Hammond–Harwood House facts for kids
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Hammond-Harwood House
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Exterior view of the Hammond–Harwood House
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 Location in Maryland
Location in the United States
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| Location | Maryland Ave. and King George St., Annapolis, Maryland |
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| Area | 0.5 acres (0.20 ha) |
| Built | 1774 |
| Architect | Buckland, William |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000384 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | October 9, 1960 |
The Hammond–Harwood House is a special old house that is now a museum in Annapolis, Maryland. Built in 1774, it is one of the most important colonial houses left from when America was ruled by Britain.
This house is unique because its main design came from a picture in a famous architecture book called I Quattro Libri dell'Architettura (The Four Books of Architecture) by Andrea Palladio. The architect, William Buckland, designed it in 1773–1774 for a rich farmer named Matthias Hammond. The house was inspired by the Villa Pisani in Montagnana, Italy. In 1960, it was named a National Historic Landmark. Today, a non-profit group runs it as a museum for everyone to visit.
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History of the Hammond-Harwood House
Building the Hammond–Harwood House started around April 1774. Most of the house was likely finished before the architect, William Buckland, passed away later that year. The owner, Matthias Hammond, probably never lived in his fancy new house. He suddenly left Annapolis in 1776 for his family's country home. He died in 1786 after renting out the house for many years.
The house then went to his nephews, John and later Philip Hammond. Philip sold the house to Ninian Pinkney in 1810. However, Pinkney quickly sold it to Judge Jeremiah Chase in 1811. Judge Chase bought the house for his daughter, Frances Townley Chase Loockerman, and her family. Judge Chase knew the house well because he had rented a part of it since the late 1770s.
Judge Chase's family lived in the house until his great-granddaughter, Hester Ann Harwood, died in 1924. Interestingly, Hester Ann's mother was Judge Chase's granddaughter, and she married William Harwood, who was the great-grandson of William Buckland, the house's architect!
Hester Ann Harwood died without a will, so the house was sold in 1926 to St. John's College. The college used the house to teach one of America's first classes on art and design. But because they needed money, the college had to sell the house in 1940. The Hammond–Harwood House Association, a non-profit group, bought it. This group still owns the house and runs it as a public museum today.
Architecture and Design
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The Hammond–Harwood House is considered one of the most beautiful and important houses built in the late Colonial period. What makes it special is that it's the only house directly inspired by a picture in Palladio's famous book, I Quattro Libri dell'Architettura.
Architect William Buckland changed Palladio's Villa Pisani design to fit what people liked in colonial Annapolis. He redesigned the layout to match the different styles popular in the area. He also changed the connecting parts of the house from arches to simpler, one-story links. Buckland also made the windows set deeper into the walls. This was a popular style at the time that also helped protect against fire. This change made the house look stronger and more impressive. These adaptations show how skilled Buckland had become as an architect, making him one of America's first and finest.
Even Thomas Jefferson's famous house, Monticello, was inspired by another villa in Palladio's book, the Villa Cornaro. Thomas Jefferson even drew pictures of the Hammond–Harwood House when he was in Annapolis in 1783–1784. It's likely he recognized the house's design from Palladio's book, which he called his architectural "bible."
House Features
The Hammond–Harwood House is a brick house with five main parts. It has a two-story central section with five window bays. On each side, there are two-story sections that stick out towards the street. One-story connecting hallways link these parts. The main central part has a gently sloped roof.
The house has little extra decoration. The windows have plain, flat arches made of smooth bricks above them. Most of the fancy details are found in the central part. The main door is framed by columns that are partly attached to the wall, in the Ionic style, and topped by a fan-shaped window. Above this door, the second-floor window has a decorative frame.
Inside, the house looks perfectly balanced, even though it's not truly symmetrical. The architect used "false doors" where needed to keep this balanced look. The most important rooms are the dining room on the first floor and the ballroom directly above it on the second floor. Both of these rooms are at the back of the house, looking out over the garden. The dining room has an opening that looks like a door from the outside but is actually a window from the inside.
The Hammond–Harwood House was even shown on Bob Vila's TV show, Guide to Historic Homes of America.
More Historic Places Nearby
- Brice House
- Chase–Lloyd House, another important historic house across the street
- Paca House and Garden
- Whitehall (Annapolis, Maryland)
- Tulip Hill
- List of National Historic Landmarks in Maryland
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Anne Arundel County, Maryland
