Best Colonial and 19th Century Buildings

Reprinted from:
Annapolis: The Guidebook
By Katie Moose
©2001

Jonas Green House. 124 Charles Street. 410-263-5892. This wonderful house dates from the 1690's and is one of Annapolis' oldest residences. It was home to Jonas Green from 1738-1767, and is still occupied by members of the Green family. Jonas Green was a cousin of Benjamin Franklin's, and like him founded a newspaper "The Maryland Gazette." He was also a licensed printer for the Maryland Colonial Legislature and printed early American currency. Several members of the Green family married into the Harwood family of the Hammond-Harwood house.

Shiplap House. 18 Pinkney Street. Built 1713 on a lot owned by Benjamin Tasker, the Shiplap House was later used by Edward Smith as a residence and inn. In the 1780's John Humphrey rented it as the "Sign of the Harp and Crown" tavern. It was eventually a rooming house with 27 people living there, and later condemned by the city, but was rescued by the Historic Annapolis Foundation, which now uses it for its offices. The building has three types of overlapping wood siding, similar to a ship. Frank B. Mayer, an artist, lived and worked here.

Maritime Museum. 77 Main Street. During the Revolutionary War, this was used by victualling officers to store supplies for Continental Army and Navy. Restored 18th century to a warehouse. Now part of Historic Annapolis Foundation.

Reynolds Tavern. 7 Church Circle. 410-626-0381. In 1747 William Reynolds, a hatter and dry goods salesman, leased this building from St. Anne's Church. He not only sold hats, but rented rooms and ran an "ordinary, which served hot and cold food and liquor to visitors." It was then known as The Beaver and Lac d'Hat. The Reynolds family maintained the tavern until 1796 when it was sold to John Davidson. His widow was to run a boarding house here until 1811 when it was sold to Farmers National Bank. A fuel company wanted to buy the property in 1936 and tear down the building, but it was saved by a group of Annapolitans with funds from the Female Orphan Society, and converted into the Annapolis Library. The library outgrew the site in 1974 when the building was transferred to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which then leased it to the Historic Annapolis Foundation. Today it once again serves fine meals and drink.

Middleton Tavern. Market Place. Built c 1748, and owned by Elizabeth Bennett who sold it to Horatio Middleton in 1750. He also ran a sailing ferry to the Eastern Shore. The building was purchased in the 1780's by John Randall. For a while it was Mandie's Confectionary. Fire gutted the building in 1971 and 1973.

Peggy Stewart House. 207 Hanover Street. Built 1761 by Thomas Rutland. In 1772 Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer bought the house. During the Revolution the house was owned by Anthony Stewart, a merchant, who had imported tea, and set fire to his brig "The Peggy Stewart" for Annapolis' own tea party. It was then bought by Thomas Stone, signer of the Declaration of Independence, in 1783. In 1801 the house was sold to Thomas Harwood, Treasurer of the Western Shore. His son, Gen. Richard Harwood inherited the house, living there with his wife, Sarah Callahan, granddaughter of William Buckland. It is now a private residence.

Windsor House. C 1760. Built for Reverdy Johnson on North West Street and now on College Green off St. John's Street.

Edward Smith House. Pinkney Street. Built 1713 for innkeeper Edward Smith. Fine example of three-story wooden house.

McDowell House. St. John's College. Started by Thomas Bladen 1742 as the governor's mansion. The Assembly withdrew the funds as they thought it was too "extravagant." Completed 1784.

Customs House. 99 Main Street. Built 1770's and used for baking bread for Revolutionary War troops. Burned 1790, reconstructed 1792. Later grocery store. Now Sign O' the Whale.

139 Market Street. May have been built by Charles Carroll the Settler. Later owned by Thomas Larkin who sold it to the Hon. Henry Plater, a tobacco farmer and Secretary to Baltimore's Council. Philanthropist Paul Mellon bought the house in 1941 and presented it to St. John's College, his alma mater, for the President's House. It was later sold and is privately owned.

Adams Kilty House. 131 Charles Street. William Kilty was an attorney who published Kilty's Laws of Maryland. Lovely freestanding brick home. Privately owned.

Donaldson-Steuart House. 10 Francis Street. This is one of the earliest brick houses in Annapolis c 1730's and is built on land Gov. Nicholson had given for a free school. Henry Donaldson was a town merchant. The house was later leased to Dr. George Steuart and then sublet to Isaac McHard for the "Sign of the Indian King" in 1773.

Workman House. 10 Francis Street. This house was built for Anthony Workman who came to Annapolis as an indentured servant and made a fortune in smuggling. The house was built as a tavern on King William School land.

211-213 Main Street. Old City Hall and Engine House 1821-22.

House by the "Town Gates". 63 West Street. A federal home with gabled roof built c1830's at the site of the original town gates.

Artisan's House. 43 Pinkney Street. C 1777.

Dulaney-Duvall House. 179 Duke of Gloucester Street. Built 1730. Was winter home for Nicholas Worthington, a plantation owner.

170 Duke of Gloucester Street. Originally the Forensic Club. Now it is a B&B.

Sands House. 130 Prince George Street. Built 1680 and is oldest standing frame residence in Annapolis built for Richard Hill. He and Robert Proctor owned the land in 1685 that comprised Annapolis. Robert Proctor is thought to have had a tavern near the site of St. Mary's Church.

Bordley-Randall House. State Circle. Built by Thomas Bordley c 1717. In 1847 purchased by Alexander Randall, a prominent attorney. In 1947 P.V.H. Weems, developer of the Weems (celestial) system of navigation, purchased the house.

The Little Brice House. 195 Prince George Street. Owned by Amos Garrett, first mayor of Annapolis and sold to John Brice II in 1737.

