Today's DAR
Historians believe that it was Gen. George Washington who bestowed the nickname "Old Line State" in honor of the courage that distinguished the steadfast Maryland Line troops in several major battles of the Revolutionary War. During the course of a double treat of events in the state on Sunday, I was equally impressed by the “New Line” of dedicated DAR members carrying forward our Society’s mission there.
It’s a Rising Sun – Saluting the Old (and New!) Line
Organizing Meeting of the Hannah Archer Till Chapter
For the first time in my administration, I had the pleasure of attending in person the organizing meeting of a new chapter of our National Society! While it is difficult to develop and launch a chapter in the best of times, these determined members did so against the headwinds of the pandemic, which is especially admirable. I was overjoyed, honestly, to help launch them on their journey.
Please join me in saluting the members of the brand new Hannah Archer Till Chapter of Silver Spring, organized by fifth-generation DAR member Chapter Regent Kendra Greenwaters. I had the pleasure of administering the oath of office to Kendra and the chapter’s other charter officers: Vice Regent Katherine Wight; Chaplain Linda Stratford; Recording Secretary Elizabeth Moore; Corresponding Secretary Laura Cooke; Treasurer Morgan Doggett; Registrar Rachel Moore; Historian Elizabeth Hohenberger; and Librarian Janey Green.
In fact, the chapter begins its service with 24 charter members, 16 of whom are new members and nine of whom are Juniors – all united by a desire to share the rewards of DAR service and a wish to meet on Sundays as working women who find that most convenient. The State Society of Maryland is to be commended for supporting the launch of a chapter that benefits the greater good of the National Society by welcoming more women to our mission on a schedule that better suits their needs. It was a pleasure to share the day with Vice President General Maureen Tipton (who served as state regent while the chapter was developing) and State Regent Mernie Crane. I am so very grateful for the generous hospitality shared with me at the beautiful Maryland DAR Chapter House in Baltimore, where the ceremony was held.
The members (who met themselves for the first time in person during the ceremony!) chose to name their chapter in memory of Hannah Archer Till, the daughter of an Oneida father and an African American mother who was born into slavery in Delaware in 1721. By 1776, Hannah was leased to cook for Gen. Washington and his wartime staff, and so she joined her husband Isaac Till, also leased enslaved cook. She became the personal chef for the general, serving by his side through all of his campaigns for the next six-and-a-half years – a role for a trusted person due to the potential for poisoning as an assassination method.
Both cooks had an arrangement with the commander-in-chief and their respective owners whereby they would purchase their freedom and which they both accomplished on October 30, 1778. Now paid for her labor, Hannah Till continued as Washington’s personal pastry cook, except for the six months she spent working for Major Gen. Marquis de Lafayette following the victory at Yorktown.
After the war, Hannah and Isaac Till employed themselves cooking for families in Philadelphia, raised at least seven children and became members of the First African Presbyterian Church. Hannah died on Dec. 13, 1826, at the age of 105, and was buried in Eden Cemetery in Collingdale, Penn. Nearly two centuries later, a ceremony was conducted at her final resting place on October 3, 2015, when the Pennsylvania Daughters placed a permanent marker in her memory.
Now, a vibrant new chapter of the DAR will carry forward the patriotic legacy of this remarkable woman. Huzzah – to the memory of Hannah Archer Till and to the members of our newest DAR chapter in Maryland!
Visiting the Rising Sun Inn
I have an insatiable desire to visit the properties saved and sustained by our DAR Chapters whenever possible – and so I was delighted that I was next welcomed by the gracious members of the Ann Arundel Chapter to tour their Rising Sun Inn.
Located about 10 miles north of Annapolis, the Rising Sun Inn has been a farmhouse, inn/tavern and stagecoach stop since its construction in 1753. Located on a farm called Rising Sun situated along the famed Washington Rochambeau Revolutionary Route, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. You can sense the history that happened here – perhaps that is a result of their reported ghosts! Read more about its interesting history here.
Like so many historic properties, this one was very nearly lost. In 1911, Alice Leakin Welsh and 10 other women living in the area organized their chapter and almost immediately began planning how they would rescue the dilapidated tavern landmark on the verge of being razed. Five years later, the women were deeded the property for $1 by the owner and then borrowed $5,000 (equivalent to about $125,000 today) to restore it. They paid off that debt through the familiar round of tea parties and other fundraisers, and in the more than century since, they have served as faithful stewards of this charming Colonial structure. What a marvelous example of our Society’s commitment to historic preservation!
My own chapter owns and operates a 1709 historic home in the Hudson River Valley of New York State, and so I fully appreciate the extra responsibility that this type of structure places on a group of busy women. Yet, it was truly a joy to meet with the vibrant members of Ann Arundel Chapter to appreciate the pride and satisfaction they take in serving as stewards of their historic home. I was impressed by their dedication to both its past and future – and to their obvious commitment to carry forward the legacy bequeathed to them by Mrs. Welsh and the brave and bold chapter members who went before them.
Meeting Maryland Daughters from one of its earliest and now its newest chapter assured me that the “New Line” of members here are very much ready to meet the exciting challenges that lie ahead. It is, indeed, a Rising Sun for DAR in the Old Line State.
