The Atlee House—home of New Windsor’s founder, Isaac R. Atlee (1769-1834)—dates to the early 19th century.

The property belonged to Lord Baltimore of England, who gave expansive acres of land in Maryland to his son, Charles Carroll, in the early 1700s. After Carroll’s death, the land was further divided as it was passed on or sold to family and friends, eventually becoming what is known as Frederick, Howard, Montgomery, Prince George’s and Carroll counties. With each land sale, the parcels became smaller and in the mid-1790s, Isaac Atlee invested in property in Carroll and Frederick that was rich in water resources.

In what is now New Windsor, Atlee built a boarding house with baths at the site of one of three natural sulphur springs—believed to have healing power. People traveled from Baltimore and Philadelphia to vacation at the site and benefit from the spring waters.

In the early 1800s, Atlee built this farmhouse as a two-bay by two-bay, 2 1/2-story residence with a side hall and a springhouse. By the mid-1820s, two major side additions were completed. In the early 20th century, the home’s brick exterior was painted white and adorned with green shutters. Recent interior and exteriors renovations have brought the historic home back to its original grandeur and restored the original façade to its original golden-yellow paint with rusty-brown trim. In 2000, the New Windsor Heritage Committee commenced an archaeological dig of the adjacent springhouse to reveal more about the site and early life in the town.

Atlee House serves as an architectural record of its numerous residents and uses over the past 200 years and stands as a testament to New Windsor’s early beginnings and growth and to Atlee’s success.

Not only is there local historical significance with Atlee House, its location has ties to the Civil War. The Town of New Windsor was part of the route General Bradley Johnson took on June 30, 1863, to march troops to the Gettysburg Campaign. Later, in the summer of 1864, New Windsor played unwilling host to 400 Confederate soldiers, who raided the town.

Historic photo: A visitor to Atlee House, circa 1894.