The City of Annapolis houses more 18th-century brick buildings than any other town of comparable size nationwide.
Anne Arundel County and its seat of government, Annapolis, are significant to Maryland and American history and culture for unquantifiable reasons, including their rich architecture and distinguished landmarks. In fact, Annapolis’ significance and the City’s carefully preserved sites have been called the “Museum Without Walls.”
A lesser-known aspect of the region’s rich history and culture is that Annapolis boasts more 18th-century brick buildings than any town of comparable size in all of the United States. According to Visit Annapolis, the City’s official tourism office, Annapolis puts visitors in touch with four centuries of history and architecture:
As our nation’s first peacetime capital, Annapolis was a political, cultural, and commercial mover and shaker of its day. Today, the historic roots of our colonial port city turned world-renowned recreational boating capital are visible at every turn.
Some of the many historic 18th-century brick buildings of Annapolis include:
- The Maryland State House — the oldest State House in continuous legislative use in the nation. It was here that George Washington resigned his commission as Commander in Chief of the Continental Army, and the Continental Congress ratified the Treaty of Paris, officially ending the Revolutionary War.
- The late 1700’s Maryland Inn, now open for food, libations, and stays in one of its several haunted rooms.
- The Governor Calvert House, which is situated directly across from the original main entrance of the Maryland State House and was owned by two colonial governors, Charles Calvert in 1728 and Benedict Calvert in 1748.
- The Robert Johnson House, owned by the prominent Johnson family of Annapolis owned this property from 1722 to 1857 with several generations of bequeathment
- The homes of Maryland’s four signers of the Declaration of Independence, including the William Paca House.
- The William Brown House Garden and Historic London Town and Gardens that introduces visitors to the movers and shakers of colonial Annapolis.
