Maryland, Prince George's County, Bladensburg
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British officers stopped at Bostwick House on August 24, 1814, then the home of prisoner of war agent Col. Thomas Barclay. From Lowndes Hill, behind the house, British commander Robert Ross observed the American defensive lines. Bostwick House was built in 1746 for Christopher Lowndes, a local shipyard owner. It was later home to his son-in-law Benjamin Stoddert, America’s first Secretary of the Navy.
British officers stopped at Bostwick House on August 24, 1814, then the home of prisoner of war agent Col. Thomas Barclay. From Lowndes Hill, behind the house, British commander Robert Ross observed the American defensive lines. Bostwick House was built in 1746 for Christopher Lowndes, a local shipyard owner. It was later home to his son-in-law Benjamin Stoddert, America’s first Secretary of the Navy.This 1806 watercolor suggests how Bladensburg appeared when British troops arrived in 1814. The wooden bridge shown below was the first point of British attack.
In Friendly Hands
“The agent for British Prisoners of War very fortunately residing at Bladensburg I recommended the wounded Officers and Men to his particular attention and trust…”
– British Maj. Gen. Robert Ross, August 30, 1814
(War of 1812) Includes location, directions, 1 photo, GPS coordinates, map.
