The Wedgewood Inn

Francis T Rhodes

August 1886 Mr. Frank T Rhodes advertises his sodas from the first floor bottling house at 7 W. 2nd St.

April 1898 Mrs. Francis T Rd. opens a hairstylist on the second floor of her seventh W. 2nd St. home where she lives with her husband, Francis, and son Frank.

December 1906 Francis T Rhodes of 7 W. 2nd St. passes away and leaves the building at 5 W. 2nd St. to his son Frank B Rhodes. He has been traveling doing vaudeville  acting for years.

The Wedgewood Cafe

January 1907, Frank roads opens 5 W. 2nd St. as the Wedgewood Café and employees Mr. Webster Heck to create the furniture and bar in the mission style. In December 1907 Frank Rhodes and Webster Heck form the “Dippy Social Club” and use the Wedgewood Café at five W. second St. as their meeting place. It quickly becomes the largest men’s social club in Frederick.

In March 1908, Frank adds the Wedgewood Inn to the upstairs of 5 W. 2nd St, and both the bar & inn are declared an oyster house. Later that month John Phillips Souza stays at the Wedgewood Inn while performing at the bandstand in Frederick at Baker Park and gives Frank an autographed photo as a thank you. It was big news in the Frederick news post.

January 1909 Frank closes the Wedgewood Inn & Café, and auctions off the hotel and café fixtures.

Blue Ribbon Grocery

From 1909 until 1911 Adams express company rents the building from Frank and sells fresh flowers wreaths and greenery from Henrys Trail Greenhouses.

1911 5 W. 2nd St. is sold and a green grocer moves in.

In 1911 blue ribbon grocery occupies the building at 5 W. 2nd St., being a prominent local grocery store for the citizens of downtown Frederick. What year blue ribbon Grocery moves out is unclear however, advertisements for them to show up as late as the 1920s.

MAAS Opticians

August 22, 1941 Frank B Rhodes dies in Rhode Island at the age of 75 and was buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery as a Frederick icon.

It’s unclear what year the Red Cross moves in but during 1951 and 1952 the Red Cross occupies the building at 5 W. 2nd St.

In 1970 the building originally home to Frank B Rhodes next-door at 7 W. 2nd St., which is now home to the Elks Lodge burns down. The city sells the burned lot at auction for $8k to Bonita Maas; the sister of the optician proprietor.

1971 Bonita Maas turns the burned down building lot into a public garden. Upon her death in November 10, 1977. She leaves the park to the city of Frederick. It is now known as the Bonita Maas healing garden and is dedicated to remember the Frederick County children who have died as a result of child abuse.

Maas opticians occupies the building until 1989 when they moved to 7th St.

The Wedgewood Inn Grand Opening

From 1989 until 2018 the property changes hands between various engineers and architecture firms.

The building stays vacant from 2018 through 2023 when Leigh Thompson and Steven Glenn purchase it in order to renovate the building to what you see now.