This grand Georgian style home with views of the Chester River is a highlight of the Queen Anne's Couty tour.
Now in its 72nd year, the 2009 Maryland House & Garden Pilgrimage is the original house and garden tour in the state and is considered one of Maryland’s premier tourism events. Starting on April 25 in Queen Anne’s County and culminating May 17 in Baltimore County, more than 50 outstanding sites will be featured this tour season.
As with years past, many of the sites planned for the tour represent some of the most unique and historic residences in the state. The 2009 line-up is no exception with itineraries that range from countryside to bayside and everything in between.“Sites include beautifully restored historic homes, elegant waterfront properties, engaging contemporary houses, pastoral and whimsical gardens, imaginative landscaping schemes, diverse architectural styles, stunning and varied interior decoration, and impressive art collections,” stated Margaret Powell, Executive Director, Maryland House & Garden Pilgrimage. “Whether you are looking for fresh ideas for your own home or just curious about what’s ‘behind the gate,’ these tours will offer an enjoyable experience,” added Ms. Powell.
Notable sites in Queen Anne’s county include Wright’s Chance, an early 18th century Eastern Shore manor house; Collins House, a 19th century home considered to be one of the finest examples of Victorian residential architecture in the County; and the 350-year-old Tilghman family property known as Hermitage Farm.
Also available on the Queen Anne's County tour are (left) Ashland Farm and (right) Blue Heron Pond Farm.
History abounds in St. Mary’s County and Pilgrimage tour-goers will have a rare opportunity to explore sites that date back to the 1600s and 1700s. Sites include: Saint Marie’s, a stately Georgian home overlooking the St. Mary’s River; Tolerance, a classic tidewater “telescope” house which sits on fourteen acres; and historic Clocker’s Fancy (c. 1745).
The Harford County tour will focus on the northeastern part of the county and its ties to the Upper Chesapeake Bay and the Susquehanna River, as well as its miles of picturesque, rolling farmland. Some of the tour highlights include: the historic 18th century mansion at Sophia’s Dairy; the 19th century Mt. Felix, with its sweeping views of the Chesapeake Bay, elegant spiral staircase and period pieces; and Seven Springs Farm, the 19th century Georgian farmhouse which features a front façade of dressed stone from quarries near Port Deposit and a nature walk which leads to a recently built “Temple of the Winds” ponds and arboretum.
Visitors to the Baltimore tour will explore Homeland, one of the original planned communities in the United States. The neighborhood is comprised of beautiful winding streets, open spaces, exquisite landscaping, and architectural styles that include Norman, Tudor, French Country, Spanish Revival, Gothic, Early American and Colonial—all of which give Homeland its very special character.
The Barry Avenue house (left) and this Bay Ridge home outside of Annapolis are on the Anne Arundel tour.
The Anne Arundel County Pilgrimage will feature eleven stops that include a series of private gardens and an array of waterfront homes that reflect the beauty and unique character of this Chesapeake Bay location. This tour focuses on Bay Ridge, a waterfront community located on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay. The tour features lush and whimsical private gardens that will both delight and inform, including: flower-lined pathways, bay grasses, koi ponds, garden statuary, water falls, and remarkable plants both native and non-native to the area. One private garden features a series of topiary hollies each over 25 feet tall.
The last tour of the 2009 Pilgrimage season will give tour-goers the opportunity to explore Baltimore County’s fascinating past. Rooted in history, Western Run Valley was settled in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Be sure to check out an early 19th century Quaker stone farmhouse that has undergone a remarkable renovation and expansion that both respects the character of the Western Run Valley while incorporating modern and Japanese sensibilities. The house features an enclosed Himalayan inspired courtyard rock garden and two dedicated art galleries. Another stop on the tour includes a tract of land sold to William Worthington in 1740 whose family gave the valley its name and were its first permanent settlers—on tour this year is Shawan House, the pre-revolutionary Georgian house originally built by Walter Tolly Worthington.
The 2009 Pilgrimage tours will take place on four consecutive weekends: Saturday, April 25 in Queen Anne’s County; Saturday, May 2 in St. Mary’s County; Sunday, May 3 in Harford County; Saturday, May 9 in the Homeland neighborhood of Baltimore City; Saturday, May 16 in the Bay Ridge community of Anne Arundel County; and Sunday, May 17 in the Western Run and Worthington Valley areas of Baltimore County.
Complete tour itineraries can be found at mhgp.org.
