Today’s La Grange Plantation, on which the Dorchester County Historical Society is situated, is small compared to its original size of about 370 acres. This is one of the oldest recorded properties in Dorchester County with records going back to 1659. The La Grange Mansion, now known as the Meredith House, built about 1760, still remains on the property.

Calvin Mowbray’s writings in his “Early Dorchester” states that “On August 27, 1659, a certificate of survey was issued by Edward Lloyd to Richard Hughes of Talbot County for a parcel of land laying on the south side of the Great Choptank River and on the west side of Hughes Creek (now known as Cambridge Creek). Richard Hughes received his patent for that parcel of land called “Ricarton” January 22, 1660. Subsequently, Hughes sold the three hundred acres to Daniel Jones of Talbot County. Daniel Jones, in turn, sold two hundred acres to John Kirk in 1671. Kirk then sold two hundred acres to Francis Taswell and the other one hundred acres to Thomas Fisher”

“In the meantime, the Maryland Assembly, in April of 1669, had given the land to the Choptank Indians as part of a Reservation. The Reservation included all of the land that was to become the Town of Cambridge. The Assembly compensated the previous owners for their loss and the land became part of the Indian Reservation in 1672.”

“On May 10, 1686, John Kirk purchased from an Indian King and Ruler of the Ababco Indians all that land that eventually became East Cambridge. Kirk had a home on the land at that time. Then in July 1702, he purchased another parcel from the Indians for forty-two match coats, a large block of land that was to become the future Town of Cambridge as laid out in 1706. This last purchase included the land originally known as “Ricarton” or the “Daniel Jones’ Plantation”.”

Referring to the Laskowski Papers written in the early 1900’s, we find that by 1740, John Kirk had died and his daughter Ann’s husband, James Phillips, requested several surveys of land, part of which had been “Ricarton”. This resulted in his ownership of four parcels totaling four hundred and thirty five acres, for which he paid seventy-two pounds and twelve shillings sterling. All of these tracks were then named “Phillips Discovery”. The largest parcel including three hundred and seventy eight acres was described as lying between Shoal Creek (originally known as “Shallow Creek”) and Cambridge Creek. He sold this three hundred and seventy eight acre parcel to John Woolford on February 25, 1760 for three hundred fifty pounds current money. It is believed that John Woolford built the La Grange Mansion, now known as the Meredith House. In 1846, the Woolford’s sold land then known as “Woolford’s Regulation” to Elizabeth R. Muse, the wife of Dr. William H. Muse. It was at that time that the name “La Grange” was first recorded.

Dr. William Muse sold “La Grange” to John L. Wrightson in 1864, and Wrightson sold the property to Mr. Hamilton A. Bayly in 1871. Mr. Bayly was a grandson of Josiah Bayly and a charter member of the Rescue Fire Company that was organized in 1881. He served in the Confederate Army.

After Mr. Bayly sold La Grange, it changed hands several times and was eventually purchased by Mr. Augustine Hirst in 1897. Mr. Hirst is believed to have added the kitchen section on the east end of the otherwise all brick house. Mr. Russell P. Smith was the next owner of the property and added a sun porch on the west end, which was removed about 1992.

In 1980, The Neild Museum was constructed on the grounds near the Meredith House to house mainly agricultural artifacts.

A new roof was put on the Meredith House in August 1991, the west brick wall was replaced and a new foundation installed under the entire brick section in 2001. At about the same time, and stretching into 2002, heat and air conditioning was installed and the entire interior of the house was restored and refinished.  At the same time, sealer and vinyl paint was applied (by the Procraft Company) to the outside of the entire house, supposedly with a 25-year warranty.

The old La Grange Mansion, now known as the Meredith House, is in “better than new” condition, ready for the next 100 years.