While it is true that almost every retirement community has something very special going for it, whether it be a golf course, location, or excellent cuisine, Londonderry on the Tred Avon is one of the very few that has a historically significant house on its grounds.
Nestled among Londonderry’s many cottages along the Tred Avon stands the Manor House which was built in 1867. Designed by the 19th-century architect Richard Upjohn, whose credits included Trinity Church in lower Manhattan, the gate designs of the Boston Commons, and more locally, the Parish House at Christ Church in Easton and Oxford’s own Trinity Church, the Manor House not only reflects the exceptional design of the time but also is one of the Mid-Shore’s most important reference points for the history of region with such familiar Eastern Shore names as Armstrong and Pinckney.
Now under the stewardship of volunteers who live in the Londonderry community, the house is not only used as a guesthouse for visitors of the residents who live there but is now open to the public during the day for meetings, weddings, and other special occasions.
The Spy talked to Manor House volunteers Susan Andrews and Pat Lewers a few weeks ago about some of its history, architectural features, and the remarkable charm of a very special home which has withstood the tests of time, a civil war, and two fires.
This video is approximately four minutes in length. For more information about Londonderry and the Manor House please go here
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