Brooksby-Shaw House. State Circle. Built 1720's for Cornelius Brooksby. Later owned by prominent cabinet maker John Shaw. Now State offices.

Patrick Creagh House/ Aunt Lucy's Bake Shop. 160 Prince George Street. Built 1735-47 for Patrick Creagh, born on the Eastern Shore c 1697. He was a shipbuilder, whose boatworks were at the foot of Prince George Street and later the site of the colony jail or "gaol." He was also a painter, ship owner, tobacco trader, slave trader and contractor who built the "Old Treasury." He was later to purchase a 500-acre farm on the South River and 120 acres on Dorsey Creek, Chance on Curtis Creek, thirty-three acres near Beard's Creek and 80 acres on Acton Creek. His daughter married Richard MacCubbin, a merchant.

Sometime around 1800 Lucy and John Smith, a free black couple, became tenants on the property, operating a carriage and carting business. His wife, Aunt Lucy, operated a bake shop near the corner of Main and Green Street. They were later to purchase the property and the house is still called "Aunt Lucy's Bake Shop."

The old rectory of St. Anne's Church. 215-217 Hanover Street. Built 1760. Later owned by Philip Key, great-grandfather of Francis Scott Key who sold the land to the Episcopal Church in 1759, who maintained it as a rectory until 1885.

Retallick-Brewer House. 183 Green Street. In 1718 the lot was surveyed for Amos Garrett, a merchant and first Mayor of Annapolis. He died in 1727 leaving the property to four heirs who conveyed the property to Dr. Charles Carroll in 1735. The house was leased to Simon Retallick in 1788. He was a blacksmith and ironmaster, and put the iron bars on the Old Treasury Building. In 1820 the house was sold to Elizabeth Retallick Rawlings, who left the house to her daughter, Eliza Ann Brewer.

26 West Street. In the 18th c Mrs. Ghiselin's Ordinary was an inn. Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe are known to have stayed here in 1784 as delegates from Virginia to the Continental Congress. In 1965 it became the Capital City Federal Savings and Loan Association.

Lockerman-Tilton House. 9 Maryland Avenue. c1740. This house has been owned by John Rogers, first chancellor of the State of Maryland, and Josephine Tilton. Her husband accompanied Adm. Perry to Japan. The kitchen was a separate house and was once home to Comm. Gordon Ellyson, the Navy's first aviator.

18 West Street. Lovely brick building. Built c 1790 for Allen Quynn, a former mayor of Annapolis. Now offices of Parrott & Donahue and Miles & Stockbridge, Attorneys at Law.

Farmers National Bank. Church Circle. Built 1805.

162 Conduit Street and Duke of Gloucester Streets. Large 18th c house. Once home of Thomas Dulany, a Tory. Later bought by George Mann for use as an inn and tavern. The colorful homes along this block of Conduit Street were also part of the Inn. Known as Mann's City Hotel a ball was held following George Washington's resignation 1783. The Maryland Society of the Cincinnati was founded here.

Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre. 27 Compromise Street. Once was the Shaw Blacksmith Shop.

Tobacco Prise House. 4 Pinkney Street. Tobacco warehouse, shipped in hogshead barrels.

Waterwitch Hook and Ladder Company. 33 East Street. Built 1913.

City Dock. Has been in use since 1650 as dock. Thomas Todd had a boatyard here. The Ship Carpenter's lot was to the left of City Dock. Once site of skipjacks, bugeyes, and other vessels, and many old wooden docks.

The Market Place is the fifth built on the site, the present one in 1858. A site was selected as early as 1684, but no building existed. In 1717 the first Market House opened on State Circle. In 1784 filled land on the dock was deeded by eight Annapolis residents for use as a market, which is still maintained. Records show the market master was also the town lamplighter. The lamp finials were in the shape of tobacco leaves.

Maryland Inn. Church Circle at Duke of Gloucester Street. This was once called Drummer's Lot. The town crier brought together the towns' people with the roll of drums to read official proclamations. In 1718 the lot was owned by Philemon Lloyd, grandfather of Molly Chew who was to marry William Paca in 1763. The inn was built in 1772 by Thomas Hyde of Severn. Now part of Historic Inns of Annapolis.

O'Brien's. 113 Main Street. Was built in 1774, once the Rose and Crown, later Fran O'Brien's. During the 1980's much of the building was destroyed by fire. Now rebuilt.

Benson-Hammond House. West Street. 19th c farmhouse built by Thomas Benson. Now Anne Arundel County Historical Society.

The Barracks. 43 Pinkney Street. 410-269-1737. Furnished to look like Revolutionary War barracks. Open by appointment.

Gassaway Feldmeyer House. 194 Prince George Street, Built 1878-80 for Augustus Gassaway, a Mayor of Annapolis, postmaster, and secretary to the Maryland Senate. After his sudden death in 1880 the house was willed to his daughter. The Gassaway family had settled in Annapolis in 1650. The house was purchased by the Feldmeyer family in 1903. The house is Italianate in architecture.

Merchand-Dorsey House. 211 Prince George Street. This c1700 home was built for Major Edward Dorsey. The first Annapolis meeting of the Maryland Assembly was held here February 28, 1695.

Golder House. 42-50 West Street. A Mr. Golder had a store here called the "Sign of the Waggon and horse." He died in 1765 from eating poisonous mushrooms.

Price House. 230-236 Main Street. Constructed 1821-1832 by Henry Price, a "free man of color" and lay minister at the Annapolis Station Methodist Episcopal Church. He was one of the founders of Asbury United Methodist Church on West Street.

To order: "Annapolis: The Guidebook," By Katie Moose, send check or money order to Conduit Press, 111 Conduit Street, Annapolis, MD 21401. For further information, call 410-280-5272, or e-mail kamoose@erols.com.