About Frog Hollow

We often get asked "why do you call your farm "Frog Hollow Schoolmaster's Homestead?".

According to Janet Davis (now at the Maryland Room in the C. Burr Artz public library in downtown Frederick), our smaller farm was subdivided from a large parcel known as "The Year of Plenty" in 1862 and sold to John Smith. Mr. Smith later sold the smaller 13 acre parcel in 1865 to Joseph Bowlus now with a house, a barn, and a chicken house.

Our house is listed in the "Maryland Register of Historic Places" by Ms. Davis as the "Smith-Bowlus House" to represent these original owners. Ms. Davis surmised that our house was built by Mr. Smith as an incentive to attract the first school teacher to the Myersville area to serve the Frog Hollow School which was built just prior to Mr. Bowlus buying the homestead. Mr. Joseph Bowlus' son Josiah and his wife and family lived with and cared for the elder Mr. Bowlus who was widowed when he bought the homestead.  Josiah Bowlus was listed as a school teacher at the Frog Hollow School in the "History of Frederick County" in the same era. Building a house and a farm to attract a teacher showed just how valuable teachers were in the 19th century.

Our current property at just under 4 acres, grows a wide variety of vegetables in raised beds as well as an orchard of 50+ fruit trees and 50+ berry bushes. We also have chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, dairy goats, bees, and alpacas. We hope soon to add two breeding pairs of Idaho Pasture pigs.

Please call, email, or message us for a farm visit and to buy directly from the farmer at the farm! We are on the farm working and living most mornings, afternoons, evenings, weekends, and during weekdays by prior arrangement. FrogHollowHomestead@gmail.com