Stoney Creek Farm

Stoney Creek Farm is a historic rural property and hospitality venue in Boonsboro, Maryland. Located near the Antietam battlefield, Washington Monument State Park, and the Appalachian Trail, the property combines a preserved farmhouse and agricultural buildings with guest accommodation and event facilities. Its present identity is therefore less that of a conventional consumer brand than of a heritage lodging and private-events business built around a historic farm setting. The property has documented connections to the Schlosser family reaching back to at least April 6, 1841, when local deed records recorded a transfer from Joel Schlosser to his wife and children. The available historical account indicates that the principal house was probably constructed shortly after Joel Schlosser’s 1835 marriage to Catherine Doub, although an exact construction date is not established. The Schlosser family retained the farm for nearly 140 years. During that period, the property formed part of a wider family agricultural network in Washington County, Maryland, and neighboring Pennsylvania. The farm’s history is closely associated with the Schlosser family, local land transfers, farming, and crossings over nearby Antietam Creek. In 1973, Minnie and Harvey Schlosser sold the property to Clarence B. and Helene F. Crane. The Crane family used the land for agricultural and nursery-related activities. Richard Lawrence “Larry” Crane farmed beef cattle and later operated Mountainside Gardens, a greenhouse and nursery business that expanded into wholesale operations. Improvements during the Crane period included additions to the farmhouse, greenhouses, and business-related facilities. After Larry Crane’s death in a plane crash, Laurie Crane inherited the property and business before selling the farm in 2000. Mark and Kimberly Schmidt owned the property from July 24, 2000, until October 31, 2004. Their work included adding electrical service and utilities, expanding the bank barn, restoring and flood-protecting the spring house, constructing a guest house, converting the garage into an office, and adapting the former hog barn for a horse-boarding operation. They removed the greenhouses, established riding trails, installed fencing and stables, and placed the property into an environmental-conservation zoning arrangement intended to limit future commercial exploitation. The farm was sold in 2004 to Brandon Green, Joseph Farone, and David Kempton. The available reference identifies the ownership and operating entity as SCF, LLC, although the supplied historical material also contains an inconsistent rendering of the company name. Following the acquisition, the property was restored and converted into a bed-and-breakfast. The renovation sought to retain the character of the historic farmhouse while modernizing its facilities. Work included extensive interior decoration and floor restoration, kitchen improvements, bathroom additions and remodeling, and reuse of materials from the farm where possible. Today, Stoney Creek Farm is described as a quiet four-bedroom bed-and-breakfast and event site. Its venue business accommodates weddings, private parties, and corporate retreats. The brand’s positioning rests on historic authenticity, rural seclusion, proximity to Maryland heritage and outdoor destinations, and the flexibility of a private farm setting rather than on a broad product portfolio or national market presence.

Stoney Creek Farm is a historic farm property near Boonsboro in Washington County, Maryland. Its setting places it near the Antietam Civil War battlefield, Washington Monument State Park, and the Appalachian Trail. The property’s historical importance derives primarily from its long chain of ownership, agricultural use, surviving buildings, and later adaptation as a small hospitality and events business. The earliest documented owner in the available account is Joel Schlosser. On April 6, 1841, local deed records recorded his transfer of the farm to his wife, Catherine Doub, and their children. The principal structure was probably built shortly after 1835, the year of Joel and Catherine’s marriage, although the evidence does not establish a precise building date. The Schlossers had deep regional roots following the immigration of earlier family members from Germany in the eighteenth century. Their relatives were associated with Boonsboro, Washington County, and nearby Pennsylvania, and the family owned agricultural land in the region for generations. Joel and Catherine Schlosser raised their family on the farm. Their son Josiah later continued the agricultural operation and became associated with the property’s next phase of family ownership. Census records cited in the historical account show the farm occupied by several generations of Schlossers, with farming and domestic work forming the core of household activity. The family’s land was also connected to local transportation infrastructure near Antietam Creek. A crossing known as Schlosser’s Fording was mentioned in an 1866 newspaper notice concerning plans for an iron bridge, and a later bridge failure temporarily required travelers to use the creek bed again. After Joel Schlosser died in 1879 and Catherine died in 1890, the property remained with their descendants. Josiah’s widow, Savilla Doub Schlosser, was recorded as head of the household in 1900, while her children worked on the farm. Harvey, Minnie, and Alvey Schlosser continued to live at the property for much of the first half of the twentieth century. The available account indicates that the Schlosser family’s tenure lasted approximately 140 years, ending in 1973. On March 30, 1973, Minnie and Harvey Schlosser sold the property to Clarence B. and Helene F. Crane. The Crane family’s activities broadened the property beyond traditional farming. Their son Richard Lawrence Crane, commonly known as Larry, lived in the farmhouse, raised beef cattle, and worked agricultural land on both sides of Antietam Creek. He later operated Mountainside Gardens, a retail greenhouse business that expanded into a wholesale nursery. Larry and his second wife, Laurie, added a kitchen and great-room extension, an office, and greenhouses. After Larry died in a plane crash, Laurie Crane inherited the farm and related business. Laurie Crane sold the property to Mark and Kimberly Schmidt on July 24, 2000. The Schmidts undertook a substantial program of infrastructure and land improvements. They installed electrical service and utilities, expanded the bank barn, restored the spring house and raised its floor to reduce flooding, built a guest house, converted the garage into an office, and remodeled a former hog barn for horse boarding. They also removed the greenhouses, established riding trails, added fencing and framed stables, and pursued environmental-conservation zoning to protect the property from more intensive commercial development. The next transfer occurred on October 31, 2004, when Mark and Kimberly Schmidt sold Stoney Creek Farm to Brandon Green, Joseph Farone, and David Kempton. The three owners formed an LLC identified in the available material as SCF, LLC. They restored the property and converted it into a bed-and-breakfast and event venue. Renovation work included bathroom additions and remodeling, new or restored flooring, interior decoration, kitchen-appliance upgrades, cabinetry improvements, and efforts to preserve the farmhouse’s historic atmosphere while introducing modern conveniences. Some flooring materials were reused from elsewhere on the farm. The resulting operation is a small, quiet lodging property with four bedrooms and facilities for weddings, private parties, and corporate retreats. Stoney Creek Farm’s contemporary identity is consequently based on adaptive reuse: a working and family-owned agricultural property became a rural hospitality destination while retaining its historic farmhouse, barns, spring house, trails, and surrounding landscape.

