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GRASSLAND
HALL
Grassland Hall is better known to the Dublin residents as “The Pheasant
Farm”. It is not known exactly when the property was given the name Grassland
Hall or who named it. The earliest record is found in a letter dated 1820 in
which the author explains how two children came to inherit the farm.
Grassland Hall has changed hands many times. It was originally part of a
4,735 acre parcel called “Arabia Petrea”. Dr. Charles Carroll sold Arabia
Petrea to Jacob Giles and Isaac Webster on March 20, 1734. In subseqent years,
it was divided into smaller farms and lots and sold to people desiring to settle
in this area. Samuel Wallis purchased 417 acres of Arabia Petrea on March 25,
1737. Deeds to Grassland Hall lead back to this purchase. The property stayed in
the Wallis’ family until April 2, 1768 when 250 acres were sold to John Jolley.
John Jolley was a “forge man” and apparently well repected in the
community. On January 23, 1775, John Jolley was appointed in Deer Creek Lower
Hundred by the Committee of License “to purchase arms to defend our lives,
liberties and properties, and to collect money for the relief of poor of
Boston”. At his death, John’s son inherited Grassland Hall. In 1805, Edward,
William and John Jolley surveyed their property and marked the boundaries with
stone walls. Remants of their work still exist.
On July 25, 1843, Hugh Jones (owner of Gray Rock) purchased Grassland
Hall; however he was not able to take possession of the property until May 24,
1848. As mentioned earlier, in 1820, the property belonged to two minor
children, William J. Wallis and Sarah Ann Campbell. The property was apparently
sold on their behalf back to John Jolley in 1839. Three years later, Sarah’s
husband, unsuccessfully contested the sale. The property was conveyed to Hugh
Jones. When Hugh died, he left Grassland Hall to his sons. One of his sons,
George W. Jones, eventually purchased the property from his brother in 1868.
Based on existing hardware, lathe construction, beams, etc. that date to this
time period, it is believed that the house underwent a major renovation when
George purchased it. The original house appears to have consisted of a 1 ˝
story log building attached by a portico to a single log building. Durning the
renovation, a second floor was added to both structures and the portico was
enclosed.
When George Jones died, his daughter Ann F. Tennant and her husband John
purchased the farm from Annie’s brothers. They owned Grassland Hall for 22
years before selling it to John and Lillie Halsey on March 24, 1921.
Mr. and Mrs. Halsey lived on
the farm for 16 years. Written by Karen Welch
Photo
taken ca 1950 (above) The lower portion on the right is made of log and was originally the kitchen and was separated from the main house.
Photo taken during the renovation done by Mr. Ensor. The section on the right was a single story log kitchen, which was separate from the main house. The section on the left was a 1˝ story log, the main house. Thru the years of expansion and renovations a second floor was added to the kitchen area and the space between the kitchen and main house was closed in. The main house received a full second floor also. On the far left of the main house was a 2-story addition that had been removed. Below is the appearance after 230+ years of remodeling and restoring.
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