May, 1988
Excerpt - Pocomoke's Old Winter Quarter
General Ebenezer Hearn was born in Sussex
County, Delaware, March the 7th, 1792. Mr. Hearn
served an apprenticeship in Delaware. After he was of
age, he went to Modest Town, Accomac County, Va., and
worked journey work for Mr. Lippincott of that place. He
did not however, continue long in Modest Town before
he came to New Town and engaged, as above stated, in
the business with Rev. James Tilghman. Some years
after this he married the oldest daughter of Dr. Steven-
son. He soon began to be prosperous in his business-
In the course of time he purchased a tract of land called
Cowley, but more familiarly known as Old Winter Quar-
ter. This tract of land he purchased of Mr. John Stevens,
a regular descendant of Col. William Stevens, of colonial
fame.
As Old Winter Quarter has been a place of renown, the reader may be anxious to know something more about it. It adjoins Pocomoke City; in fact, the dwelling and principal part of the farm is within the corporation of the town. When General Hearn pur- chased it, it was a perfect wilderness; was interspersed with branches, sand hills, mud and swamp, where the yew pawns and prickly pears grew, and where it is said, bears were numerous, and old Blue Beard lived. These were terrible scarecrows to the boys when they would go into Winter Quarter yew pawning. Many a farce has been played upon strangers in getting them to dig in the sand hills of Winter Quarter for Blue Beard's money* which, it has been said, that he was buried there. Here Mr. Hearn built his house, which yet remains a fine one. Probably, about this time, he was chosen captain of militia. He now was called Captain Hearn; subsequently he was placed upon the Governor's Staff, as one of his aids, with the title of Colonel, he now was called by that title, and later again he received the title of General, since which time, he was called General Hearn to the day of his death. General Hearn was a man of pleasure, he was fond of fox hunting and a game of chess; he also became a great politician, of the Whig party, and has been elected to the legislature of Maryland oftener, probably, than any other man in Worcester County, in his day. He was kind and genial, calm and even in his disposition, and never in a hurry, and was very popular. He was independent in his circumstances, and when he died he left a handsome estate to his children. He died January 13th, 1854, in the 62nd year of his age, honored and respected by all who knew him, and was buried in the family burying ground, in Winter Quarter.
General Hearn's house is still standing near the intersection of Winter Quarters Drive and US 13. At one time it was the residence of the Rip Kurka family. I have no idea who lives there now but it was reputed to be impossible to heat because there was little to no insulation in the walls.
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