Also on the property are a small 1+1⁄2-story stone overseer's cottage and a 2-story frame-and-stone barn, and the ruins of a log slave quarter.

[2] Waverly was a property developed on land first patented by Charles Carroll of Carrollton and later part of the 1703 survey "Ranter's Ridge" owned by Captain Thomas Browne.

From the time it was established through the end of the Civil War, Waverly functioned as a plantation where unpaid slave labor was used for farm operations and creation of the wealth and lifestyle afforded to the Dorsey and Howard families.

Through deeds, census records and an inventory taken upon the death of George Howard in 1846, information about the enslaved population at Waverly was uncovered.

On March 30, 1756 his youngest son, Nathan Dorsey, was deeded 700 acres and seven slaves from his father: Peter, Robin, Joo, Ben, Hagar, Pol and Jenny.

Research supports the idea that Nathan built the main block of the mansion circa 1756, which seems reasonable given that this section dates to the eighteenth century.

[6] The addition of a hyphen and kitchen wing attached to the south side of the main portion of the house could have been added as early as 1811, if George took up residence then, or sometime shortly after 1822, once he held title to the farm.

Howard was a slaveholder but paradoxically also agreed with the movement of colonizing free Blacks in Africa, stating to the legislature "The prosecution of this system may probably at some distant day, tend to the restoration of the whole of our colored population, to the land of their forefathers.

Howard was elected a member of the Governor's Council in January 1831 and worked closely with his predecessor Daniel Martin.

He advocated the establishment of a State Bank, opposed the doctrine of nullification, was a foe of lotteries, and urged the endowment of Maryland colleges.

More research is needed to determine whether any of the enslaved lived in the mansion, or if there were enough slave cabins on the property to accommodate 25 persons.

[13] Judick and Brosenne Era George Howard, Jr. sold the mansion and 300 acres to Joseph Judick, a Baltimore City stock dealer and Peoples Bank of Baltimore director, on 23 November 1858 for $15,462.28 (~$42.4 million in 2023) adding surrounding parcels totaling 600 acres.

[1] Twentieth Century to Present The Brosenne family continued to own Waverly until 1964, when it was purchased by the Larry Realty Co. and left vacant.

[18] In 1981 The Maryland Historical trust donated $32,000 (~$90,802 in 2023) to complete the restoration, using Columbia landscape architect Robert Shaw.

Residents of Woodstock's Waverly Woods can walk to town for groceries, ice cream or their dry cleaning without breaking a sweat.

Colonial homes—with soccer balls punctuating the front lawns—sleek condominiums and chic townhouses ring an 18-hole championship golf course.

To top it off, this 680-acre neighborhood is cradled by Patapsco State Park, an herb farm and rolling meadow with white-picket fences.

Today, Waverly is owned and managed by the Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks for weddings, special events, paranormal investigations and interpretive history events, scout programs, school groups and living history summer camps.