Duc de La Rochefoucauld's visit to Ellicott's mills in the 1790s

"Ellicot’s-Mill is a small village, the principal establishment of which is a large gristmill belonging to Mr. Ellicot.  This mill has six pair of millstones, and is constructed as well as any of the mills of Brandy wine [Lea mills]."

François Alexandre Frédéric de La Rochefoucauld, Duke of Rochefoucauld (1747-1827) escaped France during the Revolution for England then sailed to America, finally returning to France.






From his 1800 book -

ELLICOT'S-MILL.

From Poplar-Spring a road has been cut within a few years, which abridges by some miles the road to Baltimore. It is bad, and being quite new it passes but by very few habitations: about fifteen miles from Baltimore you perceive

CHARLES CARROLL OF CARROLLTON’S DOUGHOREGAN MANOR

the mansion of Mr. Carrol, about a mile distant from the road. From the multiplicity of buildings united in his settlement, it has rather the appearance of a village, than of the habitation of a private gentleman. Mr. Carrol has united several establishments on this spot; he possesses an extensive farm, and a great number of negroes, but not having been in his plantation, I am not able to give a detailed account of it.

[Grapes for wine] I learnt at Annapolis that Mr. Carroll in his large plantation near Ellicot's mill had attempted to cultivate the vine, without success, though he had employed vine-dressers whom he had expressly sent for from Fiance, From this they conclude here that the vine cannot prosper, and that the wine cannot be good. This proves that the nature of the soil and of the climate require some particular care and attention, of which good observation, and longer experience, may lead to the discovery of the secret; but it is impossible to suppose that the soil of Maryland is incapable of producing good grapes.

ELLICOT’S MILL

Ellicot’s-Mill is a small village, the principal establishment of which is a large gristmill belonging to Mr. Ellicot, and named after him. This mill has six pair of millstones, and is constructed as well as any of the mills of Brandy wine, of which it possesses all the perfections, The situation of this place, encircled by mountains, is truly romantic. The water is clear, the rocks are high and majestic and I could have wished to enjoy one day longer this view, which, being rather gloomy, was well adapted to my present frame of mind; but the scorching heat forced me to proceed to a more temperate part of the country.  [July]

The road continues as mountainous, difficult, and covered with sand and fragments of rocks, as before, until four or five miles from Baltimore. During the whole of this journey you see neither good nor numerous, habitations; the land is but of a middling quality, in a great measure uncultivated, and the rest in a very indifferent state of improvement. Four or five miles from Baltimore the ground grows even, the habitations become more numerous, and assume a better appearance. In proportion as you draw nearer the town, the dwelling-houses bespeak more and more the wealth of its inhabitants, and the prosperity of its commerce.

Rochefoucauld-Liancourt. Travels through the United States of North America… 1795, 1796, and 1797. London: 1800. By François-Alexandre-Frédéric duc de La Rochefoucauld-Liancourt

Painting now in Versailles.

©2017 Patricia Bixler Reber
Forgotten history of Ellicott City & Howard County MD