The Reserve Tree Farm – Calvert County, Maryland
Anne Vaughan is the fourth generation to own the 350-year-old Tree Farm now known as The Reserve in Calvert County, Maryland. Her ancestor, Robert Skinner, first settled in the Maryland colony in 1649. Anne's most famous ancestor, John Stuart Skinner accompanied his friend Francis Scott Key when he witnessed the bombardment of Fort McHenry and Key writing the poem beginning with the words, "Oh say can you see . . ." According to the Maryland Archeological Conservation Laboratory at Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum, Skinner is thought to be the person who brought Key's poem to national attention. Although Anne grew up in Baltimore, in 1949 she returned to her family owned land with her husband. The Reserve became a Tree Farm in 1950 although records indicate that the property has first timber markings from 1935. Trees are the only crop of the farm, mostly loblolly, poplars and oaks. The Reserve survives among the midst of a growing population and congestion. The Tree Farm has been designated a local historic district and remains a treasure of time in the 21st century.
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