Twin Oaks, built in 1857 by William Linthicum, was an antebellum manor home on a 130-acre farm in Anne Arundel County and later served as the summer retreat of John Charles Linthicum, a U.S. Representative from 1911-1932, who often lobbied dignitaries and influential statesmen there. In 1918, Linthicum introduced a bill designating "The Star-Spangled Banner" as the national anthem, and President Hoover signed the bill in 1931. The song and the flag that inspired it grew from the War of 1812, when British forces gathered to attack Baltimore in September 1814 but withdrew after a 25-hour bombardment of Fort McHenry failed to penetrate the city's defenses. Witnessing the bombardment and seeing a huge American flag over the garrison, Francis Scott Key was moved to write four stanzas of lyrics to a popular tune of the day.