Jesup Blair House - Silver Spring, MD
N 38° 59.115 W 077° 01.497
18S E 324611 N 4317090
The Jesup Blair House historical marker is located adjacent to the house itself in Silver Spring, Maryland, USA.
Waymark Code: WMQ0VJ
Location: Maryland, United States
Date Posted: 11/25/2015
Views: 8
The historical marker reads:
"Francis Preston Blair brought his family to Washington from Kentucky at the invitation of President Andrew Jackson to publish a newspaper supporting his administration. Between 1842 and 1854, the Blair family built three summer homes in Silver Spring. This structure initially served as a summer home for Francis Blair's son, James, a
Naval Officer, who made his fortune during the 1849 gold rush in California. James and Mary Blair named their home The Moorings, a nautical reference. During the Civil War, soldiers camped at The Moorings. The last Blair to own the house, Violet Blair Janin, daughter of James, designated the house for public use in her will and changed the name to Jesup Blair in honor of her brother. From 1934 to 1957, the house served the community as the Silver Spring Public Library."
The following additional information about the house is from the Silver Spring Downtown website (
visit link) :
"The Jesup Blair House located in the park was built circa 1850 as a summer residence. The house incorporates elements of the Federal and Greek Revival styles, including a hipped roof with cupola, wooden quoin blocks, pilasters, a molded architrave, and a front door framed with transom and sidelights. The house has served a variety of community uses since its donation to the State of Maryland in 1933 by Violet Blair Janin, and was renovated in 1990 as transitional housing for single-parent families. The property is currently owned by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission."