Hammond-Harwood House

Hammond-Harwood House Review

Based on the Villa Pisani in Stra, Italy, by Andrea Palladio, this 1774 home was designed by premier colonial architect William Buckland and is considered America's greatest colonial high-style residence. Called the architectural "Jewel of Annapolis," the residence was greatly admired by Thomas Jefferson when he sketched the house in 1783. The wood carvings surrounding the front door and enriching the dining room are some of the best surviving of their kind in America. The site today exhibits famous colonial art by Charles Willson Peale, Rembrandt Peale, James Peale, John Trumbull, John Hesselius, Jeremiah Theus, and John Beale Bordley, as well as an extensive decorative arts collection covering everything from Chinese export porcelain to Georgian period silver. Also on display is the world's largest collection of colonial cabinetwork by Annapolis native John Shaw. Noted landscape architect Alden Hopkins from Colonial Williamsburg created the property's Colonial Revival garden. Tours leave on the hour; the last begins at 3 in the winter and 4 during the rest of the year. Regular tours may be a bit dry for children under 12, but children's tours are available by special appointment. Call ahead to see if special children's programs are planned for the day of your visit.