Asparagus Dish & Fork, Carroll County

From the USS Maryland Silver Service

Maker: Samuel Kirk & Sons (1815-1979)
Objects: Asparagus Dish and Fork, Carroll County
Date: 1906
Medium: Sterling Silver
Dimensions: Dish: Overall height, 1 1/8”; Overall width,14 3/8"; Overall depth, 10 1/4"
Dimensions: Fork: Overall length, 11 1/8”; Overall width, 3 1/2"
Accession number(s): MSA SC 1545-0923-1 (dish) and MSA SC 1545-0923-2 (fork)

This asparagus dish represents Carroll County, the county named in honor of Charles Carroll of Carrollton, one of Maryland’s four Signers of the Declaration of Independence. The county was formed from Baltimore and Frederick counties in 1837, five years after Carroll’s death. The Great Seal and the Cruiser are flanked with native trees and cornucopias of fruits and vegetables. Sprays of strawberries, blackberries, plums and vegetables surround the eagles on either side of the tray.

The handle of the fork is formed from a reproduction of a “crownstone” marker of the Mason-Dixon Line. These large limestone markers were placed every five miles along the Mason-Dixon Line and were decorated with the coats-of-arms of Maryland and Pennsylvania.

Scenes across the top (left to right):

Overlooking New Windsor, “Old Main” was built in 1849 and used by Calvert College, a Roman Catholic institution. In 1873, the property was transferred to New Windsor College, a Presbyterian school. Then, in 1899, the school transferred again and became the Maryland Collegiate Institute operated by the Church of the Brethren at Union Springs. The name of the school changed to Blue Ridge College in 1912, but financial difficulties caused the college to close permanently in 1943.

On September 6, 1866, the cornerstone of the first building of Western Maryland College, now McDaniel College, was laid. This was the "Main Building," a view of which is shown on the asparagus dish. Western Maryland College was opened in September 1867, with six professors and 73 students.

It was the first coeducational institution south of the Mason–Dixon line and was among the first in the nation. Originally named for an affiliation to the Western Maryland Railroad, the name was changed in 2002 in honor of William R. McDaniel, who was a student, professor, vice president, acting president, treasurer, and trustee of the college.

In 1764, William Winchester laid out a town which he called "Westminster." The town thrived, and, in 1837, when Carroll County was formed, Westminster was chosen as the county seat. The cornerstone was laid in 1838 and the courthouse originally consisted of a center portion with two stories, seven bays and a gabled roof. Soon after completion, an ornamental cupola, steps, and a two-story Greek Revival portico were added.

In 1936, a second story was added to each of these wings. Later modifications to the building were done in the 1970s and 1980s, but the 1838 structure remains as the central portion of the building today. A view of the courthouse, as it appeared before 1936 is shown on the asparagus dish.

Prior to 1899, mail for the residents of rural districts was slow and unreliable. In 1898, E. W. Shriver of Westminster, devised a postal wagon which was literally a post-office on wheels. The first wagons, one of which is shown on the asparagus dish, began rural postal service delivery on December 20, 1899. Of the 1170 miles of roads in Carroll County, 865 were covered by this first rural wagon delivery route.

© Copyright  August 07, 2024  Maryland State Archives