Long before it became part of a state hospital campus, the land known today as Springfield was a sprawling plantation. In the late 1700s and early 1800s, the property belonged to William Patterson, a powerful merchant and one of the co-founders of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad.

Patterson’s estate stretched across more than 4,000 acres, covering nearly all the land we now know as historic Sykesville, Maryland. His wealth and influence made Springfield one of the region’s most significant properties.

Living on the estate with him was his daughter, Elizabeth “Betsy” Patterson, whose story would become one of the most dramatic chapters in the property’s history.

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Betsy Patterson & The Bonaparte Romance

In 1803, Betsy—barely more than a teenager—slipped out of the mansion at Springfield, mounted her horse, and rode to a ball in Baltimore.

That night she met Jérôme Bonaparte, the younger brother of Napoleon Bonaparte. The two fell deeply in love and soon married, creating an international scandal.

When news reached Napoleon, he was furious. He ordered Jérôme back to France and had the marriage annulled, refusing to recognize Betsy as a Bonaparte.

Betsy returned to Springfield and lived much of the rest of her life unhappily on the property, her story lingering in local memory as one of Maryland’s most tragic romances.

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The Property Inherited

Through the 1800s, the Patterson estate was gradually subdivided and sold off as it passed from generation to generation. Eventually, a portion of the old plantation—including what remained of Springfield Farm—came into the possession of the Brown family, who were indirect descendants of the Pattersons.

One family member, Frank Brown, inherited both his family’s subdivision and the adjoining Springfield land. Brown would later rise to become the Governor of Maryland—still the only governor ever from Carroll County.

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Frank Brown & The Birth of Springfield Hospital

At the time Brown took office, Maryland was searching for land on which to build its second state mental institution. Springfield Farm was one of the most valuable and desirable properties in the state, making it an ideal choice.

At the end of his term, Brown graciously offered the state the 1,400-acre Springfield property for the creation of a new hospital.
Its first official name was “The Second Hospital for the Insane of Maryland,” though most simply called it “The Asylum at Springfield” or “Springfield Asylum.”

In 1904, the facility received the name it still bears today:
Springfield State Hospital.

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The First Patterson Mansion

The original Patterson mansion—built during the plantation era—became the superintendent’s residence after the state acquired the property in 1896.

This historic mansion stood until 1912, when it was destroyed in a fire.

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The New Patterson Mansion (1913 - Present)

In 1913, the mansion that stands today was constructed to replace the original home. The new building was designed to match the architectural style of the early hospital campus—red brick, classical lines, and dark-green shutters that echoed the surrounding institutional buildings.

The Patterson House continued to serve as the superintendent’s residence until the 1950s, when its purpose shifted. At that time, it became the home of the Nursing Department, a role it has maintained ever since.

Today, the Patterson House remains one of the most historically significant and visually recognizable structures on the Springfield campus—an enduring link between its plantation origins, the Patterson legacy, and the institution that shaped the region for more than a century.