THE BUILDER
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 polished society.”
At the age of 25, Matthias Hammond was elected to the Provincial Assembly. He was a member of the General Convention of 1774 and a member of the Committee of Correspondence. He signed the Proclamation of Freemen of Maryland, the Declaration of Rights, and was Quartermaster of the Severn Battalion of Anne Arundel Militia.
DISAPPOINTED HOPES
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 and refused to marry him. Whether broken-hearted or embittered, he remained a bachelor to the end of his days, devoting himself to affairs of state.
THE ARCHITECT
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 authorities to be one of the finest examples of Georgian architecture in the United States.
The Doorway
THE DOORWAY
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 INTERIOR
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 proportions, high ceiling, and atmosphere of grace and dignity. It was a setting to add lustre to the many brilliant social gatherings which were reflected in its mirrors.
THE FURNISHINGS
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 portrait of little Miss Proctor which hangs in a bedroom. The house looks much as it must have, when the flower of colonial society passed through its elegant doors.
THE OCCUPANTS
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
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 ...
- Historic Annapolis
- The State House
- The Naval Academy.
FOR SALE AT THE MUSEUM
- • Hammond-Harwood House Cook Book
- MARYLAND’S WAY $5.00 plus 30¢ postage—plus Maryland sales tax.
- • Hammond-Harwood House
- PAINT SAMPLE $1.00 each.
- • Hammond-Harwood House
- INTERIOR PAINT $7.00 per gal.—plus shipping charges.
