PRESERVATION

In 1976, the Evergreen mansion, originally built in the late 1700s, was recognized by the Maryland Historical Trust and added to its inventory of historical properties. Two generations later, in 1993, descendent landowners converted the family’s ancestral farmhouse to the Evergreen Museum, displaying over 200 years of antiques, artifacts, and historical deeds and documents. In January 2013, the Foundation submitted an extensive update to its file at the MHT, and the Foundation is now working with the MHT on an application to the National Register of Historic Places.

The History of Evergreen

Eight generations ago, circa 1780, the Grimes family settled on "Federal Hill" in Allegany County Maryland and built a log/frame house and barn. In 1822, the Winter family acquired the Grimes’ farm and built a large two story stone addition adjacent to the original house, creating a large plantation manor. After the Civil War, in 1869, when the Winters could no longer run the plantation, neighbor Joseph Arnold Trimble (grandson of the first Trimble who settled on Federal Hill) acquired the property. Since Joseph already had a homestead, he agreed to sell the property to his oldest son Winfield Scott Trimble (who had fallen in love with the old plantation). Winfield worked for over ten years to build a successful farm. He remodeled the homestead, creating a large Victorian farmhouse, which he painted white. Winfield also planted acres of crops, several orchards, and thirteen species of evergreen trees. In 1882, Winfield officially acquired the property and named it Evergreen, in honor of the fledgling evergreen trees he had planted there.

Evergreen’s Coal Heritage

Over 100 years ago, coal was actively deep-mined on the Evergreen property, with more than 60 miners working there at the peak of coal mining operations. Miners hauled the coal from the mines along a tram-way and then lowered the coal cars down to the railroad for transport to market. Remnants of the mining operation remains today, as does evidence of the evolution of the tram-way transportation that began with mules and ponies, then an electric tram engine, and finally a dinky steam engine. Today, visitors can hike the Evergreen Trail that follows the tram-way, past the miners’ mule stable, blacksmith’s forge, and deep mines.