The Bowles House: located at 439 East Main Street, Hancock, and overlooking Lock 52 and the Tonoloway Aqueduct on the C&O Canal at milepost 123 “Nestled along the towpath at milepost 123 in Hancock, Maryland, the charming Bowles House has seen its share of American history. Arguably as intriguing as the structure, which offers a beautiful example of early 18th century architecture, is the Bowles’ rich history.
First traced to Lord Baltimore of England, the parcel of land known as "Sarah's Fancy", was transferred to the Yates family around 1775. William Yates developed the land and built the original one-story home in 1785. The Yates family resided there during construction of the C&O Canal which passed through Hancock in 1839. In 1875, during the peak of C&O Canal operations, the Bowles family acquired the property and remained occupants for nearly four decades. In 1905 the house and surrounding property were purchased by the Little family who resided in the home until the 1980’s.”
The Taft family built the original one-story home in 1785, the first year a group of Maryland Catholic families left Southern Maryland and migrated into Kentucke. The Maryland Catholic migration ended 40 years later. The Tafts continued living at this location for another 50 years.
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