On August 19, 1824, Junius Brutus Booth, the elder, (1796-1852) a British actor, leased the tracts of ‘Edwards Lott’, ‘United Lott’, and ‘Matthews Neighbor Resurveyed’ containing 159 acres in Harford County for 1000 years for $733.20 from the Hall family. Junius bought a log house located on a neighbor’s farm and moved it near a spring on the leased property. It is believed that seven of the ten Booth children, including Edwin and John Wilkes, were born in the log house. From 1822 until 1858, Harford County was the summer home to the family of Junius Brutus Booth, one of the foremost actors of his day, and America’s chief Shakespearian player. Edwin, Junius Brutus Booth, Jr. and John Wilkes all followed their father on to the stage and established theatrical careers.

In 1847 Junius commissioned James Gifford to build Tudor Hall on the property. Tudor Hall matches a published design for a Gothic Revival country cottage designed by an architect named William H. Ranlett in “The Architect” Volume I, 1847. Ironically, James Gifford also built Ford’s Theatre where Lincoln was shot and killed on April 14, 1865 by Junius’ son, John Wilkes Booth.

Junius Brutus Booth, the elder, died in 1852 while returning from an acting tour in California. Following his death, Booth’s wife Mary Ann completed the construction of Tudor Hall and lived there until 1857 when she leased Tudor Hall to the Henry King family from Washington, D.C. The Booth family was not in residence at Tudor Hall during the time of President Lincoln’s assassination in 1865. In 1878, Mary Ann Booth transferred the property to Samuel A. S. Kyle for $3,500. Samuel Kyle married Ella Harward in 1879. Following the death of Samuel Kyle, his wife Ella later married John F. Mahoney and resided at Tudor Hall for seventy years until her death in 1948.

Following a succession of owners, the house was purchased by Howard and Dorothy Fox who resided there from 1968 until 1999, during which time Tudor Hall played multiple roles as a home, museum, bed and breakfast and occasional ballroom and theater. In 1973 Tudor Hall was included in the National Register of Historic Places. In 1999 Robert and Elizabeth Baker bought the house at public auction and proceeded to renovate the historic house and grounds. On August 11, 2006, at a ceremony at Tudor Hall, Harford County Government purchased the property from the Bakers to preserve the house and open it to the public for tours.

Recently, the offices of the Center for the Arts were relocated to Tudor Hall at the invitation of Harford County Executive David Craig. Until construction of the arts center is completed, Tudor Hall provides excellent office, meeting, reception, and exhibit space to facilitate the mission of the Center.

Limited tours of the house will begin soon. Please visit our Volunteers page if you are interested in serving as a Tudor Hall docent.

Dinah Faber, Harford Historical Bulletin, No. 98 Edwin Booth, Harford County's Prince of Players, Part I, The Historical Society of Harford County, Summer 2004.
Dinah Faber, Harford Historical Bulletin, No. 99, Edwin Booth, Harford County's Prince of Players, Part 2, The Historical Society of Harford County, Fall 2004.

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