Happy Birthday Johns Hopkins!

Johns Hopkins was born 230 years ago on May 19, 1795 in an upstairs bedroom at Whites Hall in the Gambrills/Crofton area. He lived in the house until he was 17 when he went off to Baltimore to apprentice with his Uncle Gerard T. Hopkins in his wholesale dry goods business.

Saturday, I had the great privilege to attend the annual Johns Hopkins birthday celebration at Clifton Mansion in Baltimore. The Friends of Clifton Mansion and Civic Works, along with other great team members, coordinate the celebration of Johns' birthday every year. There were some great speakers and tours of the house available throughout the day. Henry Hopkins, acted as emcee for the ceremony. Henry and his brother Samuel are the current patriarchs of the family. Both of them are heavily involved in the Hopkins family research and the restoration of Clifton.

Johns bought the Clifton house and 166 acres at auction in 1841 for $16,000. The house was expanded in width, depth, and height. Arcaded wrap-around porches were added as were a porte cochere and its iconic five-story tower. Nearly all wall and ceiling surfaces were ornately decorated with garlands, flowers, and trompe l’oeil Italian sculptures. Ornate plaster moldings and enameled glass windows accented the entrance and grand stairway. A 10’ X 15’ mural of the Bay of Naples was painted on an entrance wall. The additions and decorations were complete by 1852.

He lived in the house until his death on December 24, 1873.

Check out this great video for history on Clifton Mansion. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1mrEymrClw

This video debuted at the birthday celebration, "Unraveling a Maryland Mystery: Johns Hopkins, Clifton and the Census of 1850:. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIAsih8uuzw&t=53s