Doughoregan Manor

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Doughoregan Manor, 1936

Doughoregan Manor is a mansion located on Manor Lane near Ellicott City, Maryland, USA. It was designated a National Historic Landmark on November 11, 1971.

From 1766 to 1832, Doughoregan Manor was the country home of Charles Carroll of Carrollton, last surviving signer of the Declaration of Independence. He lies buried in the chapel attached to the north end of the mansion. "Doughoregan" was a family estate in Ireland. The Georgian brick plantation house, built by Carroll's father around 1727, was enlarged and remodeled by his son in the 1830s in the Greek Revival style. In its current configuration it is a brick, two stories, U-shaped building. The roof is in gabled sections, some with balustraded decks, and in the center is an octagonal cupola. The front center entrance has a one-story tetrastyle Doric portico and is similar to the rear portico. The chapel and kitchen are attached to the main block by hyphens.

The private chapel was built at a time when founding Roman Catholic parish churches was prohibited in the colony. The chapel served as the primary meeting place for the local Catholic community until as late as 1855 when nearby parishes were founded. The chapel continued to be open to the public on Sunday mornings for Mass until the 1990s, when the family discontinued the practice due to overcrowding.

Members of the Carroll family still own and live in the manor, which sits at the center of a thousand acre (4 km²) estate. Recently a family member observed, "Only God, the Indians and the Carrolls have owned this land." The estate and Manor Lane are closed to the public.