The Hammond-Harwood House was built in 1774 by Matthias Hammond, a Maryland patriot deeply involved in the public affairs of his day. A man of wealth, education and spirit, he wished his house to occupy a proud place among the distinguished buildings already lending character and urbanity to the colonial city of Annapolis. William Eddis, Crown Surveyor of the Customs, said of the city in 1769,—“there are few towns of the same size, in any part of the British dominions, that can boast a more poli

The legend has persisted through the years that Mr. Hammond built the beautiful house for his intended bride. The delicacy and abundance of the carved ornamentation, the elegance and refinement of detail, seem to bear witness to the story. A bachelor would have been content, perhaps, with the splendid plan, solid construction and fine proportion of his house. Ironically, it was because of his intense preoccupation with the very details designed to please her, that his fiancée became disenchanted

The talented architect William Buckland was entrusted with the design. His mastery of mass and proportion, as well as the perfect execution of detail had been well demonstrated by his work at Gunston Hall, George Mason’s famed house in Virginia, and other fine houses of the period. The Hammond-Harwood House is eloquent testimony of his ability, and marks the zenith of his career. Built in three sections of handsome salmon-coloured brick typical of Maryland clay, it is considered by all authoriti

The tall Ionic columns of the doorway, often called the most beautiful in America, support an entablature with architrave, pediment and frieze of ribboned laurel. Exquisitely carved roses ornament the spandrels and egg and dart moldings outline the door and fan-light....

The handsome doorway is but a prelude to the elaboration of detail within the house. Acanthus and tobacco leaves, reminiscent of Hammond’s extensive tobacco plantations, ornament the broken pediment and frame over-mantels. The dining room acclaims the woodcarver at his best, with moldings, shutters, doors, chair-rail and fireplace decorated with beauty and restraint. The great charm of the ballroom, considered to be one of the most beautiful colonial rooms ever built, lies in its fine proportion

The house has been decorated and furnished with strict adherence to the period of the eighteenth century. There are many pieces which were originally in the house, as well as an outstanding collection of furniture made by Maryland cabinetmakers including the famous John Shaw of Annapolis and by cabinetmakers of Philadelphia and New England. Maryland’s own Charles Willson Peale is represented by a number of portraits and there is such refinement of detail as the very doll which is pictured in the

Lafayette visited the Hammond-Harwood House, and it was a favorite meeting place of the planter society of Maryland. Through the years it has been lived in and loved by the prominent Maryland families of Pinkney, Chase, Loockerman and Harwood. The Harwoods owned and lived in the house for some 75 years before it became a museum, thus the hyphenated name Hammond-Harwood explains and completes the beginning and end of its private ownership....

The museum is owned and operated by The Hammond-Harwood House Association, Inc., a non-profit organization, and it is supported by visitors and friends, chief among which is the Maryland House and Garden Pilgrimage which conducts a tour of outstanding Maryland houses and gardens each Spring. For further information write: Hammond-Harwood House, 19 Maryland Avenue, Annapolis, Maryland. While in Annapolis be sure to visit ......

March through October Weekdays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. November through February Weekdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Closed on Christmas Day Admission $1.00 Special rates for groups....