Springland (Henry Hatch Dent House)

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The Springland house, built circa 1845, is positioned on a hill surrounded by numerous mature trees on just under an acre of land, which slopes down to the entrance to the house on the north and away from the house to the south. The house is constructed of brick with a slate roof. A substantial one-bay addition to the house, dating to around 1891, consists of a brick basement and first floor with a second story of wood construction.

The original 1845 farmhouse was a simple structure, symmetrically arranged with gable end chimneys. According to descendants of the family, the house was altered and added to in the 1890s when Reverend James Macbride Sterrett and Adlumia Dent Sterrett moved to Washington and settled at Springland with their five sons. Another remodeling, primarily on the interior, took place in 1929 when the Reverend Henry Hatch Dent Sterrett and his family moved into Springland. The last exterior change was the replacement of the front porch in the late 1920s.

The existence of Springland contributes significantly to our understanding of this area's history during the 19th century, before the growth of the surrounding suburbs. It is unique in retaining its original character and function amidst sufficient grounds to evoke the mid-19th-century setting.

Springland is the only one of several country houses built in Washington County outside the new federal city in the 19th century to remain a private residence on an ample wooded lot without the addition of institutional buildings. The house retains its integrity as a vernacular structure that has been altered and added to in response to the needs of the inhabitants and the changing technological advances in heating and plumbing.

DC Inventory: November 8, 1964 (Joint Committee on Landmarks)
National Register: August 9, 1990