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An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. "A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy.


"It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil—he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego." He continued, "The other is good—he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you—and inside every other person, too."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

First People - The Legends. Cherokee Legend of Two Wolves. November 16, 2004. [accessed April 7, 2012].

Saturday, March 15, 2014

18th Century Historic Building Wall Collapses - Compton Bassett Catholic Chapel, March 15, 2014

Sometime during the night of March 14-15, 2014 the chimney wall of the historic Catholic colonial Chapel at Compton Bassett in Upper Marlboro collapsed.  I have not been able to get there in person to assess the damage.  The owner of the property has been repeatedly informed by its own staff that the tarpaulin thrown over to stop a roof leak was not a long term fix; and that, further, the tarp itself would eventually contribute to the destruction of the building. This collapse in all probability was preventable.

The ubiquitous friend of those in a hurry, Wikipedia, states that:

"Compton Bassett is a historic home in Upper Marlboro, Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, that was constructed ca. 1783. It is a two-story brick Georgian house, covered with cream-colored stucco, on a high basement of gray stucco. A two-story wing was added in 1928. Remaining outbuildings include a chapel to the southeast, a meathouse to the southwest, and a dairy to the northwest. Also on the property is a family burial ground. 

The Hill family and descendents lived at this site from 1699 to 1900. Hills Bridge (700 meters to the southeast) has carried traffic over the Patuxent River here since a toll bridge was first constructed in 1852 by W.B. Hill. [3] Compton Bassett was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. In July 2010 the house and grounds were acquired by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning 


Historic American Buildings Survey Delos H. Smith, Photographer 1
936 View from Northeast - Compton Bassett Chapel, Marlboro Pike (State Route 408),
Upper Marlboro, Prince George's County, MD

1 comment:

Unknown said...

what a shame.