For the first time ever, explore Worthington House close up with 360-degree photos. Worthington House is normally closed to the public, so these photos provide a rare glimpse at this historic structure.
The historic Worthington House was an important feature on the battlefield. While the Worthington family took shelter in the cellar, Confederate troops used the river crossing on the Worthington property to mount a flanking attack on the Federal troops defending the bridge at Monocacy Junction.
Agriculturalist Griffin Taylor built this Federal and Greek Revival-style home on 300 acres of prime Maryland farmland around 1852. John Worthington purchased the home ten years later. On July 9, 1864, the Worthington family took shelter in the cellar while the battle raged across their front lawn.
NPS / Nathan King
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Worthington House - Front Porch
As the Battle of Monocacy swept across their front yard, the Worthington family took shelter in their home to escape the horrors of war.
NPS / Nathan King
First Floor
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Worthington House - Foyer
This is the main entrance to the Worthington House, where John Worthington and his family witnessed the Battle of Monocacy on July 9, 1864. The home was last occupied in 1953. It has not been restored since the National Park Service acquired the property in 1982.
NPS / Nathan King
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Worthington House - Main Stair
Based on the joinery, turning of balusters, and decorative mouldings, the main stair was the work of a skilled and experienced craftsman. Since it was the first feature guests would see upon entering the home, it made sense to pay attention to the details. The long lines painted on the walls are a painting technique called "trompe l'oeil," creating the optical illusion of wood paneling on the walls. The painting is in the style of Constantine Brumidi, an Italian painter whose work can be found in the Vatican and the U.S. Capitol Building.
NPS / Nathan King
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Worthington House - Parlor
With its fireplace and access to the main hall, this room would have been used as a parlor or sitting room. In the mid-20th Century, this room was divided into two separate quarters as evidenced by the remnants of a partition wall. Graffiti was left behind by either migrant workers or people who entered the home when it was left vacant.
NPS / Nathan King
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Worthington House - Dining Room
In this room, the Worthington family most likely took their meals. The visible brickwork above the doorway suggests that the room beyond was an addition, giving the home an ell shape. In Glenn Worthington’s book “Fighting for Time,” he mentions events “in the backyard, in the angle made by the wings of the house,” suggesting the addition was present at the time of the battle.
NPS / Nathan King
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Worthington House - Kitchen
Linoleum flooring and a 1950s stove give this room away as the kitchen. However, when the Worthington family lived here, the kitchen was below this room, in the basement.
NPS / Nathan King
Upper Level
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Worthington House - Upper Level
The second floor features the living quarters. To the right is the South Bedroom, and to the left, the north bedroom. Fallen plaster on the wall reveals brick underneath.
NPS / Nathan King
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Worthington House - South Bedroom
In the south bedroom, the remnants of partition walls that once split this room into separate living quarters are evident. The numbers three and four painted on the partition wall and door are reminders of the home’s use as a boarding house in the 20th century.
NPS / Nathan King
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Worthington House - North Bedroom
Here in the north bedroom, you can see period construction techniques of plaster and lath. In addition, there is evidence of a stove that connected to the fireplace after it had been bricked up. Confederate officers used the second floor windows to observe the battle. This room offers the best view to the north and east of the fields through which the Confederates advanced.
NPS / Nathan King
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Worthington House - Servant's Quarters
Likely a servant’s bedroom, this room had direct access to the servants’ stair, kitchen, bedroom, and attic. This location allowed slaves or servants to move through the house without being seen.
NPS / Nathan King
Attic
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Worthington House - Attic
This simple, unfinished space is unique for its construction. The rafters are not attached to a ridge beam. Instead, they are butt-jointed. These rafters support a pine sheathing with slate shingles.
NPS / Nathan King
Cellar
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Worthington House - Cellar
The Worthington family took shelter in this cellar during the battle. Six-year-old Glenn Worthington peered out of the boarded-up windows and witnessed the horrors of war unfold in his front yard. He later recorded his recollections in his book “Fighting for Time.”
