Explore
some of the state’s most historic and well-preserved properties when the annual
Maryland House Garden Pilgrimage
returns for six weekends this spring from Saturday, April 26 through Saturday,
May 31.
A
Maryland tradition for 77 years, the Pilgrimage offers the opportunity to
explore some of Maryland’s most fascinating and noteworthy properties,
including the grave of a man who played a key role in the creation of our
national anthem and other landmarks of great import in the War of 1812,
according to a news release.
The
2014 tour includes about 50 private homes, gardens, farms, churches and
historic sites across five areas in Maryland. They are Prince George’s County
(Saturday, April 26); Baltimore County/Parkton (Sunday, May 4); Talbot County
(Saturday, May 10); Calvert County (Saturday, May 17) and Kent County
(Saturday, May 31).
Each
tour is $30 when purchased in advance; proceeds help support preservation
projects in the host communities. Lunches will be available on all tours.
Purchase tickets and get more information at mhgp.org or 410-821-6933.
“In
this 77th year, we are proud to present so many unique and
vastly different types of properties,” said Meredith Boren, Chairman, Maryland
House and Garden Pilgrimage. “In addition to getting a glimpse of the important
role that these individual counties played in the history not only of our
region, but of the nation as a whole, guests on the tours will explore Prince
George’s County’s War of 1812 landmarks, experience examples of both white and
African American one-room schoolhouses in Calvert County, see an inn that
offers a visual explanation of the term ‘bar and grille’ (which does not
involve the cooking of food) in Parkton (Baltimore County), enjoy the flora and
fauna of Talbot County and take in the beauty of a church and grounds that date
back as many as 400 years in Kent County.”
Guests
will be offered lunch (at an additional cost) on each of the county tours.
Highlights
for each of the jurisdictions on the 2014 tour include the following.
Prince George’s County:
The
tour offers a mini history lesson about the War of 1812 and follows part of the
Star Spangled Banner National Historic Trail and Byway. Among the highlights of
the 15 attractions is Bellefields, the main block of which was built in the
first half of the 18th century. It was the home of Major
Benjamin Oden during the War of 1812 and the site of a meeting between Gen.
William H. Winder and then-Secretary of State James Monroe during the war.
Another site of interest along the tour is the grave of Dr. William Beanes, who
was taken hostage by the British and confined to a vessel on the Chesapeake
Bay. Francis Scott Key helped to negotiate his release, watched the British
attack on Baltimore, saw that the tattered American flag still waved at the end
of the bombardment and penned the lyrics to the National Anthem. The tour
concludes at Darnall’s Chance, another 18th century home that
played a role in the war, where locally produced wine and cheese will be
served.
Baltimore County/Parkton:
A
standout on this eight-stop tour is the Castle Calder. The original dwelling
burned and was replaced by the two-story brick Federal-style home in 1876,
which was lived in by many generations of the Calder family. Calders are
undoubtedly included in the guest log of Wiseburg Inn, in existence since 1810
as a one-stop shop for travelers providing food, lodging, horse changing,
sleighs, animal tending and entertainment. The current owner retained the original
wooden grille work that protected the liquor, which was traditionally locked at
night, thus giving rise to the phrase “bar and grille.”
Talbot County:
The
Historical Society’s Gardens are the first official stop on a tour that boasts
breathtaking flora and landscaping at almost all of the eight venues. The River
Bank offers an explosion of color inside and out, with vibrantly hued
needlework adorning the rooms and a riot of blooms ringing the pool and croquet
court. Wheatlands features 20 raised beds for organic vegetables and greens.
The grounds at Lombardy include many trees and boxwoods that are believed to
predate the original house, built in 1775. The tour concludes at the Wye
Heights Plantation, where the Federal-style plantation house is complemented by
10 acres of formal gardens.
Calvert County:
This
11-stop tour offers a glimpse into Calvert’s past – including two very
different examples of one-room schoolhouses. The first, the Old Wallville
School, was used to educate African-American students from the 1880s until 1934.
Originally located in Wallville, the building was rescued from destruction and
relocated to its Prince Frederick site. Later in the tour is the Port Republic
School No.7, an all-white institution, which was built around 1876 and in
continuous use until 1932. The Calvert Retired Teachers Association restored
the facility in 1976 and it is now a living history site for children. The
other sites on the tour include Spout, Tynewydd and Windy Hill Farm, the latter
featuring gardens that date back to the early 1900s, and include daylily,
bearded iris, herbs and virgin forest trees.
Kent County:
There
are eight historic stops on the Kent County tour. Discover what “222 bushels of
good merchantable wheat” would buy in 1780 when touring the Simon Wickes house,
a Georgian home purchased with that quantity of grain. Today, the owner has
opened her riverside gardens to the tour providing visitors with a breezy stop
from the Chester River. Among the additional stops on the tour is 360 year-old
St. Paul’s Parish, one of the two earliest surviving Anglican churches on the
Eastern Shore.
For
more information, tour details and tickets, visit www.mhgp.org or
call 410-821-6933
between 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, or send an email
to mhgp@aol.com.
Maryland
House and Garden Pilgrimage (MHGP), a nonprofit organization, is dedicated to the
preservation and restoration of architecturally significant properties in the
State of Maryland. The Pilgrimage has remained constant with this purpose since
its formation in 1937. It is the only statewide house and garden tour
organization and the oldest tour in the State of Maryland, raising and
distributing well over $1 million dollars in its 77-year history to support
preservation projects in each host community.
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