While riding through Boyds on the Metropolitan Branch of the B&O Railroad in the early 1880s, Enoch and Mary Totten spotted the perfect site upon which to build their summer home. The Tottens were incredibly wealthy on account of money Mary had inherited – her father had been a US Senator and her uncle invented the sewing machine, bringing immense wealth into the family. Sparing no expense, the Tottens built their home, which they named Winderbourne, in 1884.
According to those who attended events at Winderbourne, a visit to the home was a special occasion. The grounds around the home were kept immaculate, with gardeners employed year-round despite the Tottens winter home in Washington, DC. Fine China and silver platters were used by a staff of housemaids to serve guests, who spent hours at the dining room table discussing issues of the day. Behind the home, a pond was dug (the Little Seneca Lake did not yet exist) and Mary would sit on a bench overlooking the water to paint.
Unfortunately, the Tottens experienced significance lost while living in Winderbourne. Their 3 children contracted Typhoid Fever, and one of them passed away as a result. The other two faced life-long hearing impairment as a result of their sickness. Later, one of the Tottens grandchildren died after an accident involving a slide down the bannister in the home. The last straw came in the 1920s when the railroad, which runs close to the home, was widened and the main access point to the home – a bridge over the tracks – was removed. Following this, the Tottens sold the home.
The home is still in the hands of the family who purchased the home in 1929, and has been passed down through multiple generations within the family. It was last occupied in 2004, and as is clear from the pictures I took today, has fallen into significant disrepair. As you may have seen, an article in the Washington Post last week highlighted the efforts of a couple to purchase the home and restore it. As detailed in the article, the couple is currently in a bit of a standoff with the WSSC in regards to their ability to purchase the structure. If you’d like to see this home back to its proper glory, share this story with others to ensure it is not lost to decay.
