:

6. Classification
Category Ownership Current Function Resource Count
district public agriculture landscape Contributing Noncontributing
building(s) private commerce/trade recreation/culture buildings
structure both defense religion sites
site domestic social structures
object education transportation objects
funerary work in progress Total
government unknown
health care vacant/not in use Number of Contributing Resources
industry other: previously listed in the Inventory
7. Description Inventory No. 15/6

Condition
excellent deteriorated
good ruins
fair altered

Prepare both a one paragraph summary and a comprehensive description of the resource and its various elements as it
exists today.

When it was surveyed in 1973, the Becraft Farm included a two‐story log dwelling and a prominent bank barn.  A 
recently constructed dwelling stands on the foundation of the original dwelling. The bank barn is no longer 
standing, only foundation walls remain of the structure.  Historic buildings that remain are a corn crib and a small 
front‐gable frame structure located north of the bank barn ruins. 
 
The corn crib rests of stone piers. It has a braced frame joined with pegs and is sheathed with vertical boards and 
battens.   
 
The bank barn foundation is stone 
 
 
Maryland Historical Trust
Maryland Inventory of Inventory No. 15-6

Historic Properties Form

Name
Continuation Sheet

Number 7 Page 1

 
Becraft House 
Michael F Dwyer, 10‐1973 
Below: January 2008 view. 
 
Maryland Historical Trust
Maryland Inventory of Inventory No. 15-6

Historic Properties Form

Name
Continuation Sheet

Number 7 Page 2

 
Becraft  Farm:  Bank barn, corn crib (center) and house (far right) 
Michael F Dwyer, 10‐1973 
Below:   January 2008 view. 

 
 
Maryland Historical Trust
Maryland Inventory of Inventory No. 15-6

Historic Properties Form

Name
Continuation Sheet

Number 7 Page 3

 
 

  
Bank barn, right, and corn crib.  Michael F Dwyer, 10‐1973. 
Below: January 2008 view. 
 

 
Maryland Historical Trust
Maryland Inventory of Inventory No. 15-6

Historic Properties Form

Name
Continuation Sheet

Number 7 Page 4

Corn crib, January 2008.

Maryland Historical Trust
Maryland Inventory of Inventory No. 15-6

Historic Properties Form

Name
Continuation Sheet

Number 7 Page 5
8. Significance Inventory No. 15/6

Period Areas of Significance Check and justify below

1600-1699 agriculture economics health/medicine performing arts
1700-1799 archeology education industry philosophy
1800-1899 architecture engineering invention politics/government
1900-1999 art entertainment/ landscape architecture religion
2000- commerce recreation law science
communications ethnic heritage literature social history
community planning exploration/ maritime history transportation
conservation settlement military other:

Specific dates Architect/Builder

Construction dates

Evaluation for:

National Register Maryland Register not evaluated

Prepare a one-paragraph summary statement of significance addressing applicable criteria, followed by a narrative discussion of the
history of the resource and its context. (For compliance projects, complete evaluation on a DOE Form – see manual.)

Generations of the Becraft family have farmed this property.  The farm included the current parcel and extended 
south to Kemptown Road.  George Becraft is shown here on the 1865 map.   Deed research by a previous owner 
indicates that the Becrafts first acquired the property in 1855.  The land was originally part of the Friendship tract.  
It was resurveyed and patented as Warfield and Snowden in 1812, named for Colonel Ridgely’s daughters and their 
spouses, Major Charles A Warfield and Major Thomas Snowden.  Today’s Kemptown Road runs generally along the 
southern edge of Warfield and Snowden tract.1  
 
The historic house was said to have served as a toll house on the Buffalo Road.2  Ridge Road (Route 27), established 
in 1829, was originally known as the Buffalo Road and, later, Ridgeville Road.  The US Congress was considering 
laying out a proposed National Route from Buffalo, New York, through Washington, D.C., to New Orleans.  While 
Congress was deliberating, the Maryland General Assembly in 1829 authorized laying out a portion of the road.  
Ultimately, however, Congress never approved the road, and the whole route was never built.  The Buffalo Road 
ran through Ridgeville and Mount Airy in Frederick County, and a portion still forms the boundary between 
Frederick and Carroll County today.3  
 
