built in 1761
The Golden Quarter Farm dates back to the pre-revolution era. Legend as it that its name was derived from the vast sweeps of coreopsis that used to bloom and fill the fields each Spring.
Built by a Ebenezer and Naomi Campbell in 1761 on a thousand acre grant from Lord Baltimore, the original house is a late-federal style, transverse gable-front dwelling. This gable-front style is architecturally distinctive for the lower Eastern Shore of Maryland.
A past and present landmark
The once 250 year old English Elm tree situated in the front yard was the largest of its species in the state of Maryland. Measuring 90 feet high, and 20 feet in girth, its gnarled branches served as a landmark for boatsman.
The Golden Quarter Farm has been in numerous Home Tours of Worcester County, dating back to the 1950s.
Most recently, The Golden Quarter is known by an easement, secured by Sandra Frazier in 2005, from the Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program, which protects the natural habitat from being developed.
Home to the altruistic
During the very early 1900s, the Golden Quarter Farm was owned by Dr. Henry and Mary Beeuwkes. Henry Beeuwkes was a respected Colonel, receiving the Distinguished Service Metal for his work as Medical Director of the United States Relief Administration to Russia in 1921. While also having served as the Director of West Africa Yellow Fever Commission and Inspector General to the US Army, Dr. Beeuwkes is most known for his creation of what was at the time a novel program called "Rehabilitation" at the Valley Forge Hospital in Pennsylvania. This program was designed to span the gap between pre and post war living conditions and wage earning capabilities of those who were sick or wounded after their service.
In 1945, L. Franklin and Gertrude Purnell purchased the Golden Quarter. During their time living at the farm, Mr. and Mrs. Purnell acted on their strong belief in education, community, and health, and established a charitable Foundation which has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to support local nurse education and the formation of a local hospital, among other causes. This Foundation remains active today.
In 1972, Elizabeth ("Iggy") and Henry Hall purchased the property. The Halls were pioneers in the early growth of Ocean City. They built and operated The Lagoon Restaurant (what is now part of the Embers property), developed South Bethany Delaware, and were among the founders of the Ocean City Golf and Yacht Club. Iggy is known for her intelligence, entrepreneurial spirit, and love of nature. During her time on the farm, she petitioned and built a 1 acre pond to serve as a natural habitat for birds and other native species.
A native of Salisbury, Sandra Frazier purchased the Golden Quarter Farm in 2001. A retired social worker, Sandra was an artist, who explored the world both in person and through books. She was smart and personable; effortlessly making everyone around her feel comfortable and valued. Sandra not only loved nature, but had a curiosity and respect for nature's influence. A forward-thinker, she donated thousands of dollars, and countless hours in restoring the land's natural habitat. Not stopping there, Sandra went on to establish an easement on the Golden Quarter Farm in 2005. The first of it's kind, this conservation easement protects the farm from future development, and preserves the natural beauty and wildlife of the Golden Quarter in perpetuity.
Sandra Frazier enjoyed the farm with her community. She regularly opened the farm to the public for Birding Weekends, and kayak tours. Most valuable to Sandra, however, was her family. She cherished moments chatting on the pier, biking the trails, and cracking crabs on the patio with her loved ones. In the last 7 years of her life, she delighted in watching her grandsons explore and discover the farm. In 2015, Sandra Frazier passed the Golden Quarter on to her children.
We welome you
As we open our doors and share the Golden Quarter, we hope to honor the farm's history as well as continue previous owners' respect for nature and appreciation of both family and community.
We hope you enjoy your stay, make lasting memories, and take home a little piece of history.