Frederick County and State leaders broke ground on Rose Hill Manors’ new carriage museum building on Monday.
Rose Hill Manor opened as a historical site in 1972, built on the land of Maryland’s first governor, Thomas Johnson. The Manor preserves early American history through several different museums and parkland, featuring the manor house, icehouse, log cabin, blacksmith shop, two barns and the carriage collection.
Carriage Museum
The carriage museum opened in 1976 after Robert H. Renneberger donated his collection of carriages to the Manor. Renneberger had owned a carriage shop until it was destroyed when hurricane Agness swept through Frederick in 1972. The museum made it possible for Renneberger to work on restoring the collection.
Amanda Venable, the Museum’s director, says the need for a new building was discovered in 2015. With a failing HVAC system, the old building could no longer guarantee the safety of the artifacts. “The carriages are primarily made of wood and leather,” Venable explained. “If the humidity level is too high in the building, the leather can actually grow mold on it.”
The project cost $3.4 million, with a $500,000 grant awarded to the county by the General Assembly in 2022. Venable says the Manor itself generates close to $150,000 per year, with the new displays and classrooms allowing them to expand their classes and summer camps.
Focusing on Slavery
Kari Saavedra, Frederick County Parks and Recreation’s Recreation Manager, said the Manor’s focus shifted in 2009. Now, the Manor includes studies into the lives of African slaves in its work. “Over the last decade, we’ve researched and tried to expand our understanding of the slave community that lived and worked here,” Saavedra explained.
For many years, Saavedra said the Manor only knew the names of the slaves. Through their research, they have been able to uncover those stories.
One such slave was named Leonard, Venable said, who used his skills to free himself and several others. While most slaves worked the fields or in the master’s house, Leonard was trained as a stagecoach driver. “We believe he used his skills as a coachman,” Venable said. “He knew the roads, who would be around, who might be sympathetic to help these individuals seek their freedom.”
Historical Preservation
Delegate Ken Kerr, a 50-year resident of Frederick, attended the groundbreaking ceremony. Having served for three years on the Frederick County Parks and Recreation Commission, he says he’s proud of Frederick’s historical preservation efforts. “Frederick recognizes when it has a historical artifact, and it does everything it can to preserve them,” Kerr explained.
There are few things in America that are more than a few hundred years old, Kerr explained, and highlighted the value in protecting American history. “It’s important that within the short time that we’ve been on this continent that we continue to recognize and preserve those things that are antiquities,” Kerr said.
A ribbon cutting ceremony for the opening of the new carriage museum is planned for 2026.