WRITTEN HISTORICAL

DESCRIPTIVE DATA

District No. 10

Historical American Buildings Survey

Major H. Brooks Price District Officer

1316 New Hampshire Avenue, Washington, D.C.

HABS No. 10-7

LYLES HOUSE

or

Want Water

Broad Creek, Prince George's County

Maryland

Maryland 23, 83, 84, 92.

LYLES HOUSE

Want Water

Want Water was not an original patent but apparently overlaid parts of several older grants. For example, it out across Wharton's Rest which was patented in 1662. Prior to 1662 one Nicholas Gynyther, apparently lived on that part of want Water upon which the old house is built as the following quotation from the patent to Wharton's Rest will show: "bounding on the south with the land formerly laid out for Nicholas Gynyther now in the possession of Thomas Dent." The southern boundary of Wharton's Rest embraces that part of Want Water upon which the old house is built, however, I have been unable to trace the grant to Gynyther.

Want Water was patented on October 16, 1708 by Colonel Thomas Addison (under a warrant granted to him and Mr. William Hutchinson, on March 15, 1706.) (Land Accord oo Do 5, x-olio 509, Land Office, Annapolis, tad.) Mr. Hutchinson died in 1711.

Colonel Thomas Addison was the only son of Colonel John Addison, a privy councilor of Lord Baltimore, and one of the founders of Broad Creek Church. The old house (Lyles) on Want Water was no doubt built by a gentleman and since the architectural evidence points strongly to the later 17th century or early 18th century, it would seem quite possible for Colonel Thomas Addison to have been the builder. I do not know the exact date of Oxon Hill manor, so cannot make a conjecture whether Want Water was the first Addison house.

Want Water (Lyles house) in however one of the oldest, if not the oldest, dwelling house remaining in the vicinity of Washington. The house, as it stands today without the wings, is in external form exactly the same house which was first built. Architecturally, I am advised, upon good authority by experts who have examined both the interior and exterior, that the house could hate been built as early as 1690. Historically, it would have been possible for it to have been occupied by colonists around Broad Creek at that time, however, the date of the patent, 1708, would fix the earliest possible date of the house if it be assumed that it was built by Colonel Thomas Addison after this patent was issued to him. On the other hand it is quite within the realm of possibility that the house was on the land at the time of the patent. The excellent workmanship and good taste throughout the construction of the house indicate that it was in the beginning the home of a gentleman.

Upon the death of Colonel Thomas Addison in 1727, Want Water went to his oldest son, John, who conveyed it to Humphrey Batt by deed November 23, 1736 (land record, liber 1, folio 421.) Humphrey Batt was a shipwright.

Humphrey Batt, by will November 14, 1756 left want Water to his son-in-law, Richard Barnes. (Will 30, folio 343.)

Richard Barnes conveyed Want Water by deed to Enoch Magruder on June 12, 1761. (Land record R, R., folio 142.)

Enoch Magruder in his will dated July 8, 1785 left Want Water to his eldest daughter, Sarah, who was at the time the wife of Colonel William Lyles. (I have a certified copy of the will of Enoch Magruder but lack of volume and page references.)

Enoch Magruder was a large landowner in Prince George's County and owned that part of latter sea upon which is Harmony Hall. He apparently lived at Mt. Labentia prior to his death. Colonel William Lyles and his wife Sarah were probably living at Want Water prior to the death of Enoch Magruder in 1786 since they were married about 10 years earlier and this house seems to have been available to Sarah.

Title to Want Water was perfected in Colonel William Lyles on August 26, 1796 by a transfer from Colonel William Lyles and his wife, Sarah, to Mr. William Baker who in turn on the same day transferred Want Water to Colonel William Lyles. (Liber RM no. 4, folio 96 - Prince George's County, MD)

Colonal Wvilliam Lyles died in 1815 and left both Harmony Hall and Want Water to his second son, Thomas G. Lyles, "after the death of his mother." (Will probated January 31, 1816 - Liber T T No. 1, page 164 -166, Prince George's County Wills.)His mother Sarah Magruder Lyles died in 1820 (Liber IT No, 1. page 282, Prince George's County Wills.)

