Mulberry Pond Farm

We’re two people who didn’t grow up here, but who fell in love with this land. I was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee—a city that all but erased the Civil War from memory. It wasn’t until I lived on Lookout Mountain that I discovered the depth and complexity of our country’s past. From that point on, I knew I wanted to learn more, share it, and somehow make it part of my life.

Angelika is from Frankfurt, Germany, in the state of Hesse. The Hessians played pivotal roles in both the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. In Frederick, not far from this farm, many imprisoned Hessians eventually settled and built lives here. It feels fitting that our stone house was likely built by German immigrants—stone instead of brick, solid and enduring.

Years into this journey, I learned something that stopped me cold. An ancestor I’d never heard of—Johann Peter Seakatz—served in the York Militia during the Revolution. He lived in York, Pennsylvania; in Frederick, Maryland; in Middletown, just down the road where we once boarded our horses. He followed the German diaspora south to Virginia. All this time, as we’ve bred and raced Thoroughbreds, as we’ve restored this farm, as we’ve walked these fields, I’ve felt a connection I couldn’t name—until I discovered his story.

We don’t know if Angelika’s ancestors ever crossed paths with mine, but it feels like this place has always been waiting for us.

Mulberry Pond Farm is our way of honoring that connection—by welcoming guests, sharing stories, and preserving a piece of Maryland’s rich, layered history. Whether you come to stay in our guest suite, board your horse, or explore the battlefields and back roads that shaped America, we hope you’ll feel as at home here as we do.