The orginal home of the Reverend James Macgill still stands today. It is situated east of Route 29, across from the Atholton Shopping Center and is easily recognizable by its stone structure, massive chimneys and sharply canted eaves.

The Reverend James Macgill was the first minister of the Christ Church on Oakland Mill Road, about three miles away. A visit to this simple brick structure will be most rewarding to those interested in the early history and architecture of the Free State.

In the 18th Century, a residence was built on the present site of King's Contrivance which burned and was subsequently rebuilt. The conversion of this residence to restaurant purposes commenced in 1962, the objective being to establish an atmosphere reminiscent of the Federal Period.

The selection of "King's Contrivance" as a name came about through a combination of factors. The word "Contrivance," whose dictionary definition includes "an ingenious scheme," appears in various old records describing certain neighboring land holdings. The word "king" was selected because of the indirect origin of the initial land grant and because of its connotation of excellence in food, beverage, service and circumstance. This is, of course, the purpose of King's Contrivance: the establishment of a restaurant of distinction recalling a noteworthy period of our architecture and history and harmonizing with the rolling countryside of lovely Howard County.