• 2005

  Restoration completed

  [1]Stoney Creek Farmen.wikipedia.org

  The new ownership group completed restoration work and established the property’s current lodging and events-oriented operating model.

• 2004

  Acquisition and hospitality conversion

  [1]Stoney Creek Farmen.wikipedia.org

  Brandon Green, Joseph Farone, and David Kempton purchased the property on October 31 and subsequently renovated it as a bed-and-breakfast and event venue.

• 2000

  Acquisition by Mark and Kimberly Schmidt

  [1]Stoney Creek Farmen.wikipedia.org

  The Crane family sold the farm to Mark and Kimberly Schmidt on July 24. The new owners invested in utilities, buildings, trails, stables, and conservation-oriented land management.

• 1973

  Transfer from the Schlosser family to the Cranes

  [1]Stoney Creek Farmen.wikipedia.org

  Minnie and Harvey Schlosser sold the property to Clarence B. and Helene F. Crane on March 30, ending approximately 140 years of Schlosser-family ownership.

• 1866

  Bridge plans near Schlosser’s Fording

  [1]Stoney Creek Farmen.wikipedia.org

  A local newspaper notice referred to plans for an iron bridge with stone arches at a crossing near the farm on Antietam Creek.

• 1841

  First recorded Schlosser ownership transfer

  [1]Stoney Creek Farmen.wikipedia.org

  Local deed records document Joel Schlosser transferring the property to his wife and children on April 6, beginning the clearly documented period of Schlosser-family ownership.

• 1835

  Probable construction period of the farmhouse

  [1]Stoney Creek Farmen.wikipedia.org

  The principal farmhouse is thought to have been built shortly after Joel Schlosser married Catherine Doub, although the exact construction date is not documented.

A heritage-oriented Maryland farm stay and private-events destination emphasizing historic character, rural quiet, restored agricultural buildings, and access to nearby Civil War, park, and Appalachian Trail attractions.

• Hospitality · 2005

  Bed-and-breakfast accommodation

  Stoney Creek Farm operates as a small bed-and-breakfast in a restored historic farmhouse. The available reference describes four bedrooms, with interior improvements intended to balance modern guest requirements and the character of the original agricultural residence.

• Events · 2005

  Wedding and private-event venue

  The farm provides an event setting for weddings and private parties. Its appeal is based on the combination of a historic farmhouse, rural grounds, agricultural buildings, and a secluded Maryland location near regional heritage and outdoor attractions.

• Events · 2005

  Corporate retreat venue

  The property also hosts corporate retreats and group gatherings. This offering extends the venue beyond social celebrations and uses the farm’s lodging capacity, private setting, and restored buildings for small-group programs.

• 2004

  Conversion from historic farm to hospitality venueStrategy

  Background

  After the 2004 acquisition, the new ownership group inherited a property with a farmhouse, barns, guest facilities, and other agricultural structures requiring adaptation and restoration.

  Action taken

  Brandon Green, Joseph Farone, and David Kempton restored the property and repositioned it as a four-bedroom bed-and-breakfast and venue for weddings, private parties, and corporate retreats.

  Aftermath

  The decision established the operating model associated with Stoney Creek Farm in the available reference material.

  Source

• 2000

  Conservation-oriented property managementStrategy

  Background

  The Schmidts sought to improve the property’s infrastructure while limiting future commercial exploitation of the historic farm landscape.

  Action taken

  They removed greenhouses, created riding trails, installed fencing and stables, restored the spring house, and placed the property into an environmental-conservation zoning arrangement.

  Aftermath

  The work preserved the farm setting and created infrastructure later compatible with hospitality and event use.

  Source

1. 1Stoney Creek Farmen.wikipedia.org