Give the Gift of History

The Junius B. Booth Society and The Historical Society of Harford County are offering a unique opportunity. You can now own a piece of historic Tudor Hall─ the house that Junius Brutus Booth built for his family.

     The chimney at Tudor Hall was structurally unsound and it was removed so that a new chimney could be built. Vintage photographs reveal that the original chimney, which dated to the construction of the house which began in the fall of 1851, was repaired and modified at least once in the years after Samuel A. S. Kyle purchased Tudor Hall in 1878 from Mary Ann Holmes Booth, widow of Junius Brutus Booth, Sr. The exact date of these repairs and modifications is unknown at this time.

     As a result, the age of any of the bricks removed from the chimney in July 2009 is uncertain. All that can be said with certainty is that the bricks were part of the chimney at Tudor Hall for many years.  We are offering 400 of the bricks from the old chimney at Tudor Hall for sale to the public. Proceeds will go to support the Junius B. Booth Society and The Historical Society of Harford County, in part, to catalog and preserve materials related to the Booth family and Tudor Hall. The Junius B. Booth Society and The Historical Society of Harford County are nonprofit organizations which work to make the public more aware of the individual members of the Booth family and Tudor Hall.

     The brick for sale comes with a numbered Certificate of Authenticity and a pictorial history of the Tudor Hall chimney and makes a great gift. The cost of each brick is $40.00 (tax included) and $15.00 for shipping/handling. To purchase this unique piece of history, send a check for $55.00 made out to: The Historical Society of Harford County, Inc.

Mail to:

The Historical Society of Harford County

Tudor Hall Brick

143 N. Main Street

Bel Air, MD  21014

If you would like to pick it

up in person, call 410-838-5257

410-838-7691.

Why Visit Tudor Hall?

When you visit Tudor Hall, you're not just visiting the grand cottage named Tudor Hall—you're visiting a great American story that couldn't be made up in fiction. It's a story of intrigue, exceptional talent, sexual indiscretions, hidden secrets, triumphs and tragedies that changed the national landscape, both for the good and bad.

It's the story of an extraordinarily unique dysfunctional family. It's the story of a complex actor who came to America to avoid problems and became the greatest actor of his generation. It's about the eldest son who struggled financially his whole life and managed theatres. It's the story about the intricate inner workings that led two brothers along opposite paths during the time of America's greatest upheaval; one brother, whose allegiance was with the North, a supporter of Abraham Lincoln and became the foremost actor of his time; the other whose allegiance was with the South to the point of obsession, struggled as an actor and assassinated the President. It's about a sister who needed to be taken care of her whole life. It's about another sister who dedicated her life defending her family's name. It's about a younger brother who had no interest in the family theatrical tradition and became a physician. It is the story of a wife and mother who did everything she could to protect and take care of her family against all odds. It's the story of the Maryland Booths who left their mark on America forever. It's this absorbing story you'll encounter when you visit Tudor Hall. Help keep history alive.

Life Around Tudor Hall

John Wilkes Booth wrote a letter to his friend T. William O'Laughlen on June 18, 1855, describing his activities near Tudor Hall. I find it fascinating—it's a snapshot of the times, social life, and mindset of John as a teenager while living at Tudor Hall. I found this letter in Right or Wrong, God Judge Me—The Writings of John Wilkes Booth, edited by John Rhodehamel and Louise Taper.

My Dear Friend,
I have been so taken up with pastimes and various amusements that I can scarcely find time to sleep, and it is something new to me, being a very late riser[...] The first week in June I was taken up by a Fair [...] I spent more time than money on it [...] for I was there night and day and you must not think I was blowing when I say I cut quite a dash. I saw pretty girls home from the Fair at ten o'clock at night, some at a distance of four or five miles [...] I have visited the Travelers home, or home sweet home [...] The day after tomorrow I am invited to a strawberry eating and I promise you I will do my duty, and from then until teusday I will do nothing but gun, ride, and sleep and eat [...] Then comes the grand affair. A Pick nick party to be held on the rocks of Deer crick. Thirty-seven coupples to attend [...] it is also an old saying that a Lawyer can lie like the Devil. I think they are like the devil also in making women content. The devil tempted mother Eve with an apple. I dont know wether Lawyers use apples or no, but they all tempt the ladies [...] for they have the means of revenge. hurah. I have wrote a long letter at last. try to answer it with one having as meny words and I am satisfied. My Dear fellow I would finish this paper but my pen is so d—n bad, and by not writing for so long a time, I have forgotten how, but I will try and add I am your Faithful Friend, J. Wilkes Booth.