Built in the 1850s for Nicholas Griffith, Bon Secours (“good help” in French) was originally intended to be a summer home. However, the onset of the Civil War closely following completion of this home changed the Griffith Family’s plans, and the estate soon became their primary residence.
In a recent Montgomery County Historic Preservation document, the property was described as follows: “Bon Secours, which consists of a principal, three-bay main block and contemporaneous rear wing to the north, is set upon an uncoursed stone foundation and has a cross gable roof. Original German siding remains intact at the second story of the front façade. Unusual in Montgomery County are the Italianate-style round-arched windows. Cohesively grouped behind the main dwelling are several outbuildings, including two corncribs, two barns, a stone pumphouse, a detached kitchen, and a poultry house.”
