Built in 1743, this 1,050-acre Maryland farm became a War of 1812 battlefield where bullets and buckles remained buried for two centuries; the family now plans to sell

A 1,050-acre historic farm in Chestertown, Maryland, built in 1743 and kept in the same family for generations, has been put up for sale, according to a real estate report by The Wall Street Journal. The large Eastern Shore property has strong links to American history. During the War of 1812, it was the site of the Battle of Caulk’s Field, where Maryland militia fought British forces in late August 1814. For more than 200 years, physical remains of the battle, including musket balls, uniform buckles and pieces of military equipment, have remained buried across the farm.

Historic home and centuries-old landscape

The main house was built in 1743, more than 30 years before the American Revolutionary War. Built in the colonial style common across the Mid-Atlantic, the brick home was expanded over the centuries but has retained much of its original design, timber beams and historic masonry. The 1,050-acre estate includes working farmland, mature woodland and access to waterways connected to the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The property is one of the largest remaining areas of connected colonial-era land in Kent County, Maryland. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the land was used as a working plantation and farm. It produced crops including tobacco, wheat and corn. Because the property stayed within the same family for generations, large parts of the landscape were never heavily changed by modern development.

Key milestones of the historic estate

The Battle of Caulk’s Field

On the night of 31 August 1814, the farm became the scene of a major battle during the Chesapeake Campaign of the War of 1812. British Royal Navy forces under Captain Sir Peter Parker of HMS Menelaus launched a night raid. The operation was meant to draw Maryland militia away while larger British forces targeted Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Lieutenant Colonel Philip Reed led about 170 men from the 21st Maryland Regiment. They took defensive positions on a high ridge on the property known as Caulk’s Field.More than 100 British sailors and marines moved across the open fields under moonlight. American forces responded with musket fire and field artillery. The British landing party eventually retreated, and Captain Parker was killed during the fighting. The battle became one of the few land victories achieved by local militia forces on Maryland’s Eastern Shore during the 1814 campaign.

Discoveries beneath the soil

The battlefield remained in agricultural use for generations instead of being covered by roads or buildings. This helped preserve objects from the battle beneath the soil for more than two centuries. Archaeological investigations and metal-detector surveys carried out in recent decades have uncovered many objects linked to the 1814 fight. Researchers found dropped lead musket balls, fired grape shot, military brass belt buckles, uniform buttons and iron equipment. By mapping where the objects were found, historians were able to better understand how the battle unfolded. The discoveries helped researchers identify the positions of American militia units and British forces, as well as their firing lines and retreat routes across the fields.

Family ownership comes to an end

The decision to sell the 1,050-acre property marks an important change for the Chestertown landmark. As noted in The Wall Street Journal’s real estate report, large historic properties that combine extensive farmland, important history and recognised battlefield sites rarely become available on the luxury property market. Local conservation and historic preservation groups are watching the sale closely. They want to see whether a future owner will maintain existing conservation protections and continue using the land for agriculture. The combination of historic importance, farmland and preserved open space makes the property one of the notable historic real estate offerings in the Mid-Atlantic region. The sale includes the original 1743 manor house, additional buildings, farming facilities and the historic battlefield land where the Battle of Caulk’s Field took place.