Posted by Susan G. Pearl, Historian on August 5, 2006, 3:34 pm, in reply to "Leeland, Maryland" The store, post office and station have been gone for many decades. The tenant houses survived until the late 1980s, but Leeland Road has been much developed in recent years, and there remains nothing at the railroad crossing of the little community of the late 19th century. Today the name "Leeland" exists only as part of the name of the church, "St. Barnabas', Leeland," and as the location of the fine plantation house of the Bowie family, "Bowieville," a short distance to the north. I hope that this helps. Let me know if I can help any further. Susan G. Pearl, Historian --Previous Message--
205.188.117.11
The settlement at Leeland was part of the extensive 19th century landholdings of the Lee and Belt families in central Prince George's County. In the 1870s, after the construction of the Pope's Creek line of the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad through the County, a small community began to develop around the station nearest to St. Barnabas' Episcopal Church. At first known as Brick Church Station (after the common local name for St. Barnabas'), the area came to be known as Leeland, after Dr. Benjamin Lee, who had owned much of the farmland there. Lee's grandson, Benjamin Lee Belt, was active in the development of the community around Leeland Station; by the 1890s the community included (besides the station) a blacksmith shop, post office and store, as well as several tenant houses, all owned by Benjamin Lee Belt and his mother, Dr. Lee's daughter, Eleanor Lee Belt.
Prince George's County Historical Society
: I would like to learn more about the history
: of Leeland, Maryland. Mapquest shows the
: location to be on Leeland Road, near the
: train tracks. Was it an old rail road stop?
: Were there any significant events that took
: place there?
:
: Thanks!
:
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