Description

According to Earle, located in Southern Maryland, "passing Windmill Point one sees on the left hill a long house with gambrel-shaped roof, which at once calls forth the admiration of the visitor. This is 'Porto Bello.' This house is an excellent specimen of a 'pent house of such ample dimensions extending into the cellar as might shelter two or three fugitives.' Wilstach states: 'Its name recalls the adventure of several Potomac River lads early in the eighteenth century. They were Lawrence Washington, Edwin Coad and William Hebb, midshipmen in the British Navy. They were attached to the command of Admiral Vernon and fought with him at Porto Bello and Carthagena. When they returned home, young Washington built himself a house on the river which he named Mount Vernon after his commander; William Hebb called his place Carthagena which has succumbed to the more modern name of Hatton's Corbett; and Edwin Coad perpetuated his experience in the West Indies campaign by naming his place Porto Bello.' Porto Bello is now the home of the Hon. and Mrs J. Allan Coad." See Earle: Earle, Swepson, The Chesapeake Bay Country (Baltimore>: Thomsen-Ellis Company, 1923), 137.

Record Contributed By

Baltimore Museum of Art

Record Harvested From

Digital Maryland