About
Cleveland Cottage is a state historical marker at 205 Hotel Road in Deer Park, east of Oakland, pointing to the cottage where President Grover Cleveland and his bride spent their honeymoon in 1886. It's a quick stop for anyone curious about Deer Park's years as a B&O Railroad mountain resort.
A Presidential Honeymoon
Grover Cleveland married Frances Folsom at the White House on June 2, 1886, and the couple arrived in Deer Park the next day. HMDB's notes describe how Cleveland sent two wedding guests off in the presidential carriage as decoys, then left with his bride by B&O train for the Deer Park Hotel, the railroad's resort in the Allegheny Mountains. The marker identifies this as the hotel cottage where they stayed. The Deer Park Hotel had opened in 1873 and hosted prominent guests, including four U.S. presidents.
What You'll See Today
The grand hotel is long gone, but the cottage still stands as a private home. The marker sits beside the road with an arrow toward the house, which is set back among the trees. There are no tours, so plan to read the sign and look from the road.
The marker was erected by the Maryland Historical Society and is part of the Maryland Historical Trust series. The James Cardinal Gibbons marker stands within shouting distance, the Deer Park Hotel marker is about 800 feet away on Hotel Drive, and a second sign, Cleveland Cottage and Site of Deer Park Hotel, stands on MD 135 about 0.4 miles off.
Pull over safely on Hotel Road and you can take in all three Deer Park markers in a few minutes.
Address
205 Hotel Rd, Oakland, MD 21550