Steiner House

By the early 1800s, Frederick was a thriving crossroads with a strong economy. The city served residents as well as travelers and farmers traveling west and along north-south trade routes. Retail stores, small manufacturers, banks, and city government supported the growing community.

German settlers led by John Thomas Schley arrived in Frederick in 1745. One of the early settlers was Jacob Steiner, who emigrated from Germany, owned land in Tasker's Chance, and operated a mill along Tuscarora Creek. His son John inherited Mill Pond and continued the family milling business. John and his wife had 11 children, including Stephen Steiner.

Stephen Steiner purchased two lots from his father-in-law, Johann George Ramsburg, in 1799 for 650 pounds. He built the original rear section of Steiner House in 1807. It contained two first-floor rooms - today's dining room and kitchen - and two stairways leading to bedrooms above. The house proved too small, so in 1817 Steiner added the larger and more elaborate three-story front section, creating the house's Colonial/Federal-period front hall, double parlors, graceful staircase, and additional bedrooms.

The house is among the oldest homes in Frederick. The exterior bricks were reportedly made on the property and are three wythes deep. They are laid in Flemish bond, with alternating brick ends and sides visible on the west side. The house is noted for its sophisticated Federal-period/Colonial design.

Steiner and his family lived in the house until his death in 1829. His widow, Elizabeth, purchased the house from his estate for $2,100 and owned it until 1837. She then sold it to Horatio Wilcoxen for $2,600. After Wilcoxen's death in 1848, the house was sold to John Lipps for $1,600 and remained in the Lipps family for almost 100 years - the last family to use it as a private residence.

In 1945, the Historical Society of Frederick County acquired Steiner House for use as its headquarters. After the Society moved to its present headquarters on East Church Street, the house's future was uncertain; one proposed use was a gas station. The Frederick Woman's Civic Club stepped in and purchased the property in 1962 to preserve it. FWCC has maintained and preserved Steiner House ever since, using it as its headquarters and opening it to the public for designated tours.

FWCC's annual Mardi Gras fundraiser was originally established to help pay the mortgage and maintain Steiner House. Today, proceeds support local charities and scholarships as well as preservation and maintenance of the house.