What is "blenheim"

Blenheim may refer to:

• Battle of Blenheim, a battle fought between a Grand Alliance and a French-Bavarian army during the War of the Spanish Succession
• Blenheim Palace, a large stately home in Oxfordshire, United Kingdom, built for the victor of the Battle of Blenheim, John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough

Blenheim (1927–1958), also known as Blenheim II, was a British Thoroughbred race horse who won the Epsom Derby in 1930. As sire, he had a major influence on pedigrees around the world. Blenheim was highly tried, by European standards, as a two-year-old in 1929, winning four of his seven races. In the following season he was beaten in his first two races before recording an upset 18/1 win in the Derby. His racing career was ended by injury soon afterwards, and he was retired to stud, where he became an extremely successful and influential breeding stallion, both in Europe and North America.

"Blenheim" was the once historic estate of the Lee family of Charles County, Maryland. It was owned by Capt. Philip Lee, Sr., Hon., Esq. (1681–1744).

Philip had been living in Maryland approximately 14 years when he inherited from his father, Col. Richard Lee II, Esq. (1647–1715), a tract of land at Cedar Point in Maryland called the “ Lee’s Purchase” plantation, of Stump Dale, situated on the Potomac River in Charles County. However, this property was occupied by a tenant with a sole and exclusive contract between 1705 and 1718. It was not until the later date that Philip would gain legal title to the land when the dispute between his father and another claimant to the land was settled by the Provincial Court. The property was only just being developed when Philip died in April 1744, and his will was recorded in Charles County on May 1, 1744. At this date there was a one-room-and-loft dwelling which doubled as Philip’s naval office. In addition he had built a bakehouse and mill which he listed in his will. Philip’s home plantation was his Prince George’s County seat, where all of his children were likely born.

After Philip’s death, his son Hon. Richard Lee III “Squire” (1706–1789) purchased the one-half interest in the “ Lee’s Purchase” plantation held by the widow of Col. Thomas Lee, Hon. (1690–1750) and replaced the house that stood during Philip’s lifetime with a larger -story house. Richard lived there until about 1760 when “ Lee’s Purchase” was sold and Richard began building his “Blenheim” plantation house on another tract of land further inland. It was located near the Maryland end of the present Potomac River Bridge. This land was purchased in 1752, which until that date had no prior connection to the Lee family. Blenheim was named after the Battle of Blenheim in 1704. Despite the fact that Philip did not build the “Blenheim” Plantation, he is still known as the progenitor of the “Blenheim Lees”. From this line three Maryland Governors were produced: Gov. George Plater III, Esq. (1735–1792), Gov., Col. Thomas Sim Lee (1745–1819), and Gov. John Lee Carroll (1830–1911).

It was at one time, the scene of continuous entertainment of travelers between Virginia and the north. It was located on the Potomac River, just below the mouth of Port Tobacco River, to the left of the Maryland entrance of the new Potomac River Bridge, at Morgantown, just south of present-day Newburg. The plantation landing was a port of entry for the North Potomac.

The estate was described as consisting of a square, 2-story brick mansion with a platform and cupola. It had stained glass windows, a winding staircase, and at least one of its lower rooms had a floor tiled with marble and slate. The grounds had a brick stable and coach house, a brick dairy, a brick green house, and a garden walled in with brick. In 1798 the house was accorded the highest valuation of any private residence in Charles County. “Blenheim” was demolished in the late 19th century.

“Blenheim” was not supported by a vast plantation but by income-producing investments and inherited lands and wealth. The Lees owned other land in the county, but “Blenheim” was the principle dwelling plantation being a tract originally known as “The Three Brothers”. It has been incorrectly identified as that of “ Laidler Ferry Farm”, which is located near the present Governor Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge.

A number of sailing ships have been named Blenheim:

• Blenheim (1704), a 260-ton merchant ship built in Deptford in 1704 for the East India Company. Attacked by the French ship Duguay-Trouin and blew up in 1714.
• Blenheim (1834), a 357-ton merchant ship built in at Jarrow in 1834, that transported convicts to Port Jackson in 1834 and 1839 and Hobart Town in 1837.
• Blenheim (1845), an 808-ton merchant ship built at South Shields in 1845, that transported convicts to Hobart Town in 1849.

Blenheim is a historic home located near Spring Mills, in Campbell County, Virginia. It was built about 1828, and is a 1 1/2-story, five-bay, single-pile, frame I-house dwelling on a brick basement. It is sheathed with beaded weatherboards and covered with a standing-seam sheet metal roof broken by three pedimented dormers. The interior features elaborate, provincially conceived but skillfully executed, woodwork. Also on the property is a contributing late-19th century frame stable.

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, with a boundary increase in 1994.

Blenheim is a historic home and farm complex located at Blenheim, Albemarle County, Virginia. The main house was built in 1846, and is a 1 1/2-story, six bay, gable-roofed frame building with Gothic Revival and Greek Revival style details. It has an ell at the rear of the west end. The front facade features a pair of one-story tetrastyle porches with pairs of Doric order piers. A notable outbuilding is the square "Athenaeum", a one-story, one-room, frame Greek Revival building with a pyramidal hipped roof and portico supported on Doric piers. Also on the property are a frame kitchen/laundry, a "chapel" or schoolhouse, and two smoke houses. Also on the property are two dwellings, one of which is supposed to have been built to accommodate Justice Roger B. Taney on his visits to Blenheim. The main house and many of the outbuildings were built during the ownership of Representative Andrew Stevenson (1784-1857), who purchased the property in 1846.

It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.