Spring Garden
Hampstead, Carroll County, Maryland
Marker Inscription
Christopher Vaughn laid out the town of Hampstead in 1786 on land called Spring Garden, located along the Indian path from Patapsco (Baltimore) to Letort's Spring (Carlisle) which had been marked by Christopher Gist and made a public road in 1738. Marylan… transcription continues on the marker
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The Story
Long before Hampstead had a name, a footpath threaded these hills, linking the Patapsco country around Baltimore to Letort's Spring near Carlisle. The frontier scout Christopher Gist charted that Indian trail, and by 1738 it had been widened into a public road carrying settlers and goods across the Maryland backcountry. In 1786, on a tract poetically called Spring Garden, Christopher Vaughn platted the town of Hampstead astride that very route — a young community taking root in the first decade of American independence.
Why it matters
Hampstead's beginnings show how the new republic's towns grew up along older Native American trails that became colonial roads, turning ancient paths of travel into the main streets of an expanding nation.
Plan your visit
NearbyMake a day of it — museums, food, and places to stay near this marker.
Museums & culture
- Hanover Fire Museum14.8 mi away
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Related people
- · Christopher Vaughn
- · Christopher Gist
Related events
- · Founding of Hampstead, Maryland (1786)
Themes & tags
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