Both places remained in the Lyles famly until l850 when Harmony Hall was sold to William G. Edelen.

Want Water as originally patented was a long narrow strip of land which embraced almost all of the east bank of Church Branch of Broad Creek. The church itself (founded in 1692) first built of wood, was built directly on this body of water with a landing known as Church Landing at the door of the church. The water was navigable from the channel of the Potomac River to the church.

After the time that the Addisons disposed of want Water in 1736, the most prominent owner was Colonel William Lyles, a wealthy landowner and son-in-law of Enoch Magruder. He lived here at the time of the Revolution but some time before 1800 he moved to Alexandria where be was a stockholder Farmers Bank of Alexandria. Colonel William Lyles was an intimate friend of George Washington, there being ample documentary evidence of this fact in Washington's writings. It is reasonable to conjecture that Washington, whose barge frequently passed the verv door of Want Water on those Sabaths when he worshipped at Broad Creek Church, upon occasion stopped for dinner with his friends at Want Water.

The distance from the church to the Lyles House (Want Water) is only a leisurely stroll of about ten minutes and there appears to have been a pathway following the banks of Church Branch to the door of the church. When I had dredged out a part of Church Branch In 1932, I discovered, in clearing the brush from the bank, a row of double yellow daffodils, just above the high tide mark, thus indicating the extent of landscaping in those days. This stream has long ago been abandoned for navigation and access to the church has been by roadway for over a century.

Colonel Lyles had ten children, the youngest of whom was Enoch Magruder Lyles who was killed in a duel August 7, 1806 at the age of 26 years. The duel was occasioned by a remark of a cousin, John Frazier Bowie, at a dance which young Lyles considered as a reflection upon his sister's dancing. It is said to have been Colonel William Lyles himself who insisted that his son challenge his cousin to a duel. The duel was fought in the early morning on the Virginia side of the river about six miles south of Alexandria in view of the shore of Broad Creek. Colonel Lyles watched the dual from the Maryland side through his field glasses. Young Lyles was mortally wounded and was brought back across the water in , a boat rowed by slaves and he died at want water at 11 o'clock that day. The son is buried in the old church at Broad Creek and the tombstone bears an epitaph written by his father, Colonel Lyles, in which he calls on God to avenge the death of his son.

Author-. Charles W. Collins, National Press Building, Washington, DC.

Approved: Major H. Brooks Price, District Officer

Lyles House (Want Water) HABS No. MD-10-7

Livingston Road

Friendly Vicinity

Prince George's County

Broad Creek Maryland

Addendum to:

Lyles House (Want Water)

Prince George's County

Broad Creek, Maryland

PHOTOGRAPHS

Historic American Buildings Survey

National Park Service

Department of the Interior

Washington, D.C. 20240

HISTORIC AMERICAN BUILDINGS SURVEY

INDEX TO PHOTOGRAPHS

Lyles House (Want Water) HABS No. MD-10-7

Livingston Road

Friendly Vicinity

Prince George's County

Maryland

Addendum to

Lyles House (Want Water)

Prince George's County

Broad Creek, Maryland

Photographs MD-10-7-1 through MD-10-7-5 were transmitted to the Library of Congress in 1936,

The following photocopies are of drawings made by Albert P. Erb in 1924.

MD-10-7-6 EAST ELEVATION, NORTH ELEVATION, AND FLOOR PLANS

MD-10-7-7 DETAILS OF DORMER, CORNICE, WINDOW SILL AND VERGE BOARDS

MD@10-7-8 DETAIL OF FIREPLACE AND PANELING, C14AIR RAIL, CORNICE AND PANEL MOLDINGS