Elizabeth Giddings’ Vision of West Annapolis and Wardour

By 1892, with the completion of the Weems Creek bridge and the King George Street bridge across College Creek, the West Annapolis peninsula was more accessible. Following the creation of the Melvin Plan of 1890, the developers Melvin and Mancha, did not perform as contracted, and a lengthy legal action took place (Equity Case 1577 Aldridge vs Melvin and Mancha - Maryland Archives).  In October 1894, the land was resurveyed and a new plat named Aldridge’s Revised and Corrected Plat of West Annapolis, was drawn. By 1897, the dispute was settled and lots were for sale by Frank H. Stockett, Jr. and James M. Munroe, attorneys for the two sisters.  In July 1899, Katherine Giddings Aldridge died leaving the land to her heirs. Giddings continued with the development of the West Annapolis peninsula yet felt strongly the topography of Wardour did not fit with the 50’ x 150’ foot lots from the 1894 Plat. These lots best fit the flat farmland section of the West Annapolis peninsula. Giddings also wanted to preserve the specimen trees on the wooded property on the Severn River, now Wardour.  She named the area north of the Baltimore & Annapolis Short Line Railroad tracks, Wardour, and the area south of the railroad tracks, Wardour Bluffs. Wardour Castle had been the birthplace of Ann Arundell, wife of Cecil Calvert, the second Lord Baltimore. In 1905, Elizabeth Giddings gains control of all the unsold property on the peninsula of West Annapolis from the Aldridge heirs.

In 1907, Giddings wrote to Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. of Olmsted Brothers Landscape Architects in Brookline, MA in regards to developing the wooded portion of West Annapolis now named Wardour and Wardour Bluffs. Mr. Olmsted visited Wardour and eventually plats for Wardour and Wardour Bluffs were registered in 1909 and 1915 under the imprint of the Olmsted Brothers firm. The curvilinear street pattern fitted to the natural contours of the land, irregular lots, and reserved sections accessed at 228 Westwood, 238 Westwood and 204 Wardour. A concern of the Olmsted plan was the need for continued maintenance of the designed community and common areas.  In March 1915, Robert Giddings Aldridge proposed an association named the Wardour Improvement Association, for maintenance and improvements of Wardour. 

One of the first homes built in Wardour in 1911, was 100 Old Crossing, the home of Elizabeth Giddings which is still in use today.  Elizabeth Giddings died in 1921 (born 1856) leaving the land to her relatives. By 1924, the Giddings estate sold all unsold lots in the peninsula of West Annapolis to Charles F. Lee, a real estate developer. In 1927, the Charles F. Lee and his wife, Lottie Lee gave the City and County the main roads in West Annapolis outside of Wardour.  In 1931, Walter Hart purchased the lots on the north side of Claude Street from the Lee’s. By 1937, 12 houses were built on Claude and rented furnished to tenants.  In 1936, the Lee’s gave land in Wardour to the Wardour Improvement Association for roads.

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