In 1871, James and Margaret Becraft conveyed an acre of their farm for construction of Montgomery Chapel, built 
at the fork of Kemptown and Ridge Roads. By 1878 Grafton Becraft is shown in residence on the subject property 
on the Hopkins map.  In 1882, Grafton and Sinora Becraft conveyed a ¾ acre parcel which became the burying 
ground for the chapel.4   
 
In 1917, Grafton Becraft conveyed the farm to Jessie and Bessie Becraft.  Widow Bessie May Becraft died in 1975, 
age 91.5   

1
Martenet and Bond map, 1865. Martha K Koval correspondence with Orlando Rideout, 3-28-1973. Clare Lise Kelly, 15-8
Clagettsville MIHP form, 11-2009.
2
Koval op cit.
3 Janie Payne, Montgomery County Story. 
4
Floyd Moxley History of Montgomery Chapel, pp10-12. Floyd speculates that Easton may be one of several possibly credited with the construction
of this chapel. Church burying ground 8-18-1882 deed referenced in 268:274.
5
Frederick Post obituary, 9-2-1975.
Maryland Historical Trust
Maryland Inventory of Inventory No. 15-6

Historic Properties Form

Name Becraft Farm

Continuation Sheet

Number 9 Page 1

 
In 1959, Darnes Acres was platted the southern portion of the Becraft Farm, located on the part of the farm that 
abuts Kemptown Road.  A series of houses on the north side of Kemptown Road, in the 28300 block, were built 
progressively from 1959 to the mid 1960s.   
 
The Becraft family sold the farm in 1966.  Investors subdivided the 87 acre parcel, leaving the farmstead on 15.29 
acres.  From 1973 to 1986 it was owned by the Marrae family.  During this period, the bank barn was destroyed by 
fire.6  The dwelling house was still standing when surveyed in 1989.  It has since then been replaced by the current 
dwelling.7 

6
Sherry Sundick, “Historic Mt. Airy house at $130,000,” Montgomery Journal, 7-18-1986.
7
Robinson and Associates Survey Form, 15/6 Becraft Farm, Summer 1989.
Maryland Historical Trust
Maryland Inventory of Inventory No. 15-6

Historic Properties Form

Name Becraft Farm

Continuation Sheet

Number 9 Page 2

 
 
1865 Martenet and Bond map 
Maryland Historical Trust
Maryland Inventory of Inventory No. 15-6

Historic Properties Form

Name Becraft Farm

Continuation Sheet

Number 9 Page 3

1878 Hopkins map (published 1879) 
9. Major Bibliographical References Inventory No. 15/6

See continuation sheet.

10. Geographical Data

Acreage of surveyed property 5 acres
Acreage of historical setting
Quadrangle name Quadrangle scale:

Verbal boundary description and justification

11. Form Prepared by

name/title Clare Lise Kelly and Sandra Youla
organization MNCPPC- Montgomery County date 12-2009
street & number 1109 Spring Street, Suite 801 telephone 301.563.3400
city or town Silver Spring state MD

The Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties was officially created by an Act of the Maryland Legislature
to be found in the Annotated Code of Maryland, Article 41, Section 181 KA,
1974 supplement.

The survey and inventory are being prepared for information and record purposes only
and do not constitute any infringement of individual property rights.

return to: Maryland Historical Trust

Maryland Department of Planning
100 Community Place
Crownsville, MD 21032-2023
410-514-7600
Maryland Historical Trust
Maryland Inventory of Inventory No. 15-6

Historic Properties Form

Name Becraft Farm

Continuation Sheet

Number 9 Page 1

Frederick Post, Mrs Bessie M Becraft, Obituary, 9‐2‐1975. 
 
Kelly, Clare Lise.  15‐8 Clagettsville Historic District, Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties form, 11‐2009. 
 
Koval, Martha K. Correspondence with Orlando Rideout, 3‐28‐1973. 
 
Moxley, Floyd, History of Montgomery Chapel, 1971 
 
Owens, Christopher. Becraft Farm, National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form, 10‐25‐1973. 
 
Robinson and Associates Survey Form, 15/6 Becraft Farm, Summer 1989.   
 
Sundick, Sherry. “Historic Mt. Airy house at $130,000,” Montgomery Journal, 7‐18‐1986.