baltimore county - Mason Dixon Arrive Magazine

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The annual Maryland House & Garden
Pilgrimage (MHGP) returns this spring over
five consecutive weekends, May 1-May 22. A
Maryland tradition for 74 years, the MHGP,
a non-profit organization dedicated to the
preservation and restoration of architecturally
significant properties in the State of Maryland,
offers visitors the opportunity to explore some
of Maryland’s most fascinating and noteworthy
properties. The 2011 tour includes more than
50 private homes, gardens, farms, churches and
historic sites across six Maryland counties (see
box for tour schedule).
The annual spring tours are a central component
of the MHGP’s efforts to cultivate
awareness of Maryland’s rich architectural and
cultural heritage, from historic to contemporary
settings. Each year, proceeds from the tour support
designated preservation projects in each
host community. To date, the Pilgrimage has
raised well over $1 million for the preservation
and restoration of architecturally significant
properties throughout the State of Maryland.
“This year’s tour features so many unique
and vastly different types of properties,” says
Mary M. Meyer, chairman of the MHGP.
“From elegant townhouses surrounding Mount
Vernon Square (Baltimore City) and lovely
farms in the Worthington Valley (Baltimore
County) to 18th-century houses in historic
Chestertown (Kent County) and unique
Scientist Cliffs, a once summer community situated
high above the Chesapeake Bay (Calvert
County). In addition, Southern Anne Arundel
County and Prince George’s County tours
feature lovely hidden treasures that include
wonderful historic houses, churches and even an
archaeological site.
Highlights for each of the counties on the
2011 tour include:
Anne Arundel: South County is the last
remaining area of large farms in the county.
MHGP Tour Schedule
Sunday, May 1 - Baltimore City (Mt. Vernon)
Saturday, May 7 - Calvert County
Saturday, May 14 - Kent County
Sunday, May 15 - Baltimore County (Worthington Valley)
Saturday, May 21 - Anne Arundel County (South County)
Sunday, May 22 - Prince George’s County
All tours are 10am-5pm, rain or shine • mhgp.org, 410-821-6933
This tour is unique in that there is a working
winery and an active archaeological site
on tour. The tour committee has attempted
to create a tour that will emphasize the
historical significance and the architectural
diversity that exists in this part of
the county, including Sudley, Holly Hill
and Obligation from the 17th century, as
well as Quarter Place, Indian Range and
Thanksgiving from the 19th century.
Baltimore City: In the heart of city, Mt
Vernon stands as wonderful collection of
styles and history in the urban core. The
tour this year includes the one of the largest
structures in the area, historic Winans
House, plus several mid-1800s residences
and a modern condominium complex.
Kent County: Chestertown defines the
walkable, historic house and garden tour.
Nine distinct and remarkable private homes
and gardens comprise the tour this year,
ranging from pre-Revolutionary to modern.
Baltimore County: Centered in the
Worthington Valley, the tour focuses on
an unaltered, rural atmosphere that has not
changed appreciably in over 200 years. The
land is divided into numerous farms, with
some as large as 200 or 300 acres. Many
properties have been inherited by the present
owners, who are endeavoring to run
them as in the past, while retaining the
open spaces and restoring and occupying
the substantial homes which dot the countryside.
Calvert County: The community hosting
the tour, Scientists’ Cliff, was founded
in 1937 with an unusual charter: to promote
an interest in the natural sciences by means
of a botanical garden, arboretum, lectures,
field trips, preservation of open space,
exploration and preservation of fossil deposits.
It is the only community in Maryland
and perhaps anywhere in America that
maintains a museum of fossils collected
on its beach. The earliest houses, many of
which have been preserved, were log cabins.
The tour features over 20 properties and is
combination bus and walking tour.
Prince George’s: The tour travels
along the Tidal or Lower Potomac River
from Fort Washington to Accokeek and
through the Moyaone Reserve. Most of
the homes featured celebrate the water and
are designed to maximize the interaction
between the natural and architectural environments.
Be sure to see an expanded article on the
Baltimore County tour in the May issue of
Mason-Dixon ARRIVE.
32 Mason-Dixon ARRIVE | APRIL 2011 Mason-Dixon ARRIVE | APRIL 2011 33